Functional Skills
Guidance for Practitioners
The functional skills guidance provides an update on the latest Functional Skills (FS) pilot developments and informs you of the support available during the pilot phase of the programme. It also provides an update on the position of the new Functional Skills qualifications in relation to the Skills for Life qualifications. Functional Skills qualifications will replace Key Skills qualifications from 2010 and it is anticipated they will also replace Skills for Life qualifications, although this is currently being tested to ensure Functional Skills are suitable for adults.
The guidance lists a number of important websites where you can access relevant information to help you in your work on functional skills. It is aimed primarily at functional skills practitioners in schools, colleges, adult and community learning providers, people on local authority projects and non-pilot centres interested in functional skills development.
The guidance acts as a sign-post and lists a number of website addresses to aid easy access to relevant information that is important for you. For example, you can access information about progress on the functional skills qualification development, the training and support programme that is available for the FS workforce, including Awarding Bodies' support. There is also a link to take you directly to information about functional skills, the Diploma and the Diploma Gateway.
Click here to download the guidance
For more information, please visit the QCA website at: www.qca.org.uk/functionalskills
For information on the Functional Skills support programme for practitioners, please visit the LSIS website at: http://excellence.qia.org.uk/functionalskills
Quick Reads
Linking Skills for Life and reading for pleasure
Quick Reads are short, fast-paced books aimed at adult emergent readers. Thousands of adults are getting into reading for the first time through Quick Reads and many learning providers and tutors are now using the books with their Skills for Life students.
Click here for more information.
Skills Check and Initial Assessment Tools
Access, download or order the latest versions of a range of skills check (formerly known as screening) and initial assessment tools, suitable for working with Skills for Life learners in different contexts. They are available in both hard copy and electronic versions as required. They have been designed with different audiences in mind:
- Standard for general purpose use in a range of contexts
- Workplace for standard workplace usage (ie in non sector-specific workplaces)
- Contextualised for workplaces in four specific sectors
Visit the LSIS Tools Library website at : http://excellence.qia.org.uk/toolslibrary for more information.
The Learning Infrastructure
The Skills for Life strategy has developed a learning infrastructure for adult literacy, numeracy and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). It has the following elements:
The National Standards
The National Standards for Adult Literacy and Numeracy provide the basis for the whole learning infrastructure. The literacy standards cover the skills of speaking and listening, reading and writing. The numeracy standards cover the skills of interpreting, calculating and communicating mathematical information. The standards:
- are set at Entry level and Levels 1 and 2 of the national qualifications framework
- describe three sub-levels of achievement within Entry level: Entry 1, Entry 2 and Entry 3
- provide a progression framework for the core curricula in literacy, numeracy and ESOL, which set out clear goals for learners and their teachers
- provide nationally agreed benchmarks against which the literacy, language and numeracy skills of the adult population can be assessed through national tests and national qualifications
Curricula for Literacy, Numeracy, ESOL, Pre-entry and Access for All
National curriculum documents have been produced for Adult Literacy, Numeracy, ESOL and Pre-entry. The Access for All Guidance Manual has been developed to provide a guide for teachers of learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The documents set out the specific literacy, language and numeracy skills, knowledge and understanding required to meet the national standards at each level.
Teaching and Learning Materials
The Skills for Life learning materials for literacy, numeracy and ESOL are paper-based and available on CD-ROM. They are referenced to the national curriculum documents.
The Teaching and Learning Materials webpage also provides details of a Resource Pack for staff teaching literacy, language and numeracy. The pack contains specialist sections on teaching learners who have a range of learning difficulties and/or disabilities and is available to access online.
Click here if you would like to access the PDF versions of the paper-based Learner Materials for literacy, numeracy, and ESOL
Qualifications, Accreditation & National Tests
This section provides information on:
- The National Tests in Adult Literacy and Numeracy
- The Move On project - promoting the National Tests with a free short course
- The National Test Toolkit - a publication providing information about the National Tests and also the Move On approach.
- Accredited qualifications for Adult learners of literacy and numeracy at Entry level
- Accredited qualifications for Adult ESOL learners
- Accreditation for Pre-entry level learners
Skills for Life Materials for Embedded Learning
The Embedded Learning materials motivate learners to improve their literacy, language or numeracy skills via the tasks and activities they undertake as part of vocational training programmes and community-based activities. There are a bank of professionally produced materials in a variety of formats, including paper-based, audio and interactive.
Please see the Embedded Learning Portal for more details and to access the materials.
Planning Learning and Recording Progress & Achievement
This project has developed a guide designed for managers, co-ordinators and teachers of adult literacy, numeracy and ESOL. It is designed to help practitioners to develop procedures and recording systems for their own organisations, evaluate and revise their current systems and procedures and improve the effectiveness of current practice.
The Learning Journey
"The Learning Journey" describes the various stages that a learner should experience; from initial referral to learning provision, right through to final assessment. The charts available to download below are a useful reference to assist in understanding the learning process.
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Teaching and Learning
