Functional skills are essential skills in literacy, numeracy, and ICT that enable individuals to operate confidently in life and work. They should be developed through real-life, purposeful activities with a focus on problem solving. Learners need opportunities to build skills, apply them in various contexts, and master them by selecting the right skills to tackle unfamiliar problems. Teachers should direct skill-building, guide application, and challenge learners to secure mastery across subjects.

1. Functional skills

2. “Functional skills will provide individuals with the essential knowledge, skills and understanding that will enable them to operate confidently, effectively and independently in life and work”.14-19 education and skills: implementation plan (DfES, 2005).BUILD > APPLY > MASTER

3. “Performance Standards”

4. Take full part in formal and informal discussions/exchanges.Read and understand a range of texts.“Example standards” Select and apply mathematics in an organised way to find solutions to practical problems for different purposes.

5. Interpret and communicate solutions to practical problems, drawing simple conclusions and giving explanations.Expected to be embedded at KS3 Present information in ways that are fit for purpose and audience

6. Select and use a variety of sources of information independently to meet needsLevel 1

7. Functional skillsWhether functional skills are taught through an integrated or standalone programme, it is essential that they are developed through purposeful ‘real-life’ or realistic activities with a strong focus on discussion, explanation, decision making and problem solving.Learners should have opportunities to reflect on different approaches to a task, focus on the information they need to find and use, and devise a strategy for achieving their objectives.Many existing teaching practices are well suited to this approach, including learner-centred and problem-centred approaches, active learning, partnership learning and assessment for learning.THIS IS GOOD TEACHING!

8. Key MessagesStudents will sit specific functional skills tests, under exam conditions, separate from GCSEs. Responding to employers – And14-19 Reform, Skills Agenda, Gilbert Review, ECM, ‘Raising Skills, Improving Life Chances’.Stand-alone qualificationFS qualification is awarded at all levels – Entry 1, 2, 3, Level 1, 2. But need level 2 to be accredited with diploma.FS are embedded into all Key Stage 3 Programmes Of StudyFS are embedded into English, Maths and ICT new learning objectives and all GCSEs.30–45 Guided Learning Hours per functional skill is the indicative figure.Compulsory element of diplomas

9. Key MessagesThe OFSTED thematic review (August 2009) identified that functional skills had a “lower priority than principle learning” when reviewing the diploma qualification. They also reported there was “little collaboration” and that the “quality of teaching and learning varied considerably”. Make a positive contribution by learning in real-life, purposeful contexts.Setting a culture is incentive enoughLA Subject inspectors looking for functionalityCounty Durham FS policy ‘entitlement to all’Shift in deliveryLinked to outstanding teachingBUILD > APPLY > MASTER

10. Key MessagesA successful learner...Builds a range of functional skillsPractises applying them in a range of contexts (real-life and purposeful)Secures/masters them by choosing the most appropriate skill to tackle problems in increasingly unfamiliar contextsAn effective teacher...Directs the building of functional skillsGuides the application of skillsChallenges learners to secure/master across all subjects

11. Teaching English, Maths or ICT?!September 2010 – full roll out.Do not have to use the same awarding body for GCSE/Diploma. No shelf life – enter in Year 9, if ready.Test when ready (mastery assessment) – implications on assessment and monitoring proceduresCovers what is already taught – but encourages the ability to select the right tools to solve different problems.Free training availableAwarding bodies working as a committee to develop online assessment.Single-level assessment

12. Not English, Maths or ICT?!2008 – First Diploma teachingPreparing students for any pathway.Embedded in KS3 curriculumICTAC and Maths/English across the curriculum – underpins success in all areas.New GCSE specifications reflect functionality.Schemes of work mapped to functionality.Coordinated approachImproves retention and improves post-16 participation ratesPrepare learners for successful progression into alternative routes.

13. Teaching a diploma?Discrete delivery of functional skills defeats the object of developing learners’ ability to apply functional skills in purposeful contexts (familiar and unfamiliar).The aim is to move towards ‘Fully embedded’Crucially, whatever approach is taken in your centre or consortium, you will need to plan how the functional skills will be integrated into Principal Learning.This will mean working in a team with other teachers, especially functional skills teachers, and will require the full support of your senior management or leadership team.

14. Opportunities to build and applyBUILDQuestioningExplainingModellingGuided learningGroup problem solvingAPPLYRange of contexts

15. Real and purposeful

16. Familiar and increasingly unfamilar

17. Cross-curricular

18. Less scaffolding

19. Facilitator ‘Guide on the side’Module 1 National Strategies Functional Skills Training

20. Best PracticeMost effective approaches involve embedding and across all areasLinked to objectives and success criteriaKS3 – end of unit assessment on the application of the skills acquired. (‘Am I Functional packs’)Centre developed ‘Enterprise’ style challengesSkilled to Go packFSSP/LSIS ‘Functional skills in diploma’ packs. Planning tool within the above packFunctional skills in... (Subject Packs)Links to PLTS and Enterprise (Personal Learning Thinking Skills) Staff audit/development planRaise the profile – FS week, FS newsletter, FS steering group, whole staff roadshow.

21. Action Plan…Diploma learnersMap in schemes of work (literacy, numeracy and ICT will usually be incorporated anyway).Be aware of standardsProvide opportunities for students to build and apply the skills then to demonstrate mastery in all subject areas. Refer to the functional skill standards. Inform learners. Take a problem solving approach.Vary the tasks – homework, starters, Q & A, tasks, modelling.See functional skills as a great opportunity for us and the learners!!