Functional Skills Update(England)

April 2007

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Can you answer these questions?

A coat costs £80The coat is in a sale with 25% offWhat is the new cost of the coat?

In the following sentence which word is spelt incorrectly?

‘be careful, the kettel is hot.’

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What are Functional Skills?

•A key initiative in both the 14-19 White Paper and the second Skills White Paper, in response to pressure from employers

•A set of standards that establish a benchmark of ‘mastery’ in English, maths and ICT that all learners should achieve

•Available from Entry 1 to Level 2

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Qualification development and reform Functional Skills (FS) are part of an extensive educational

reform programme which includes the following:

• Specialised Diplomas• Foundation Learning Tier (FLT)• Existing 14 – 19 qualifications• Key Stage 3 revision• Modernisation of the exam process• Vocational qualifications reform

The aim is for a more rationalised curriculum offering learners stimulating qualifications with appropriate, when ready assessment.

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How the standards will be used• replace existing key and basic skills with new

stand-alone qualifications, suitable for both young people and adults

• link to GCSEs in maths, English and ICT so that no–one can achieve an A*-C without achieving the functional element

• represent an efficient way of assessing learners in the skills they need for work and life, which can be taken on demand

• form part of the specialised Diplomas and apprenticeships

• link to vocational programmes

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Current position

•Final decisions on assessment of functional skills still being made at QCA

•Finalised standards due mid May•National pilots will commence in September 2007 •Approx 1000 centres will take part in the pilots•Each awarding body will be offering different

functional skills qualifications to ensure that there is coverage across levels and subjects

•Stand-alone qualifications initially will be set and marked by awarding bodies

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Unit titles• English

• Speaking and listening• Reading • Writing

• Maths• Making sense of situations and representing them• Processing and analysing the mathematics• Interpreting and communicating the results of analysis

• ICT• Use ICT systems• Find, select and communicate information• Develop and present information

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ProgressionHoped that:•Learners will progress from an initial level at pre-16

(at Entry, Level 1 or 2). Level 2 remains the target achievement for all learners 14-19 (note that the Leitch ‘adult’ target for FS is Entry 3 for maths and Level 1 for English)

•Progression above that level will be seen as desirable

• GLH of around 50; still under review

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Time line

April 2007: Edexcel start collecting expressions of interest from interested centres

May 2007: awarding bodies receive finalised standards and assessment design information from QCA

June 2007: successful pilot centres notifiedSept 2007: first teaching for standalone pilots and GCSE

English pilotJune 2008: first assessment opportunitySept 2008: Functional skills will be included in the

DiplomasSept 2010 functional skills for maths, English and ICT as a

hurdle to achieving GCSE grade C2010 phasing out starts of existing key skills and adult

literacy and numeracy qualifications

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Who can pilot?• Successful Diploma Gateway centres who have been

nominated to run Functional Skills pilots – about 800 centres

• 200 ‘other’ centres; likely to be post 16 or ‘adult’ from the full range of sectors

• Opportunities for other pilot centres likely (especially from 2008); still in discussion with the regulator

• These ‘1,000’ centres are across all nine awarding bodies/awarding body consortia involved in the pilots

• QCA suggests 20-30 learners per centre so 20,000-30,000 learners might be expected in 2007-8

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What about centres not through the Gateway or selected in ‘other’ category?•We will be keeping you updated about ways

to be involved on our website•‘BTECalaureate’•Committed to supporting centres offering

Adult Literacy and Numeracy as a preparation of Functional Skills

•Anticipated that we can expand the pilots for 2008 and 2009

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AssessmentOver-riding principles of assessment are that FS should be:

• available on-demand• easy to administer/manageable• prove ability• cover the standards• cost effective• Credible to key stakeholders, particularly universities

and employersand

The assessment method does not need to follow the same model for all levels, all subjects

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National benchmarks and targets for functional skills• 14-19

•Level 2 in English, maths and ICT

• Adults (Leitch agenda)•Level 1 English•Entry 3 maths• ICT – no target

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Models of assessment for the pilot phase•Model 1. Functional skills as a stand alone

qualification•Model 2. Functional skills as a paper within

the GCSE which does not contribute to the GCSE grade. This paper can also be used to certificate as a stand alone qualification

•Model 3. As model 2, but the marks from the FS contribute to the GCSE grade

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Which stand alone qualifications will Edexcel be offering?• Likely to offer Level 1 & 2 in maths, English and ICT• Will be either 1 test or 1 set of tasks per qualification

(except English with a speaking and listening component)

• Tests likely to be 60-90 mins long• Tasks could be longer but will be done in one ‘sitting’• Everything will be marked by Edexcel, there will be

no internal assessment and no portfolio• No information about planned assessment models

available yet until QCA ratify our plans• Entry level planned for 2008

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What about GCSEs?•Edexcel is offering GCSE English with Functional

Skills•Level 1 & 2 Functional Skills will be nested as a

unit within the qualification•Centres will be able to see how the hurdle will

work for their learners prior to it being activated for the C grade

•We are keeping an eye on developments in maths and ICT and preparing the new GCSEs for 2010

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Information expected soon….•What exactly is meant by ‘mastery’? It’s likely

to be a percentage pass rate but we don’t know how high yet

•How will the functional skills will be funded and attributed to the attainment tables? If load banded, funding will remain for adults

•The proportion that functional skills hurdle will make up of the GCSE? - 50% is suggested

•How many and which centres will be in our pilot?

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What is Edexcel doing?

•Supporting centres with ALAN qualifications •Working with Local Authorities and centres

to look at models of delivery and assessment

•Preparing case studies and supporting materials to share best practice

•Disseminating information, as available (website, Insights, links with other web sites)

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How can centres prepare?

•Work in and extend partnership and collaboration with LA, consortium partners, employers where appropriate.

•Be pro-active. Audit readiness. Build capacity•Start to engage key stakeholders i.e. SMT,

colleagues, learners, parents, employers etc•Plan access and progression, harness strengths, seek

out resources and support i.e. NSS, QIA, AB, DfES etc.•Utilise network opportunities & share good practice •Deliver ALAN as part of the GCSE•Consider embedding key skills delivery and

assessment as part of vocational programmes

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Prepare staff•Use training opportunities to support CPD

for staff to think through how they might deliver functional skills

•Use of Results Plus Analysis and Results Plus Skills to raise current achievement and prepare for future success

•Use ALAN to prepare for on-demand assessment

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Expression of Interest•Edexcel intend to offer Functional Skills Pilot

Qualifications in English, Maths and ICT at Levels 1 and 2 from September 2007.

•We are inviting expressions of interest from centres wishing to participate in the Edexcel Functional Skills Pilots. The form can be found on the Functional Skills website:http://developments.edexcel.org.uk/fs/interest/

•Selection of centres to participate in the Pilots is subject to discussions with QCA/

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How do I keep updated?

•Visit the Edexcel functional skills web pages http://developments.edexcel.org.uk/fs/

•Register with Edexcel Policy Watch mailing list and email alerts

•Look on the QCA functional skills website www.qca.org.uk/15891.html

•Look on the QIA website•Contact your Edexcel regional office or

curriculum development manager (if known)