Functional Skills. February 2009. For further information contact us: Tel. +44 (0)
8707 202 909. Email.
www.ediplc.com. Factsheet ...
Factsheet
Functional Skills February 2009
For further information contact us:
Tel. +44 (0) 8707 202 909 Email.
[email protected] www.ediplc.com
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Functional Skills
Contents 1
What are functional skills?
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2
Functional skills standards
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3
Assessment
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4
How do functional skills relate to other frameworks and qualifications?
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5
How is EDI involved?
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6
Developments for the future
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Further information
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Functional Skills
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1
What are functional skills?
Employers and educators have identified functional skills as vital for enabling young people and adults to have the practical skills they need to succeed in further learning, employment and the wider society. Functional skills are a key element of the 14-19 reforms and comprise practical skills in English, mathematics and ICT. Functional skills are those core elements of English, mathematics and ICT that provide an individual with the essential knowledge, skills and understanding that will enable them to operate confidently, effectively and independently in life and at work. Individuals who possess these skills will be able to participate and progress in education, training and employment. They will also be able to develop and secure the broader range of aptitudes, attitudes and behaviours that will enable them to make a positive contribution to the communities in which they live and work. Functional skills are common to all our lives. They help us make sense of daily life, for example when working out which deal is best value, writing an application letter or surfing the internet. They are about problem-solving, effective decision-making, and resolving real life challenges. Functional skills qualifications in English, mathematics and ICT are being piloted now and will be available nationally from September 2010. There will be a single route of progression in these crucial skills, common to qualifications and learning programmes for young people and adults alike. To ensure that functional skills are readily accessible to the full range of learners, the qualifications are available as:
Free-standing qualifications A component of Diplomas Incorporated into the English, mathematics and ICT programmes of study at Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4.
Functional skills are being developed to support and raise standards across the wider landscape of existing qualifications.
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Functional skills standards
Functional skills have been developed at Entry Level, Level 1 and Level 2. The functional skills standards document will remain the primary reference for all functional skills qualifications through this period (please see www.qca.org.uk/functionalskills). QCA has produced Functional skills guidance: amplification of the standards. This document should be used in conjunction with the standards and is available to download from www.qca.org.uk/qca_18249.aspx. Practitioners should focus on these functional skills standards and developing learners’ “functionality” in a variety of life contexts, so that learners are able to achieve, regardless of assessment approach. The standards are summarised as follows: English “The aim of the English standards is to encourage learners to demonstrate their speaking and listening, reading and writing skills in a range of contexts and for various purposes. They are essentially concerned with developing and recognising the ability of learners to apply and transfer skills in ways that are appropriate to their situation.” Functional Skills Standards: English Mathematics “Fundamental to individuals being able to use mathematics effectively in life and work is their ability to understand and make sense of mathematical information, to use and process that information, to interpret and analyse the results of their activity and to present this to others. These process skills form the basis of the functional skills standards for mathematics and apply at all levels.” Functional Skills Standards: Mathematics ICT “For ICT to be useful, learners must have the skills and confidence to apply, combine and adapt their ICT knowledge to new situations in their life and work. They need the capacity to identify and understand the role that ICT plays in the world and use ICT in ways that enable them to function as effective citizens and benefit them in life and work.” Functional Skills Standards: ICT Each functional skill at each level is expected to require between 30-45 guided learning hours, dependent upon individual learner need/requirement.
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Assessment
Functional skills assessments will be task-based; there is no portfolio-based assessment analogous to Key Skills. Assessment methods are being piloted and vary between awarding bodies. It is important to appreciate that the functional skills pilot qualifications and assessments will continue to evolve through the pilot programme. QCA will evaluate each method throughout the course of the pilot.
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How do functional skills relate to other frameworks and qualifications?
Functional skills and Apprenticeships If pilot centres have apprentices taking functional skills qualifications, it is essential they check that approval has been given by the relevant sector skills council or standard setting body (SSC/SSB). SSCs must amend their apprenticeship frameworks and submit these to the Skills for Business Apprenticeship Approvals Group (SfBAAG). Functional skills and Diplomas Functional skills will be a mandatory part of the new 14-19 Diplomas. This will ensure that young people secure the right foundation of English, mathematics and ICT skills needed for progression into employment. Young people will have to demonstrate functional skills competence to achieve a Diploma (Level 1 at Foundation, Level 2 at Higher and Advanced). Functional skills and GCSEs From 2010, passing functional skills qualifications at Level 2 will be a requirement for achieving a C or better in GCSE English, mathematics or ICT. Functional skills and Key Skills Functional skills will replace the Key Skills of Communication, Application of Number and Information and Communication Technology from September 2010.
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How is EDI involved?
EDI is one of the 11 awarding bodies involved in the pilot and is offering functional skills in English, Mathematics and ICT at Entry 1, 2 and 3 and at Level 1 and Level 2. Assessments are currently paper-based and only available in fixed, week long, assessment windows. EDI functional skills Entry 3, Level 1 and Level 2 pilot assessment details English
English Entry 3 Reading and Writing – 60 minutes to perform tasks based on a real life scenario English Level 1 Reading and Writing – 60 minutes (plus 15 minutes reading time) to perform tasks based around pre-release source material and unseen documents English Level 2 Reading and Writing – 90 minutes (plus 15 minutes reading time) to perform tasks based around pre-release source material and unseen documents Paper-based assessments, externally marked by EDI English Level 1 Speaking and Listening – tasks comprising telephone conversations and discussions English Level 2 – Speaking and Listening – tasks comprising presentations and discussions These assessments are based around a “real life” scenario introduced by the pre-release source material, eg the travel industry and are marked internally by the centre, a sample of which are sent to EDI for moderation
Mathematics
Mathematics Entry 3 – 60 minutes Mathematics Level 1 – 60 minutes Mathematics Level 2 – 90 minutes Each assessment requires learners to complete problem solving tasks related to generic scenarios such as using train timetables. Learners must show their workings out and thought processes, as marks are awarded for this. Calculators are allowed at all levels The assessments are marked externally by EDI
Information and Communication Technology
ICT Entry 3 – 60 minutes to perform an activity ICT Level 1 – 60 minutes to perform an activity ICT Level 2 – 90 minutes to perform an activity The tasks are based on pre-release research tasks that learners are required to undertake in controlled conditions in the weeks prior to the assessment The assessments are marked externally by EDI
Entry 1 and Entry 2 pilot assessment details In all three subjects, at Entry 1 and Entry 2, assessments are centre devised and internally assessed. All assessments must be approved by EDI. Please note that the assessment details may change as the pilot progresses.
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Developments for the future
It is anticipated that from September 2009, more flexible assessment window opportunities and onscreen assessment will be available.
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Further information
Further information about functional skills is available on the QCA website: www.qca.org.uk/functionalskills and on the website of the Department for Children, Schools and Families: www.dfes.gov.uk/14-19. For further information about the pilot project for functional skills, please contact
[email protected] or telephone 08707 202 909. For information on training, contact the Functional Skills Support Programme by telephoning 08708 728081 or through the following link: http://excellence.qia.org.uk/page.aspx?o=functionalskills.
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Functional Skills
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EDI International House Siskin Parkway East Middlemarch Business Park Coventry CV3 4PE UK Tel. +44 (0) 8707 202909 Fax. +44 (0) 2476 516505 Email.
[email protected] www.ediplc.com
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