1. Functional Skills 2010: Beyond the pilot phase
Presented by Bernie Zakary

2. Why Functional Skills?
Implementation details
Assessment particulars
On-screen

3. Subject to accreditation decision:
19 March 2010
for ALL awarding bodies

4. Why Functional Skills?
Originally proposed in the Tomlinson Working Group Report:
“Get the basics right – ensuring that young people achieve specified levels in functional Mathematics, Literacy and Communication and ICT”
(DCSF, Tomlinson 2004)

5. Why Functional Skills?
“A UK productivity improvement of £1 billion a year if we could just half employer dissatisfaction with the young people they recruit straight from education.”
Sir Alan Jones, Chairman Emeritus of Toyota UK and Chairman of Semta

6. Why Functional Skills? Reduce the NEET figure
Designed to address a perceived deficit in GCSE English, Mathematics, ICT
‘practical skills in English, mathematics and ICT that help learners gain the most out of work, education and everyday life’ (
Mastery

7. Functional Skills built into the 14-19 pathways:
Foundation learning
Specialised Diplomas
Apprenticeships
New specification GCSEs aligned with FS
KS 3 and 4 curricula aligned with FS (L1 and L2 respectively)
Schools encouraged to let learners do both GCSE and FS

8. Attainment and Achievement Tables
Level 2 = 23 points Level 1 = 12.5 points Entry 1 = 5 points Entry 2 = 6 points Entry 3 = 7 points
For Tables purposes, a short course GCSE which contributes 10% to the thresholds, and a Functional Skill which contributes 10% to the thresholds, would count as contributing 20% to the threshold - the equivalent of a full GCSE. (
UCAS points: Yes, but they won’t count for HE progression

9. Timeline September 2007 Start of three-year pilot
September 2008 All three Functional Skills become a mandatory
part of the first tranche of Diplomas
End August 2010 Last registration for the Communication,
Application of Number and ICT Key Skills
September 2010 Functional English, Mathematics
and ICT available nationally
September 2010 First teaching of revised GCSEs in English,
mathematics and ICT (for examination in 2012)
End August 2012 Last accreditation for the Communication,

10. A little more detail Criteria published by Ofqual November 2009
Available at Entry 1,2, and 3 and Level 1 and Level 2
English, Mathematics, ICT
No portfolio
One assessment for each of Mathematics and ICT
Separate assessments for Reading, Writing, Speaking Listening and Communicating (separately certificated)

11. Assessments Realistic contexts, scenarios and problems
Tasks relevant to context
Application of K,S and U for a purpose
Process skills
Level is differentiated by
Content (coverage and range, or technical demand)
Complexity/familiarity/independence

12. Assessments Entirely or predominantly open-response
Mark based, except for Speaking, Listening and Communicating (but not graded)
Maths
ICT
Eng R, W
Eng S,L,C L2
E/E
E/I L1
Entry*
E/E = externally set, externally marked
E/I = externally set, internally marked
= except in case of e-assessment requiring electronic marking
Shaded = some contextualisation possible

13. Online assessments…..

14. Bernie Zakary