1. London Mathematics Challenge Network Day 11 th July 2008

2. Starter In groups of 3s or 4s Write a short story using the cards provided. You can be as creative as you like. You can add any words of your own BUT you must use ALL the cards provided. Think about….what you are learning..what your students might learn from a similar activity..what cards you might produce to make the activity directly relevant to your students

3. Functional Mathematics Francis Bove

4. What are Functional Skills?

5. What is ‘Functional’? Functional – in the broadest sense of providing learners with the skills and abilities they need to take an active and responsible role in their communities, in their everyday life, workplace and educational settings. It is essential to think of learners becoming functional in their mathematics rather than thinking there is a vital body of mathematical material known as functional mathematics

6. Task Note down three mathematical skills that you taught last month. Time allowed: 1 minute

7. Process Skills

8. Helping students to become more functional Helping your students to: Recognise situations in which mathematics can be used Make sense of these situations Describe these situations using mathematics Analyse the mathematics, obtaining results and solutions Interpret the mathematical outcomes in terms of the situation Communicate results and conclusions

10. Level differentiation Complexity of the situation or problem Familiarity to the learner of the situation or problem Technical demand of the mathematics required Independence of the learner in tackling the situation or problem

11. Pair Activity Level Differentiation Use the Functional Skills Standards for each level on pages 22 – 26 of the Standards and pick out words or phrases from the Performance Criteria that you think best illustrate each grid box Time for this activity: 7 minutes

12. Teaching and learning strategies Develop strategies and activities that: –allow students to increase their independence as they progress –allow for a range of levels of attainment –are based on real and purposeful contexts –develop the process skills that are at the heart of Functional Mathematics

13. Challenges Functional mathematics must be purposeful and realistic Encourage an active approach to learning Develop critical thinking and reflective learning Enabling learners to see links between mathematics and other subjects, work and life in general

15. Links DCFS 14-19 Website: www.dfes.gov.uk/14-19www.dfes.gov.uk/14-19 go to ‘Qualifications’ and then ‘Functional skills’ for background info. See FAQs in particular QCA Website: www.qca.org.uk/qca_6062.aspx for the standards and info on the pilotswww.qca.org.uk/qca_6062.aspx FS Support Programme: http://www.lsneducation.org.uk/functionalskills/ http://www.lsneducation.org.uk/functionalskills/ QIA Excellence Gateway: http://excellence.qia.org.uk/functionalskills