Functional Skills
Functional Skills qualifications support school-age, post-16 and adult learners to apply practical English and maths skills to real-life and vocational contexts.
They are a mandatory element in apprenticeships as well as being stand-alone qualifications in their own right at Entry Level 1-3, Level 1 and Level 2 and can be used as an alternative to GCSE maths and English.
We provided 2.9 million assessments last year, so you’re in very safe hands. The key benefits of using Skills Builder for your Functional Skills initial assessments are:
- Assess learners’ overall working-towards level and their spiky profile
- Question banks to avoid repetition
- Built-in dyslexia and dyscalculia screener
- Accessibility options and support
Skills Reform
In September 2019, Functional Skills qualifications were reformed to improve their rigour and relevance. In English, there is a focus on spelling, punctuation and grammar without dictionaries or computer aids. At Entry Levels, the teaching of phonics informs the expectations in reading and spelling. In maths, there will be more emphasis on the underpinning knowledge required to solve problems using times tables and working with and without a calculator with 25% of the Functional Skills assessment now made up of non-calculator questions. Due to this added rigour, the guided learning hours will increase from 45 to 55 hours.
Skills Forward is able to support you to deliver the reformed Functional Skills qualifications using our reform-ready Skills Builder eLearning software and our revolutionary One Assessment.
