Preparing for the delivery of functional skills
Becoming familiar with the draft standards is a useful way of preparing for functional skills qualifications.
To help you start preparing for functional skills, we offer a number of pathways that you can follow whether you are a pilot centre or not:
Adult Literacy and Adult Numeracy (ALAN)
Many schools have been using our ALAN and ALAN Onscreen qualifications with outstanding success. ALAN is available at Entry Level, Level 1 and Level 2, and can be taken by learners at any age. Centres currently offering ALAN as an integrated part of GCSEs in maths and English are already helping their staff to develop the techniques they need to deliver on-demand assessment. Since we know how important practice is as part of exam preparation, we are providing all our onscreen ALAN centres with extra practice tests on CD-rom.
Like functional skills, ALAN is divided into three components at each level: literacy (reading, speaking and listening, and writing) and numeracy (handling data, number and measure, and space and shape).
Staff and students at King Edward VI School in Bury St Edmunds have been using ALAN to help staff prepare for functional skills with outstanding success. Find out more and listen to the podcast
You can find out more about the delivery and assessment of ALAN qualifications here, or email alanonscreen@edexcel.com.
Key skills
Centres delivering and assessing key skills in communication, application of number and ICT will have already considered alternative methods of support for learners in practising skills, collecting evidence and taking tests. Although we can’t be sure that assessment will include both test and portfolio elements, it's possible that across the subjects and levels both assessment methods will be included. Helpful suggestions as to how to embed models of delivery and assessment can be found on our website and in our Skills for Life Centre Support Pack, which can be obtained by emailing skillsforlife@edexcel.com.
Is there any training available to help my staff prepare?
We offer free training for all registered centres on the functional skills pilot and our Development Programme to ensure confidence and consistency in delivery. To request a free briefing visit, please contact our functional skills team at fsdevelopment@edexcel.com.