Functional Skills Newsletter March 15th

Functional Skills Pilot Evaluation

Following hard on the heels of the Wolf report comes the official evaluation of the Functional Skills Pilot published by QCDA. And what a difference in tone, it makes you wonder why Professor Wolf didn’t reference it more in her report.

Let me start this review with what I think is a hugely significant statement. “As far as the majority of practitioners are concerned, FS improve learners’ skills, independent learning, the ability to recognise and articulate the skills they are using, and motivation.”

It therefore comes as no surprise to read the first paragraph of the conclusions: “It has been striking that FS have been almost universally welcomed by the stakeholders consulted during this evaluation of the FS pilot. FS are seen as an improvement on the range of existing qualifications, with the potential to better prepare learners for further learning, entry into employment and progression in the workplace.

And these are not selective quotes, the evaluation really is positive! Here are some more highlights:

On the Impact of Functional Skills

• Key stakeholders understand and value FS qualifications.
• Recognition of the concept and value of functionality, and support for it, was constant throughout the pilot and across practitioners, learners and stakeholders.
• Practitioners with experience of FS were very positive about them, seeing the value in the qualifications and seeing them as a good replacement for Key Skills.
• Employers saw clear benefits for learners in moving to FS but felt delivery and assessment placed additional burdens on them.
• Most other stakeholders consulted thought FS improved learner preparedness for employment, with some citing the increased confidence they gave and the ability to transfer skills as key reasons. FS were considered to be a far more suitable preparation than that offered by Skills for Life (SfL) or KS.
• Generally, FS and subject specialists believed that FS were capable of improving learners’ functional effectiveness in English, mathematics and ICT.
• Learners were reported to have enjoyed lessons more, remained engaged and got more from lessons. Learners substantiated these points and also identified the value of FS in their everyday lives.

On Delivery and Accessibility of Functional Skills

• There was evidence that as teachers and tutors became more familiar with FS, FS were having a positive influence on teaching and learning.
• FS provision can be accommodated and taught effectively within the context of the national curriculum requirements at Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 (KS3 and KS4).
• Pre-16 centres were beginning to see the value of FS and the value-added benefits associated with learner motivation, and viewed FS as enriching curriculum provision.
• Few issues were raised by centres and other stakeholders. Issues that emerged were in connection to the challenge of developing scenarios and contexts that are appropriate to a wide range of learners.
• The pilot qualifications were considered to support diversity, access and inclusion. Centres reported that there had been either a positive impact or no impact on learners’ experience and attainment.
• There were some concerns about the suitability of FS for certain learners within the groups represented by the equality and diversity strands, but these issues were not thought to be insurmountable.
• The gap in pass rates between candidates with English as an additional language and those without was closing, with the attainment of learners with English as an additional language improving in almost all subjects and levels.
• There was evidence of centres feeling that any challenges faced by FS learners would either be addressed by the general support and induction processes in their centres or would be minimised by the experience of their staff in dealing with specific learner groups.
• The majority of AOs reported being satisfied with the access arrangements and centres also reported satisfaction with the arrangements available to them and their learners.
• AOs were confident that FS would be unlikely to disadvantage learners, with learners in the secure estate the only group likely to experience difficulties in accessing FS.

Recommendations from the pilot centres

· Systematically review what all the AOs are offering by way of approaches to FS assessment; and not just opt for the AOs normally chosen.

• Make sure staff understand the FS philosophy.
• Wherever possible, integrate FS with programmes of study and across the curriculum.
• Use discrete FS teaching and learning sessions to develop learners’ problem-solving and independent-learning skills.
• Use discrete teaching sessions using real-life contexts and practical exercises to develop learners’ functionality.
• Emphasise and demonstrate the relevance and value of FS to learners.
• Encourage learning that is learner-led rather than teacher-led.
• Use rigorous initial diagnostic assessment so that the individual learning needs of each learner can be identified and addressed from the outset.

Some interesting facts about Functional Skills

More than 2800 centres supported just over a quarter of a million students in the summer of 2010.

Around half of all schools were involved reflecting the fact that 33% of FS students were at Key Stage 3 with 39% at Key Stage 4.

Average pass rates at level 1 were 61% with level 2 being 53% and age does tend to bring with it the benefit of experience as pass rates in the 16+ group were above average.

And the full report is available here

http://www.qcda.gov.uk/resources/assets/Evaluation_of_the_Functional_Skills_Pilot_Summative_Report.pdf