May 10th Functional Skills newsletter

May 10th - the functional skills newsletter

Loads of press coverage this week about Professor Wolf at the Education Select Committee and the CBI/EDI Education and Skills survey - whilst separate, both have similar conclusions and most press coverage links them - we have links to all main press coverage and to the report itself. Solving the revision and practice needs of the Independent Learner has just got a lot easier with the launch of MyGuroo, and you can help MyGuroo win a major business prize plus we have technical news from the Awarding Bodies including grade boundaries and FS timetables.

English and maths skills at the heart of education news

It's been an incredibly busy press week driven by Prof Alison Wolf's and Schools Minister Nick Gibb's appearance at the Education Select committee and the CBI/EDI Education and Skills survey 2011.

The focus of Wolf remains English and maths, supported very much by the CBI very concerned about standards of literacy and numeracy with continuing calls for substantial improvements - 42% of employers surveyed and unhappy with literacy standards and 35% with maths skills. “Because the basic skills levels of school and college leavers are often insufficient, many employers have to redirect their resources to provide remedial training to get these areas up-to-scratch." Here's a selection of reports.

Daily Mail - half of firms give remedial courses in 3Rs

Telegraph - students to study English and maths up to 18

Guardian - CBI criticise schools over inadequate literacy and numeracy

BBC - school leavers lack basic skills

We expect to see the Government's response to the Wolf report before the next newsletter in two weeks time - three questions are at the top of our agenda:

• Will GCSE English and maths for the basis of all post 16 learning or will Functional Skills become the post 16 qualification of choice?
• Will the Government change the name of Functional Skills?
• Will the extension for Key Skills in Apprenticeships be withdrawn?

Functional Skills revision and practice for the independent learner

Up until now, all support services and resources have been aimed at the teacher or indeed at the school/college. That has left hundreds of thousands of learners who either aren't lucky enough to go to an institution who have invested in resources or who are studying independently without access to good revision and practice resources and support.

In a major development, www.myguroo.co.uk launches a new service aimed directly at the independent learner with a series of courses initially offered at level 1 and level 2 across all three subjects and with prices starting at just £9.99 for the "cram4exam" access period. Licencing covers individual students and those supporting them such as personal tutors and parents.

News from the Awarding Bodies Edexcel have published Grade Boundaries for the latest set of Functional Skills assessments at Level 1 and Level 2. Full details are here. C&G have published a full timetable of Functional Skills roll-out over the next 12 months including the availbility of on-screen assessments. NCFE have released Functional ICT level 1 and level 2. More here. EDI extend their support materials for Functional Skills.

The Skillsfirst Functional Skills calendar with assessment windows is available here.

Please help MyGuroo win £50,000 and Take That Lynn! Your help is required. MyGuroo (Functional Skills revision and practice for the Independent learner) needs your support to win £50,000 from Barclays. Please take a moment to click here to support our bid and add your comment. Congratulations to Lynn Preston of YH Training in Scarborough. She's already brushed off the "I love Robbie" T shirt and will be joining us on May 31st in Sunderland - pics to follow! Please follow us on Twitter @guroofs and like us on Facebook at guroo.functionalskills. The next newsletter is likely to be Tuesday May 24th - if you have anything you'd like us to know about, just get in touch jwells@guroo.co.uk