Functional Skills - stability is the watchword

Functional Skills - stability seems to be the watchword

After all the announcements, stability seems to be returning to English and maths provision now. Glenys Stacey (Ofqual Chief) has responded to Nick Boles (Skills Minister) and her message is that, whilst there is always some areas for improvement, stability is equally important and Functional Skills is viewed positively.

On a similar theme, Charlotte Bosworth (Director of skills & employment at OCR) also writing in FE Week, makes a convincing argument for Functional Skills over GCSE, again saying the case for re-branding is not clear.   

Our own findings relating to the name are below! 

And just a reminder that although we've already had nearly 200 responses to the 2014 Functional Skills Annual Survey - if you haven't done yours yet - please do it now.

What's in a name (re-brand)

With more than 100 responses making this survey result "significant" in statistical terms, the winner of the "choose a new name for Functional Skills" survey is:

1st   Functional Skills

2nd  Skills for Life

3rd   Essential Skills

4th   Skills for Work

Functional Skills was well out in front too, also rans in the name stakes in order of popularity were Everyday (Skills), Working, Vocational, Work, Practical, Crucial, Useful and Relevant with some votes also cast for Fun (Skills), Applied, Enabling, Living, Foundation, Core and Progression.

We also asked whether we should refer to Functional Skills as maths and English or something else and an overwhelming 80% chose English/maths over Literacy/Numeracy and numbers/words.