March 20th - the Functional Skills newsletter
This week we have a plethora of positive policy announcements and news about Functional Skills, a useful timetable of dates as the switchover to Functional Skills gets ever closer, some useful information about funding, and details of the Wednesday Webinar programme with a link to the incredibly popular recordings.
=============================================
Functional Skills - press and policy
The level of interest in Functional SKills has increased significantly and we expect it will continue to increase as we head towards the summer when Functional Skills replaces Adult Basic Skills and Key Skills (see the timetable story below for full details). This week, we have summarised recent policy and press comment below:
Pupils should learn maths through doing it - BBC News
"One reason why children struggle with maths is that it's taught backwards ...(students) don't see how it is relevant to their lives. It is presented only through abstract concepts, rather than in terms of experiences". Click here for the full story.
Ofsted chief in literacy warning - The Independent
"There can be no more important subject than English. It is at the heart of our culture and literacy skills are crucial to pupils' learning for all subjects. Yet too many pupils fall behind in their literacy early on. In most cases, if they can't read securely at seven they struggle to catch up as they progress through their school careers.
As a result, too many young adults lack the functional skills to make their way in the modern world." Click here for the full story.
The future of youth employment - The training zone
"Education fails so many young people because it measures only examination competence rather than focuses on the vocational skills required for young people to gain employment and the need to work on their own personal development." Click here for more.
House of Commons BIS Committee on Apprenticeships
"The Government took the decision to replace Key Skills in English and maths with Functional Skills, ensuring apprentices were supported to attain more stretching and transferable qualifications in these skills which are so vital for progression."
"From Academic Year 12/13 all Apprenticeship providers will be required to provide opportunities to support Apprentices in progressing towards achievement of Level 2 functional skills"
"NAS to require all Apprenticeship providers to offer Functional skills in English and Maths at level 2 to all intermediate apprentices, and publish their progress towards achieving this."
Click here for the full 92 page report.
AELP Special Interest Group on Functional Skills
"The meeting was the best attended SIG (Special Interest Group) that the AELP had ever run."
"It was therefore a happy surprise to discover that rather than having to stamp down on the prophets of doom, I was surrounded by people who are taking a very positive and realistic approach to the introduction of Functional Skills."
"... there were also plenty of success stories from the growing number of providers who are switching to Functional Skills before the deadline on 31st August. Moreover, the Awarding Bodies indicated that pass rates were continuing to rise and that Private Training Providers were easily outperforming colleges and schools."
===============================================
Functional Skills funding
While the future of Functional Skills is secure, what isn't clear is how the funding will work. We know some things. For example, The Government have already announced that all 16-24 year olds without a level 2 in maths and English will be "fully funded" and that career development loans will be commonplace for those aged 25+. Click here for a link to the SFA statement.
But we don't know what "fully funded" means in £ terms. As we understand it for 2012/13, Functional Skills remains an "unlisted qualification" which means that it doesn't carry a standard level of GLH and therefore funding.
This means that providers negotiate and agree with their funding providers what they actually need to provide Functional Skills teaching and learning. We understand that the average for each subject at level 2 is 50-60 GLH, considerably more than the 35 hours allocated to Key Skills and ABS at a similar level.
Discussions about Functional Skills funding continue - it is mentioned several times in the BIS paper in the article above and it will be a hot topic at this weeks Literacy and Numeracy conference - details below.
=====================================================
A reminder about Key Dates for the change to Functional Skills
Several AO have published earlier dates than those below - please check with your AO.
Functional Skills is already part of all Foundation Learning programmes.
Functional Skills replaces Adult Basic Skills in August 2012. The last date for registration is therefore August 31st 2012 and the last date for certification August 31st 2014 so students have two years to pass.
Functional Skills replaces Key Skills in all Apprenticeships in September 2012. The last date for registration is therefore September 30th 2012 and the last date for certification September 30th 2013 so students have just one year to complete.
From September 2012, all 16-24 apprenticeships programmes will be a minimum of 12 months so it looks as though it will be a very brave Apprentice Provider that seeks to enter students for Key Skills after Easter.
===================================================
The Functional Skills Wednesday Webinar
It's a return to the webinar this week for Andy and Simon from Guroo Technical Support who will be doing a session called:
"Guroo 2.1 Communication tools including messaging, task setting and user feedback systems"
Email info@guroo.co.uk and we'll send you the link on Wednesday.
It's a session that's relevant for all customers and indeed those who are thinking of joining Guroo, so join us at 4.05pm on Wednesday 21st March for another informative technical webinar.
Replay previous webinars at the links below. Simply enter your name and use guroo as the password.
Initial and Diagnostic Assessments
Reporting and tracking tools in Guroo 2.1
Guroo 2.1 User and Group Admin
Functional Skills Policy, Rumour and Opinion
===============================================
Please Plus One us on Google follow us on Twitter @guroofs and like us on Facebook at guroo.functionalskills. The next newsletter is likely to be Tuesday April 4th - if you have anything you'd like us to know about, just get in touch jwells@guroo.co.uk
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment