Qualifications - Function room

After years of controversy, functional skills are no longer a dead end in the early years. Level 2 maths and English iterations of the qualification, viewed as a workplace-specific alternative to GCSEs, were again accepted as part of a Level 3 EYE qualification following a Government U-turn in March after a sector-wide campaign.

While that was going on, the Government has been embarking on a programme of reform of functional skills generally. Following Ofqual’s Thematic Review of Functional Skills in 2015, the Education and Training Foundation (ETF) was commissioned to review what employers and students need from non-GCSE maths and English qualifications. In its ‘Making maths and English work for all’ report, it said functional skills were useful, and were ‘not broken but could be improved’.

As a result, the DfE commissioned the ETF to review how these improvements could be delivered. The ETF launched its consultation in January 2016, and its recommendations were delivered to the Government last October.

A year on, instead of newly relaunched qualifications, we have a second consultation on the content of functional skills. The Department for Education’s new consultation now includes phonics at entry level. A separate consultation, from Ofqual, which opened on 27 September, is looking at how they should be regulated.

An Association of Employers and Learning Providers spokesperson said, ‘This consultation came as a surprise because we understood that the ETF had done on all the legwork for the department, including consulting on strengthening functional skills. The appearance of phonics teaching probably explains why views are being sought again.’

Originally, Ofqual had stated that the new qualifications would go live in September 2018. A source at ETF said, ‘It got stuck in a jam: there were changes of ministers, the election, purdah, new ministers again. On the surface it looks like nothing has happened since October – underneath there have been a lot of discussions.’

THE CHANGES: ENGLISH AT LEVEL 2

Velda Bartholomew, training operations manager at the Pre-school Learning Alliance, says there is ‘much more focus on speaking, listening and communication across all levels, explaining opinions and arguments and using appropriate language’. She adds, ‘It was all there before, but this is much more detailed.’

Under the current ‘speaking, listening and communication’ requirements, students are expected to, ‘Make a range of contributions to discussions in a range of contexts, including those that are unfamiliar, and make effective presentations.’ This includes the ability to:

• consider complex information and give a relevant, cogent response in appropriate language
• present information and ideas clearly and persuasively
• adapt contributions to suit audience, purpose and situation
• make significant contributions to discussions, taking a range of roles and helping to move discussion forward.

The proposed framework now includes the ability to:

• identify relevant information from extended explanations/presentations
• follow narratives/lines of argument
• respond effectively to detailed or extended questions and feedback
• make requests and ask detailed and pertinent questions to obtain specific information in a range of contexts
• communicate information, ideas and opinions clearly and effectively, providing further detail and development if required
• express opinions and arguments and support them with relevant and persuasive evidence
• use language that is effective, accurate and appropriate to context
• make relevant and constructive contributions to move discussion on
• adapt contributions to discussions to suit audience, purpose and medium
• interject and redirect discussion using appropriate language and register.

Spelling and grammar

Formerly, requirements were to ‘punctuate written text using commas, apostrophes and inverted commas accurately’ and ‘ensure written work is fit for purpose and audience with accurate spelling and grammar’. Now, the reformed qualification requires the candidate to:

• punctuate writing correctly using a wide range of punctuation markers (e.g. colons, commas, inverted commas, apostrophes and quotation marks)
• use correct grammar (e.g. subject-verb agreement, consistent use of a range of tenses, definite and indefinite articles) and modality devices (e.g. to express probability or desirability)
• spell words used in work, study and daily life, including a range of specialist words.

Ms Bartholomew, who sat on several consultation groups as part of the process, says these changes were needed as students were using words such as ‘cool’ when speaking with parents, or ‘text speak’ in writing. ‘This was coming through in initial assessments when we asked them to write three paragraphs. You’d have “u c” for “you see”. The ability to shift from formal to informal language also wasn’t there.’

The inclusion of phonics for English reading and writing at entry level (equivalent to a GCSE below grade G) is thought to be the work of schools minister Nick Gibb, who has publicly advocated the approach. Phonics has been added ‘to effectively build reading skills, providing the foundation needed to sound words out in order to read words automatically on sight’, according to consultation documents. It won’t apply at higher levels.

Ms Bartholomew says the issue was universally unpopular among the consultation groups she sat on. ‘People were against it. It was a definite “no no” for any [student] aged over 14.’

‘For adults who present with low levels of literacy, usually this method has failed them. It’s quite condescending to use this method with adults. It might work if you have missed education, but if you have been through education, probably not. In my experience there are much better methods.’

MATHS AT LEVEL 2

The new framework is greatly expanded and more prescriptive, e.g. calculating percentage change is a specific requirement, as opposed to just ‘use simple formulae and equations’.

According to the DfE, the new maths content ‘aims to contextualise skills’. For example, the ‘measures, shape and space’ section includes the ability to:

• calculate amounts of money, compound interest, percentage increases, decreases and discounts including tax and simple budgeting
• convert between metric and imperial units of length, weight and capacity
• calculate using compound measures including speed, density and pay rates
• use formulae to find volumes and surface areas of 3D shapes
• calculate actual dimensions from scale drawings and create a scale diagram given actual measurements
• use co-ordinates in 2D, positive and negative, to specify the positions of points
• draw 3D shapes to include plans and elevations.

The proposed framework also has a new section on mathematical literacy and sections on the use of numbers and the number system, handling information and data, and solving mathematical problems and decision-making.

Ms Bartholomew says, ‘I’ve noticed more emphasis on the ability to use maths – you can acquire the skills but [now they are asking if] you can apply them.’

She adds, ‘I am really pleased about the inclusion of mathematical literacy as there is a massive number of people who struggle, e.g. knowing that times and multiply and “x lots of” all mean the same.’

The consultation is open until 7 November 2017.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Consultation documents: https://consult.education.gov.uk/adult-english-and-maths/reformed-functional-skills-maths-and-english-subje

Current subject content: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/functional-skills-qualifications-requirements