The design, delivery and awarding of functional skills qualifications

Key proposed changes are increased standardisation across all awarding bodies. Other changes include:

Maths

• Students taking functional mathematics will now have to demonstrate skills with and without a calculator (in line with GCSE papers)

English

• Spelling, punctuation and grammar will have increased weighting across the awarding bodies
• New criteria for speaking, listening and communication at each level
• Focus on spelling an entry level, with reading words and spelling
• No spelling/grammar check to be used in the writing aspect of English (some awarding bodies allowed this previously and some didn't).

It follows the launch of a related consultation on subject content by the Department for Education last week.

For more information on the content-based consultation, see Nursery World, 2nd October 2017, p.38.

Consultation documents here

Deadline: 5pm, 22 November 2017