Functional Skills: Mathematics
Functional Skills Mathematics - Entry Levels 1, 2, and 3
Functional Skills Mathematics - Levels 1 and 2
The Maths Mum® provides bespoke tutoring and advise on all Functional Skills in Mathematics. Please contact directly if you wish to enquire or find out more.
A key aim for Functional Skills mathematics specifications is that they enable the student to gain confidence and fluency in, and a positive attitude towards, mathematics. Students will convey their confidence in using mathematics when they can demonstrate a sound grasp of mathematical knowledge and skills and apply it to solve mathematical problems.
Functional Skills qualifications should provide reliable evidence of a student’s achievements against demanding content that is relevant to the workplace. They need to provide assessment of students’ underpinning knowledge as well as their ability to apply this in different contexts. They also need to provide a foundation for progression into employment or further technical education and develop skills for everyday life.
Purpose of Functional Skills Mathematics for Entry Levels: to demonstrate a sound grasp of the underpinning skills and basics of mathematical skills appropriate to the level, and the ability to apply mathematical thinking to solve simple problems in familiar situations. Achievement of these qualifications can provide the skills for further study at Levels 1 and 2.
Purpose of Functional Skills Mathematics for Level 1 and Level 2: a qualification for work, study and life. Achievement of the qualification demonstrates a sound grasp of mathematical skills at the appropriate level and the ability to apply mathematical thinking effectively to solve problems successfully in the workplace and in other real life situations.
You can find example exam papers for both Functional Skills Entry Level 1, 2 and 3 and Functional Skills Level 1 and 2 here.
OFQUAL BLOG:
Reform of Functional Skills qualifications in English and maths
From 1 September 2019 a reformed suite of English and maths Functional Skills qualifications (FSQs) will be available. This follows a decision made by government in 2015 to reform FSQs in English and maths. While the level of demand for the qualifications will remain the same, the reform process will ensure that these qualifications better meet employer needs in terms of the knowledge and skills that learners achieve.
In this new content, there is more emphasis on the underpinning knowledge and skills that learners need. For English, this includes a focus on spelling, punctuation and grammar, without the aid of dictionaries or spell checks. At Entry levels, there will be detailed reading and spelling expectations based on the structured teaching of phonics. For maths, the content draws upon the underpinning knowledge and skills needed to solve mathematical problems, both with and without a calculator.
First teaching of these qualifications is 1 September 2019 and, from this date, new learners will need to be registered for the new versions of FSQs. Learners already registered on legacy English and maths FSQs will have until 31 August 2020 to be awarded their qualifications, after which they will be withdrawn.
The Maths Mum® is also leading a project called “Maths for life… not GCSE” which is looking at using the Functional Level content as a differentiated curriculum for children with learning difficulties. Find out more about this project here.
