Functional Skills

[SnapesGreasyHair]

I have posted this also in Education but no response, so apologies.

Ds1 is about to sit his GCSEs in a mainstream school. He will either get a U or 1 at the very most. He is sitting a reduced amount anyway but still isn't predicted more.

This is a mixture of lazyness and autism.

He will be going to college to do a Foundation Course (only option) and will have to retake maths and english.

The college do a mixture of GCSE and Functional Skills.

I'm wondering if l should push for Functional skills as maths and english GCSE has been an absolute disaster.

However I'm not that familiar with Functional Skills and google isn't helping!

Could someone please explain what Functional skills is like to learn. Are questions set out different? Are they more "life based" as apposed to GCSE questions that want things like fractions added up.

He needs something that he can relate to and see that will be useful for the future as currently learning algebra when he can't see what he'll ever need it for has demoralized him.

Functional Skills is a better option ad it is more life based. The School is probably reluctant as it doesn't count on the league tables. You can also sit functional skills throughout the year.

Functional skills are more based on day to day activities and easier to understand. If you look on the BBC Skillswise website it will give you an idea of what they are like. I'm a childcare assessor so I tend to deliver functional skills in that context. For example, calculate how much time the children spend playing outside over the course of two weeks and present their findings in a chart form

I found the papers easier in terms of maths or English but more wordy. So GCSE will simply say “ arrange the fractions from biggest to smallest” whilst Functional skills will talk about which child ate more slices of pizza.
The advantage is that they can resit them a few times in a year.

Many thanks everyone.

The college course is a City and Guilds. Am l correct in thinking that there are several different Functional Skills providers?

The awarding body varies depending on which college or training provider you go to. They still all cover the same standards though

Many thanks.

I emailed the course leader and she said because he has sat GCSE exams he'll have to do GCSE again, even though they do teach FS too.

I have explained my concerns in regards to that in that it is very apparent that DS is not going to suddenly jump from a U/1 grade this summer, to a 4/5 grade just because they are teaching him.

I explained that he has been so traumatised by maths GCSE that a different approach is required as otherwise he won't get anywhere again.

I just feel he is being set up to fail, whereas FS would be a different approach which may (or may not but worth a try) give him some enjoyment back in maths which would make him actually work a bit harder, he'd then get good results (especially as it's of a lower level work wise) which in turn would boost his pitifully low self esteem.

This recent policy briefing from OCR says there has been a policy change on maths re-sits and this with a grade 2 or below can choose functional skills not GCSE. The policy change applies to all awarding bodies not just OCR.
www.ocr.org.uk/Images/520296-ocr-policy-briefing-march-2019.pdf

Functional skills is much better but City and Guilds have just released their changes for next year and it is going to be less "functional" and more like GCSE. The first 25 % will be non-calculator and will be things like add 1 1/3 and 1 1/4. The rest will be more like the traditional FS as people have stated above. This is not certain as yet but is their proposal for September onwards.

What level functional skills will he be doing? I’m with you OP, GCSE is not for everyone. I have taught FS in the past and it can be very useful for some though if he is doing L2 he might as well try the GCSE language as the L2 paper is very devious- if that makes sense?

My younger learners find FS taxing because of limited life experience. If you have never taken out a loan, paid utility bills, arranged mats for a gym training session or kept chickens, applying (fairly straightforward) maths can be made more difficult by the context.

@groov - thankyou. That makes interesting reading and it's certainly clear that he should be offered FS if he does get grade 1

@hidinginthenightgarden - FFS. Why change something so it becomes like the very thing it's not meant to be!

@NinnieNouse - it will be maths and english. He is predicted grade 1 in both of them so will re-do them as part of his college course.

I'm then considering doing IT at home with him as college is only 3 days.

Is it just those 3 subjects that have FS?

@borntobequiet - l can see what your saying. However ds1 is more inclined to engage if he can see the relevance to his life eg questions about bills.

His school ran a financial course with exam for all yr11 that covered things like mortgages, bills etc and he was one point off getting the qualification.

It may be that college can teach him in a different way and it does click - autism isn't a barrier to learning but has he been assessed for learning disabilities or other issues?

He has no learning difficulties except processing issues which has been picked up by every professional he has met.

He has no trouble processing info about pokemon or dinosaurs though....

I really am at my wits end with him though. Nothing is ever his fault. If he fails his exams, it is the schools fault for not teaching him better.

He has just said to me that he is worried about his exams and failing. So l said we'll revise. His answer... what's the point, it doesn't stay in his head so he won't do it.

I just truely don't know where to go with him. I am sick of the same conversations that l have had all of his secondary school life.

You/he might find that a 'fail' in y11 plus a change of tutor/teaching style at college might help him focus more.

Functional skills can be lower level but if a pass (even realising it is of lower value than a GCSE) is good for his self esteem then go for it.

Check out the syllabus and past papers etc online

Just heard back from the college.

Providing DS doesn’t get higher than a 3 he will automatically do Functional skills. If he gets a 1 he will do an Entry 3 Functional skills and if he gets a 2 he will do a level 1. If DS does get a 3 or higher he will have to do GCSE.

They currently don't offer Level 2 functional skills at the college. She said Students are not able to study a qualification at the same level that they have already achieved at.

But is Entry Level lower than a GCSE grade 1?