Maths - Functional Skills level 2 vs GCSE

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DD is at college and is in the middle of re-taking her GCSE maths - hopefully 3rd time lucky, but if she doesn’t pass this time, then I’m wondering about suggesting Functional Skills level 2.

She has all sorts of SEN and a couple of disabilities and her style of learning very much favours the BTEC/Diploma type courses. She has an EHCP.

She’s absolutely flying on a level 2 extended diploma course - distinctions across the board for all assignments and assessments and super keen to move on to level 3 (which her tutors have confirmed she is very much more than capable of doing) but she just can’t pass this bloody maths GCSE and college won’t let her move onto level 3 without it.

The course she wants to do after level 3 ask for grade 4 Maths GCSE or Functional Skills level 2.

I’ve had a squizz at the Functional Skills course and it seems much more suited to her SEN than the GCSE course but I just wondered if anyone had any real life experience of it.

Thank you!

What grade GCSE did DD get? I ask because the sticking point may be the government conditions of funding. If DD got a grade 3 they should normally continue to sit GCSE rather FS. You can see the rules here.

What support is DD receiving for maths via her EHCP?

Thanks!

She got a 2 last time she did it. I’ve found an online course with Learn Direct which we’re happy to pay for if it’s right for her.

We’ve only just been awarded the EHCP so it’s still in draft stage. She has been allocated 1 hour a week 1-1 support in addition to the 2 x 1 hour maths lessons per week.

We also have a tutor at home - he comes for 1.5 hours once a week and goes over and consolidates what’s she’s done in class.

She has a few gaps, but we don’t know if it’s due to her SEN, or stuff she’s missed - eg, she knows how to do algebra and can do it independently, but she wouldn’t look at a question and know it’s algebra - if that makes sense.

Maths teaching has been pretty dire, endless stream of teachers, SEN and reasonable adjustments ignored, mostly seems to involve going over past papers.

She has adjustments for exams (extra time, rest breaks and a scribe/reader

Hence, I applied for the EHCP

Thanks!

With a 2 DD can do FS.

You don’t have to pay for FS, it can be included in the EHCP. Same for the tutor, provision DD needs should be in the EHCP.

Thank you.

When I spoke to college about it, I was told they didn’t offer Functional Skills anymore, but I will go back to them and see what they say.

They also talked us out of us by telling us that it was much more complicated and actually harder than GCSE maths. Having looked through the course again, Functional Skills maths seems to be more suited to DD as it’s more kind of day to day type maths.

I just want to get maths out of her hair so she can move on to the next level.

Thanks

If you get it in F of the EHCP, if the college can’t provide it the LA must arrange alternative provision.

Certainly functional skills English is a lot easier than GCSE. No experience of maths. The question though is what are your dd's future plans. With ds2 we are finding that not everywhere is accepting functional skills instead of GCSE and it seems a bit unpredicatable as to who will and who won't. So, for example, one university straight rejection. Another, which comes higher up the league tables, willing to accept. Same with employers some do and some don't.

However it is certainly accepted by some people so well worth doing given she is struggling with the GCSE. Why don't you download her a functionals skills paper and see how she copes with that - the syllabus is different so it just depends whether the areas she is struggling so much with on the GCSE are also present on the functional skills paper.

Thank you!

Functional Skills level 2 is accepted for the course that she wants to do at uni. Once she’s done her level 3 diploma at college, she’s hoping to go on to an agricultural uni and her course is more hands on than academic based.

Fortunately, she passed her English GCSE - it’s the maths that we’re having so much trouble with.

We looked through some papers last night and she certainly understood what the questions were asking a lot better - they’re more direct and to the point which definitely suits her style of learning

Has any one had any dealings with the Sen provision within Farnborough college of technology
Good or Bad ?😀

Just read some body having trouble with functional maths skills
Are their local ?
I live in Farnborough Hampshire
And having same problems with functional maths skills and my child .

You would be better starting your own thread with the name of the college in the title.

Farnborough college of technology good or bad experience of post 16 Sen provision??

Hi
Has anyone experienced difficulties within Farnborough college of technology with the SEN provision?
We had an absolutely dreadful time with it very negative and toxic environment.
Our child even had an EHCP and made no difference at all .
It ended up with us home learning our eldest daughter.
Very difficult to access any course receive any feedback or suggestions to help her !
If anyone else experienced this or were we just very unlucky 😐
Thanks

Anyone here who has experienced challenges and difficulties within Farnborough college of technology hampshire with the SEN provision and department?
Has anyone else experienced difficulties within Hampshire county council with an EHCP plan ?!
😐😊Thanks

@Fionad45 @Mum2girlsx are you the same poster using different names? You should start you own thread. That way you will get more advice, but you will need to request an early review of the EHCP.