FS Pilot Feedback to KS Team July 7th

8/9/2019 FS Pilot Feedback to KS Team July 7th

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Functional Skills

Feedback from the Pilots2008-9

Linda McDonald EnglishNorman Strickson Maths

Paul Derbyshire - ICT


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QCA Promotion of Functional Skills


3/14

The Contexts

Replaces key skills 2010, and possiblybasic skills 2013

Achievement of functional skills is a

requirement for achievement of the

Diplomas


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Functional Skills and Diplomas

All Diplomas will include a component

called generic learning FS will be a mandatory part of generic

learning

Learners will be required to achieve FS:

- At level 1 for Diplomas at level 1

- At level 2 for diplomas at level 3


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Fundamentals of Functional Skills

Mastery and application of skills

Transferability of skills

Problem solving elements

Means that ALL staff will needto support skills development to

get students there.

Now un-coupled from

GCSEs


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OFSTED Survey of Functional Skills

and LEA Approaches to Diplomas

Reviewed partnership working

Quality systems for FS

Staff training and CPD

Learner views of FS

Results from pilots

OFSTED follow the learner

journey from IAG to placement

and progression


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Capacity Building & Pilots Run So Far

2006-7 and 2007-8

OCR and EDEXCEL

Approx 20 students

Paid each student 5 to sit exam

2008- 2009

EDEXCEL and City and Guilds

Approx 50 students, 20 of whom were on a

Level 1Diploma in ICT and had to do all 3

Functional Skills Dual assessed the Diploma students as they

have to pass FS to pass the Diploma.


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Generic Lessons From

the FS Pilots Higher level of reading &problem solving skills are

needed for FS tests than key

skills The standards have risen i.e.

L1 FS is more challenging than

L1 adult lit/num

Weaker students struggle withthe amount of handwritten work

required in the paper based

exams and standards of writing

are poor under test conditions


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Diploma FS Exam results

50

6961

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

maths ICT English

EDEXCEL

1

6961

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

maths ICT English

C&Guil s


10/14

Feedback on the English Paper

Based ExamsEDEXCEL

Externally marked paper

Sat exam in Polish Hall

Nearly full attendance Students took it seriously

Reading & Writing paperssplit so many only needed tore-sit writing

S&L moderated by EV who

observed teacher assessingdiscussions in class

EV likes real situations

City & Guilds Exams run in class

Reading paper fine

Too much paperwork Written paper was email and ablog ( 75 and 150 words )

Mark scheme penalised bynumber of errors

Allowed to re-phrase a question

if a student got stuck Sporadic attendance for exam

so ended up strung out overseveral weeks


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Feedback on the Maths

Covered areas not at level 2.

More focused on extended project to allow realworld relevance.

Test papers changing in style made exampreparation difficult.

Although the students felt they were wellprepared they did not like the extended taskconcept and struggled to pick up the easy

marks. 50% passed Edexcel, 1 C&G awaiting the

Edexcel resit results.


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Feedback on the ICT


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What The Students Said

Enjoyed the lessons but didnt like the exams somuch felt they were like GCSEs!

More able students preferred set time, separate

room and exam conditions of EDEXCEL. Weaker, less confident students much preferred

City & Guilds assessments that took place in theclassroom.

Enjoyed using the computer to type up writtenassessment for English with City and Guilds andfelt this was relevant to real life.


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What We felt as Assessors

Our anecdotal thoughts:

Levels varied a bit between exam boards

C&G mark scheme was over complicated Paperwork required for C&G was extensive

Attendance was poorer for the C&G in class

assessment than the exam-room based EDEXCEL

C&G probably suits small groups but not so

manageable for large groups of full-time students.

FS Pilot Feedback to KS Team July 7th

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