Contextual Resources

Reading paper for L2 on The Cost of Living Crisis. Current topic and uses L2 reading exam paper format from Edexcel, Pearson. 

Editor's notes

Another fabulous and very relevant practice exam from Steph! Written Edexcel-style but very useful practice or revision for any awarding organisation. The mark sheet (also in Edexcel style) will be available shortly (for resource contributors only). Please visit  Answer sheets for more information and to check when it is available.

This exercise can be used in several different ways.  The cost of living crisis has hit everyone and this one pot pasta dish can save on gas/electric by making everything in one pan.  The main idea is to cost the ingredients as it is, but then think of alternatives to the original recipe. Then if you double the recipe up, how much are you saving by buying 500g of mince?  How much are you saving by buying a 4 pack tin of tomatoes?  Look at the different prices of dried pasta.  Look at how much frozen mince is.  This is about converting g - kg too.

An Australian version (i.e. uses A$, Australian vocabulary and minimum wage details, etc.) of the popular Stash the Cash written by Andy Morrell in 2010. In addition to currency changes this version also includes an extra version of the calculations table and other changes. For example,  the table on page 3 has extra columns to make the mathematical operations explicit and to allow students to practise writing mathematical “sentences”.

Slides designed to support delivery of Gateway's EDSQ (Essential Digital Skills Qualification), unit 1, at Entry Level and Level 1, with embedded Functional Skills English activities at L1 and L2. This set of slides covers section 1 of the standards (Using Devices and Handling Information) and includes: using devices, finding & evaluating information, managing and storing information, and identifying and solving technical problems

Editor's notes

Reading, writing and discussion activities based on one of  the Edexcel exam contexts ('Learning to Drive').  PowerPoint includes chunked texts, key vocabulary tables, a video resource, and discussion and writing prompts. Resource lends itself well for additional reading comprehension prompts and explorative discussions. 

Editor's note

The reading focus is purpose, tone and organisational / formatting features. The final task is to write an online forum entry. 

An outstanding set of resources. Developed to prompt discussion on knife crime with parents and children in a family learning setting, they are equally suitable in an FE setting – prompting discussion between students and tutors. The materials can be used to focus on knife crime but are also useful as part of wider discussion about criminal behaviour.

The resources include

A really interesting quick quiz – originally written to get e2e learners interested in numbers but makes an ideal warm up activity for any group (at any level).

An adaptation of John Thompson’s popular You’re in the money (1997 – see below) which makes good use of Argos and Littlewoods catalogues. This adaptation has differentiated task sheets (E2-3, and L1-2) and is ideal for underpinning many aspects of Functional Mathematics including money, odd-even numbers, problem solving, rounding, averages and more; in addition to developing problem solving skills.

26 week Literacy Scheme of Work for E3-L2. An extremely useful and well thought out plan, originally used with New Deal learners and based around the free DfES Skills for Life learning materials.
Printed versions of the learning materials are no longer available but PDF versions are still online:
http://rwp.excellencegateway.org.uk/readwriteplus/Learning_Materials_Ma…
The audio tracks from the DfES learning materials CDs are now available as audio files:

26 week Numeracy Scheme of Work for E3-L2. An extremely useful and well thought out plan, originally used with New Deal learners and based around the free DfES Skills for Life numeracy learning materials.
Printed versions of the learning materials are no longer available but PDF versions are still online:
http://rwp.excellencegateway.org.uk/readwriteplus/Learning_Materials_Ma…