Since the demise of the Excellence Gateway (EG) on September 30 2023, there is no official Government backed website where the old Skills for Life core curricula are available. The EG has (partially) migrated to the Education & Training Foundation (ETF) at https://www.et-foundation.co.uk/ but there is no sign of these classic documents.
I’ve only briefly skimmed through but some of these new mastery resources for L1 & L2 Functional Maths (and GCSE resits) look amazing! Includes full 33 hour (22 x 1.5 hr lessons) schemes of work, lesson plans, handouts and slides.
Best buy and proportion questions - loosely based on setting up a nursery.
I have used this with my Functional Skills Maths and Employability group. We carried out a few examples as a group, left them on the board and I then gave them this worksheet to complete. I sat with the lower attainers and hand wrote in scaffolded examples whilst talking to them about it.
I have also used the same lesson plan for my GCSE resits as a revision task.
Editor's note
Level
Level 1
Level 2
GCSE L1-5
Maths
FM L1.17 Work with simple ratio & direct proportions
FM L2.11 Understand & calculate using ratios, direct proportion & inverse proportion
An updated version of 'Numeracy during the Summer' by Judith White (2006).
Numeracy during the summer. Keep your students’ skills going during the summer break with these ideas. One page for Entry Level learners, one for Levels 1/2.
Covers number, measures, shape and space, and data.
Level
Entry Level 2
Entry Level 3
Level 1
Level 2
Maths
FM Contextualised underpinning
General numeracy / maths
Adult numeracy curriculum
General
Generic resources for literacy, numeracy and beyond
Challenging set of questions based on an infographic from a recent TV Licensing annual review. Aimed at L1-2 but a few questions are Entry 2/3 - there are also a couple of "stretch questions" making a bridge to GCSE. Two main topics are covered: working with very large numbers and percentages. Extracting data, equivalents and ordering decimals are also touched upon.
Level
Level 1
Level 2
GCSE L1-5
Maths
FM Straightforward problem(s) with more than 1 step
FM Complex multi-step problem(s)
FM E3.21 Extract information from lists, tables, diagrams, charts; create frequency tables
FM L2.1 Read, write, order & compare positive & negative numbers of any size
FM L2.4 Identify & know the equivalence between fractions, decimals & percentages
FM L2.6 Calculate percentage change (any size increase & decrease), & original value after % change
FM L2.13 Calculate amounts of money, compound interest, percentage increases, decreases & discounts inc. tax & budgeting
Whilst I designed this resource for Adult Numeracy learners, it has found much use over the years across the maths cohorts I've worked with from pre-GCSE to ESOL, and with GCSE learners.
It is in Excel format - 3 tabs for different activities and the second Excel file is the solution sheet.
The sheets are formatted to print off as A4 landscape to allow learners to have their own copies to work on.
This has always worked well as a starter activity with learners in small groups (or teams) and having a competitive edge.
Level
Entry Level 3
Level 1
Level 2
GCSE L1-5
Maths
FM Context free underpinning
FM E3.14 Use & compare measures of length, capacity, weight & temperature using metric or imperial units to the nearest labelled or unlabelled division
FM L1.20 Convert between units of length, weight, capacity, money and time, in the same system
FM L2.14 Convert between metric & imperial units of length, weight & capacity using a) a conversion factor & b) a conversion graph
Devised for L1 as a first lesson for ratio utilising practical applications for ratio understanding. Please print the last slide as a worksheet to accompany the PPT.
Editor's notes
Introductory example using a KitKat bar, followed by other everyday applications including screen wash, hair tint and paints. Also (very nicely) covers equality & diversity with discussion about the proportion of White British players in the 2018 England squad.
Level
Level 1
Maths
FM Contextualised underpinning
FM L1.17 Work with simple ratio & direct proportions
A colourful card matching task in which students interpret practical scenarios involving proportional relationships in terms of ratios and the total numbers of equal parts involved in them.
In pairs, they move the cards/ paper slips around and discuss how to match four ratios (white) with the four statements about parts (blue) and the four practical situations and actual amounts which correspond with them (yellow).
Level
Level 1
Level 2
Maths
FM Contextualised underpinning
FM L1.17 Work with simple ratio & direct proportions
FM L2.11 Understand & calculate using ratios, direct proportion & inverse proportion
Level 2 Time revision. A PPT that takes E3-L2 learners step by step through an Edexcel L2 2017 exam question about a diving competition.
The exam question is broken down into three separate tasks, each with extra extension questions.
In addition each task has a suggested time limit which encourages learners to manage their own time in exams. Can also be printed as a worksheet: select slides 4-9 and print 1 slide per page in landscape, fit-to-page mode.
Editor's note
Level
Entry Level 3
Level 1
Level 2
Maths
FM Complex multi-step problem(s)
FM E3.12 Read, measure & record time using am & pm
FM L1.20 Convert between units of length, weight, capacity, money and time, in the same system
AN MSS1/E3.3
AN MSS1/L1.3 Calculate with and convert between units of time
