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.
A light-hearted poem to celebrate International Pi Day and British Pie Week. Pi Day is celebrated on 14th March every year (3.14) and British Pie Week is usually during the first full week of March.
In English classes this poem could be used as a discussion starter on the theme of food likes and dislikes, vegetarianism and diet.
In Maths classes it could be used as a humorous introduction to Pi.
Editor's notes
Love this :)
Level
Entry Level 2
Entry Level 3
Level 1
Level 2
English
Poetry
FE SL&C Discussion
Maths
General numeracy / maths
FM L2.16 Calculate perimeters & areas of 2-D shapes inc. triangles & circles and composite shapes including non-rectangular shapes (formulae given except for triangles & circles)
FM L2.16 Calculate perimeters & areas of 2-D shapes inc. triangles & circles and composite shapes including non-rectangular shapes (formulae given except for triangles & circles)
Two Excel spreadsheets to track students performance in Functional Skills Maths and Functional Skills English from Entry Level 1 up until Level 2. Can be used by teachers and I also send electronically or print them off and give students to complete themselves.
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
An ESOL lesson embedding numeracy, diversity and British values, centred on the Spring Equinox and three festivals which happen around / on this day - Purim, Holi and Shunbun No Hi. Learners collect unfamiliar words on a vocabulary sheet and ask and answer questions to elicit meaning / explanation. There is a powerpoint to introduce the topic, using acronyms eg 7DIAW - Seven Days In A Week to elicit key words, and lead to an explanation of what the Vernal Equinox is and when it is.
Level
Entry Level 1
Entry Level 2
Entry Level 3
Maths
FM E1.7 Know the number of days in a week, months, & seasons in a year. Name & sequence them.
FM E2.7 Know the number of hours in a day and weeks in a year.
FM E3.4 Multiply 2-digit numbers by 1- & 2-digit numbers
ESOL
General ESOL
General
Generic resources for literacy, numeracy and beyond
My class of adult learners were struggling to associate fractions with real world scenarios so I created this worksheet based on honest situations.
The questions are diverse in difficulty from Entry level 2 to Level 2 making it a good worksheet as a starter or revision. Editor’s note
With curriculum mapping and answers
Based on an infographic from the I Newspaper at https://twitter.com/iNewsGraphics/status/752825714920095744
this makes an ideal starter activity and discussion prompt with the infographic displayed on a large screen.
Can also be used as a traditional paper based worksheet, aimed at E1-E3 Functional Maths learners – questions cover graphs & charts, number, shapes and position.
A short set of questions based on a pictorial map of The Mall and surrounding area for the Patron’s Lunch event held on June 12 2016. Would make a good starter activity especially if the map was displayed on a large screen or interactive whiteboard (link is provided in addition to an image in the PDF).
Focuses on interpreting map keys; shape, space & position, and basic number.
With curriculum mapping and answers. Postscript
A counting game along similar lines to Snakes and Ladders. Learners will learn turn-taking, following instruction & basic counting skills. In addition, they will pick up social and communication skills along the way.
(Print onto A3 – a dice and counters needed)
Editor’s note
A PPT version is also included to enable the game to be played on a smartboard.
Level
M8
Entry Level 1
English
SLlr/E1.3
Maths
AN N1/E1.1 Count reliably up to 10 items
Functional Maths - numbers and the number system
Pre-entry
pre-Entry SLlr/M8.3 Listen to and answer simple single step instructions / requests
20 literacy and numeracy questions to warm up the new term! All based on the words HAPPYNEWYEAR (can easily be adapted for other festivals such a Diwali, New Year’s Eve or Ramadan). Covers vowels, consonants, number, ratios, simple substitution, range, mode and more!
Ideal for mixed ability groups (E1-L2). Also provides very good practice in reading instructions carefully.
For higher level groups it could be completed in teams as a speed test.
