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.
NEW 8/2/22 answer sheet now also available - visit our ANSWER SHEETS page for more information.
New 27/1/2022 A related interactive Wordwall activity (organisational and textual features) is now available to accompany this resource.
A hastily put-together New Year resource based on a short Guardian article about the record breaking temperatures experienced in the UK on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.
Level
Entry Level 3
Level 1
Level 2
English
FE E3.10 Identify different purposes of straightforward texts
FE E3.11 Use strategies to find meaning of words e.g. dictionary, context, word types
FE L1.15 Infer from images meanings not explicit in the accompanying text
FE L1.17 Read & understand a range of specialist words in context
FE L1.9 Identify & understand the main points, ideas & details
FE L1.12 Recognise that language & other textual features can be varied to suit different audiences & purposes
FE L1.18 Use knowledge of punctuation to aid understanding of texts
FE L2.19 Identify different styles of writing & writer’s voice
Maths
FM Simple one step problem(s)
FM E2.11 Read, write & use decimals to one decimal place
FM L1.11 Add, subtract, multiply & divide decimals up to 2 decimal places
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
A Bonfire Night themed resource covering some aspects of literacy and numeracy.
The resource contains a basic reading comprehension about the History of Bonfire Night. This is followed by a numeracy activity where students have to buy fireworks for a display with a budget of £300. The final activity is a writing task and learners have to create a poster advertising the event.
I created this for an ILS (independent life skills) class but it could be used with Entry Functional Skills learners too.
I use this in my ESOL Functional Maths classes. I know there are already excellent measures / postal charges resources on Skillsworkshop, but I wanted to do a matching type exercise, which ESOL students are very familiar with.
A short topical reading comprehension at two levels (L1/L2) and Entry 3 on the 29th February. The higher level text requires learners to write a short paragraph in a specific context. Some embedded maths is included. I have also added a short fact sheet about when Leap Years occur, for when someone asks those technical questions!
Editor’s note
With detailed curriculum mapping and answer sheet.
Topical resource based on a news story. Reading comprehension at 2 levels (E3 and L1/L2) plus two writing extension activities with writing frames. Some embedded maths (including a chart in the L1/L2 exercise) and the opportunity to discuss healthy eating. The higher level comprehension aims to get learners to understand in depth what they are reading, rather than just answer the questions from the text.
Based on two recent articles / surveys on Black Friday shopping, the main focus of this resource is Functional Mathematics but there is also an introductory page of English questions that check vocabulary, purpose of text and the ability to extract meaning from graphical material and captions.
This is followed by three pages of challenging differentiated questions for E3-L2 Functional Maths – all are based on the infographics within the text. Topics include large numbers, percentages, fractions and the four operations.