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.
Reading and related activities focusing on a simplified version of a BBC news article reporting the results of the 2021 Australian Census. Ideal for practising reading strategies including: relating images to text, using headings, skimming, scanning and using context to predict. My (Australian) students found it challenging but were engaged in the content. Lots of possible ways it could lead into other written and oral activities. Numbers and a graph involved so can also be used to revise numeracy concepts such as percentages and extracting information from graphs.
Level
Level 1
Level 2
English
General literacy / English
FE READING main points & detail
FE L1.13 Use reference materials & appropriate strategies for a range of purposes, inc. to find word meanings
FE L2.15 Use a range of reference materials & resources (e.g. glossaries, legends/keys) for different purposes
I absolutely love these starter quiz templates for L1 Functional Skills Maths and L1-L2 Functional English from Pearson Edexcel and Jonny Kay. The main link below sends you to an PDF overview - scroll to the end of the PDF for direct links to the templates and sample quizzes.
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
This is an adaptation of the excellent http://www.math-aids.com/Multiplication/Times_Tables_Target_Circles.html where learners have to do division and multiplication to complete a ‘target’. The advantage with this file is that it works offline, so you can print table activities, starters or extension activities ready for the class.
Level
Entry Level 2
Entry Level 3
Level 1
Maths
FM Context free underpinning
FM E2.6 Times tables 0x0 to 12x12
FM E2.8 Divide 2-digit numbers by 1-digit numbers, express remainders
FM E3.4 Multiply 2-digit numbers by 1- & 2-digit numbers
FM L1.4 Use multiplication facts and make connections with division facts
This is a MS Excel resource that is designed to be a useful resource for producing sheets for starter activities or homework. This also provides a tutor marking sheet. The sheet can be used to differentiate by choosing larger or smaller numbers, and can be addition or subtraction.
Editor’s note
Creates printable sheets of 20 problems (plus answer sheets). Clever and useful!
Level
Entry Level 1
Entry Level 2
Entry Level 3
Level 1
Maths
FM Context free underpinning
FM E1.3 Add numbers which total up to 20, & subtract numbers from numbers up to 20
This is an Excel file with a basic odd/even activity. I took inspiration from Jean Thomas’ “Reveal the hidden shapes!” activity from 2005.
With this activity, the tutor can design a picture (or one learner can design a picture for another learner) and it produces a printable sheet. The learner then shades all the odd numbers on the sheet in one colour, and all the even numbers in a different colour – revealing a picture or a message.
There are no macros, so cross-compatibility with Excel shouldn’t be a problem.
Level
Entry Level 2
Entry Level 3
Maths
FM Context free underpinning
FM E2.3 Recognise & sequence odd & even numbers up to 100
AN N1/E3.1 place value <1000, odd / even, count in 10s /100s
AN N1/E2.2 Read, write, order & compare numbers to 100; odd even nos.
AN N1/E2.1 Count reliably to 100, count on in 2s and 10s
I have created this to enable learners to estimate and calculate and to emphasis the (financial) costs of smoking. Editor’s note
With Functional maths mapping.
