About functional skills

Functional skills are practical skills in English, mathematics and ICT that enable learners to deal with practical problems and challenges. They allow individuals to work confidently, effectively and independently in everyday life.

For example, they help us recognise good-value deals when making purchases, write an effective application letter, or use the internet.

Functional skills are a key to success. They open doors to learning, to life and to work. These skills are valued by employers and further education and are a platform on which to build other employability skills. Better functional skills can mean a better future – as learners or as employees.
Functional skills are an essential part of the secondary curriculum. They are embedded in the revised Programmes of Study for English, mathematics and ICT at Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4, and in the revised GCSE subject criteria for these subjects. They are a mandatory component of the Diploma, Foundation Learning and Apprenticeships. They are available as stand-alone qualifications for young people and adults.

Learning pathways

The vision for learning pathways is that by 2013 there will be a streamlined system based on four qualification routes:

• GCSE and A-Level;
• the Diploma;
• Apprenticeships; and
• Foundation Learning.

More about the 14-19 Qualification Strategy

As well as being an integral part of the Diploma, Apprenticeships and Foundation Learning, functional skills are available as free-standing qualifications for young people and adults. They have been incorporated into the new Key Stage 3 Programme of Study, and will be embedded within the revised Key Stage 4 Programme of Study for first teaching from September 2010.

You can find out more from the DCSF functional skills pages.

Regulatory criteria

Ofqual has recently published the functional skills qualifications criteria and the specific criteria for the individual functional skills in English, mathematics and ICT. Awarding organisations offering functional skills qualifications from September 2010 must demonstrate that they comply with these criteria. More information is available from the Ofqual website.

Achievement and attainment

QCDA have recently confirmed the Achievement and Attainment Table (AAT) performance points for functional skills at each level. They are as follows:

Functional skills and inspection

Ofsted uses a common inspection framework to set out the structure of an inspection and the key aspects against which judgements will be made. Functional skills are now an integral part of the inspection process.

Funding for functional skills

Learning and Skills Council (LSC)-funded providers can obtain guidance on LSC funding arrangements by downloading this document from the LSC website:

LSC Funding Guidance 2009/10, v4.0 - July 2009 (PDF 383KB)

Functional skills and UCAS points

In the interests of parity across the UK, UCAS have agreed that each certificated level 2 functional skills qualification will attract 10 UCAS Tariff points.

The intention remains that all level 2 (or equivalent) qualifications will be removed from the UCAS Tariff for entry to higher education from 2011 onwards. This means that, from 2011, functional skills achievements (and all key skills achievements) at level 2 will not carry UCAS points.

For more details, see the UCAS website.