Embedding Functional Skills

Functional Skills

Functional skills are the fundamental, applied skills in English, mathematics, and information and communication technology (ICT) which help people to gain the most from life, learning and work.”

Research has shown that the most successful way to help people improve their functional skills is to do this as part of their main area of study.

Embedding

What is Embedding? Why should we embed Functional Skills? How often should we embed Functional Skills? What are the benefits of embedding? Do we need to embed FS if a learner is exempt? Do we need to make learners aware about what embedding is

and when we are doing it?

What is Embedding?

Embedding functional skills means teaching it as part of your general sessions – not a separate maths or English workshop. (you might also find it called ‘blended learning’)

You teach the skills as they crop up during the general course or to help your learners succeed in particular aspects.

Benefits of Embedding

Opportunity to check learners knowledge and understanding

Opportunity to identify areas of development

Opportunity to address development needs

Makes the subject relevant to their working environment

Helps to prepare the learner for the tests

Examples of Embedding Relevant to Sector

Activity:

Note down ways in which you do/could embed each of the Functional Skills in lessons and assessments

How to embed Functional Skills English?

Correct grammatical or punctuation mistakes with any evidence produced by the learner

Review written communication that learner has produced e.g. emails

Ask learner to read and summarise information Discuss use of slang language, ask learner to present orally

information Discuss the differences between communicating with internal

and external customers and appropriate language to use with each

How to embed Functional Skills Maths?

Learner Budgets - wages, travel costs Wage analysis – percent of NI/Tax % time to allocate to set activities each day QCF progress against duration of stay Calculating % breakdown of actual and archived records stored

on a system Calculating the % breakdown of employees per department

within the organisation

How to embed Functional Skills ICT?

Email structuring Budget calculations using Excel Mail merge within the department Inputting information into a database Researching information using the internet Formatting evidence produced e.g. highlighting titles or inputting

screenshots into a reflective account

How do we show evidence of Embedding?

Add comments to marked documents and ensure that this is recorded on session plans

Detail specifics that will be covered during a lesson plan Test the learners regularly to ensure that they understand

what/how Functional skills have been embedded Document on Individual Learning Plan the distance the learner

has travelled with FS and what effect embedding has had