Read the brief
Understand a realistic task, such as planning within a budget.
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Functional Skills · UK-wide enquiries
Practical skills.
More everyday confidence.
Learning support for Functional Skills English and maths, with pathways explored from Entry Level to Level 2 according to assessed needs and available arrangements.
Discuss a referral →Talk to our team
A practical qualification pathway
Five levels.
A starting point that fits.
Functional Skills English and maths run from Entry 1 to Level 2. The appropriate level is based on current skills and goals. English and maths can be studied at different levels.
- Entry 1A first Entry Level qualification.
- Entry 2The next step within Entry Level.
- Entry 3The highest Entry Level stage.
- Level 1A step beyond Entry Level.
- Level 2The highest level in this pathway.
English: three areas
Reading, writing, and speaking, listening and communicating. To achieve the overall English qualification, all three components must be passed at the same level.
Maths: applying understanding
Work with numbers, measures, shape and space, and information and data through practical problems. Teaching can connect these skills with budgets, travel and everyday decisions.
How are Functional Skills graded?
Functional Skills qualifications are awarded as a pass at the relevant level; they do not use GCSE grades 9–1. Assessment requirements depend on the subject, level and awarding organisation. We confirm the proposed route before enrolment.
Is Level 2 the same as a GCSE?
Level 2 Functional Skills and GCSE grades 4–9 sit at the same qualification-framework level, but they are different qualifications. A college, employer or training provider decides what it accepts. Check the exact subject and qualification requirements for the learner’s intended next step.
Where and when would assessments happen?
Confirm the awarding organisation, approved assessment centre, assessment format, dates, fees, entry responsibilities and any access arrangements before committing. A learning-support programme does not automatically confirm a qualification entry or a home-based assessment.
Not sure whether GCSE or Functional Skills is more suitable? We can discuss the learner’s starting points and intended next step. Compare GCSE support →
Qualification guidance: Government qualification levelsOfqual’s English assessment requirements
Who we can support
Practical foundations for a purposeful next step.
For learners developing practical English and maths for further learning, work and everyday independence.
Picture the learning
How a session could unfold
A clear beginning, purposeful teaching and time to reflect. This example shows how the parts of a session can connect.
Choose a method
Identify useful information and decide how to approach it.
Work it through
Calculate, write or communicate with the agreed support.
Explain the choice
Check the result and describe the reasoning behind it.
Illustrative sequence. Activities, pace and support are agreed around the individual learner.
What the learner will receive
Clear teaching.
Support with a purpose.
Education
Practical English and maths, with an appropriate pathway explored from Entry 1 to Level 2. English includes reading, writing, and speaking, listening and communicating.
Support in the sessions
Purposeful tasks such as reading instructions, comparing costs and writing for a real audience, with modelling and opportunities to practise independently.
Qualifications and next steps
Where a qualification is agreed, the level, awarding organisation, assessment centre, entry responsibilities and fees are confirmed before enrolment.
Making progress visible
Small steps.
Meaningful evidence.
A practical task can show whether the learner can select useful information, choose a method and explain a result. Goals focus on applying English and maths with increasing independence, at the level agreed for each subject.
Shared understanding at reviewLearning evidence, participation and the learner’s own views help shape the next step. Reporting frequency and who receives updates are agreed before support begins.
- 01
Choose
Select useful information from an everyday task.
- 02
Apply
Use English or maths to solve a practical problem.
- 03
Explain
Check a result and describe the reasoning.
Example learning goals. The individual plan sets the priorities and how progress will be reviewed.
Before you begin
A few things you may want to know.
What is agreed before support begins?
We discuss suitability, learning priorities, the delivery setting, timetable, fees, relevant access and support needs, and the responsibilities of the adults involved. Any qualification entry or external activity is confirmed separately.
Can we start before deciding on a qualification?
Yes. An initial discussion and appropriate baseline activities can help establish the learner’s needs before a suitable learning or qualification pathway is agreed.
Can we request policies first?
Yes. All policies are available on request through our policy request form.
Tell us about your young person.
Tell us about the support you are looking for.