FE Subject Guide for Students (incorporating the scheme of work)

Subject/Unit: English Functional Skills

Lecturer:

Academic Year: 2024 - 2025

1. Introduction to the Subject/Unit

Reading: Read and Understand a Range of Texts

To demonstrate you can do this you will read different texts and answer a range of
questions. These will vary in length and complexity depending on the level you are
working at.
You will develop or improve your skills in:
● Skimming, scanning and detailed reading techniques
● Recognising the purpose a text was written
● Recognising how the layout and features used help the reader
● How the language used helps the writer get their point across
● Identifying the main points and finding information

Writing: Write a Range of Texts to Communicate Information, Ideas and

Opinions
To demonstrate you can do this you will write different texts, clearly and coherently,
using suitable language format and structure. These will vary in length and
complexity depending on the level you are working at.
You will develop or improve your skills in:
● Writing a range of documents clearly and coherently, including appropriate
level of detail
● Present information logically
● Use language, format and structure suitable for purpose and audience
● Use correct grammar and punctuation
● Use correct spellings to ensure the meaning is clear

Speaking, Listening and Communicating

To demonstrate you can do this you will take part in formal and informal
discussions, or present on a topic (dependent on your level of study). These will
vary in complexity according to the level you are working at.
You will develop or improve your skills to:
● Make relevant and extended contributions
● Listen to and respond to others
● Research and prepare for a formal discussion
● Make different kinds of contributions
● Present your views clearly, using appropriate language

2. Items/attitude you need to bring to lessons for this Subject/Unit

Professional behaviour and attitude

Folder with paper or notepad
Pen
3. Resources for this Subject/Unit

Recommended text books ● CGP Functional Skills English Level 1 Study

and Test Practice (for 2019 and beyond)
ISBN 978-1782946298
● CGP Functional Skills English Entry 3 Study
and Test Practice (for 2019 and beyond)
ISBN 978-1782946311

Recommended subject websites https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/skillswise/english/zjg4s

cw
http://www.grammar-monster.com/
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en

Journals/magazines or www.bbc.co.uk/news
newspapers www.bbc.co.uk/magazine
Daily or weekly newspapers

Other resources Reading for hobbies and interests

www.free-ebooks.net/category/short-stories
Library books
Dictionary

4. Teaching Methods used primarily for this Subject/Unit

To provide you with a variety of ways to help you to learn, I will be using a range of teaching
methods for this subject including the following:

Presentation by ✔ Text books ✔ Assignment ✔

Lecturer Workshop

Discussions/ debates ✔ Research online ✔ Student ✔

Presentations

Individual tasks ✔ Flipped Learning ✔ Project-based ✔

Techniques learning

Group activities ✔ Problem Solving ✔ Case Studies ✔

5. How this Subject/Unit will be assessed

To pass this subject/unit you will need to pass the following assessments. I will hand out
assignment briefs to you and these will give you more detail of what is required.

You will be assessed on your reading, writing and speaking & listening skills when you are
ready to sit your exams. The exam windows will commence in January and you will have
more than one opportunity to sit your exams, if required. You will not be able to achieve
different levels for individual components as part of this course. When you have
demonstrated the skills required to pass each component, at the level you are working
towards, your lecturer will book you in for the component exam.

In order to gain your full Functional Skills English qualification, you will need
to have passed all components of reading, writing and speaking & listening.
Please note that you will only be entered for one level of Functional Skills per year. Your
lecturer will identify your strengths in the components and will advise you of the stretch level
you should be aiming for to reach your potential this academic year.

If you have any specific learning difficulties which could prevent you from being able to
access each component, it is really important to speak with your lecturer and inform them of
this, providing any appropriate evidence. We will look to ensure that you are fully supported
to be successful with all components of this course.

You will have opportunity to sit your Reading and or Writing exams on these dates.
Your Tutor will enter you when they feel you are ready. Your exam will take place
during your normal lesson time in these weeks:

Exam week

27th-29th Jan

10th-12th
March

7th-11th April

23rd-25th June

6. Equality, diversity and values embedded in this Subject/Unit

As part of your development and preparation for the world outside College, I will be
embedding and promoting equality, diversity and British values within this Subject/Unit.
Equality Equality is about providing ‘equality of opportunity’ to give all
students a fair chance to be able to pass their subject well. I will do
this by:
● Personalising my teaching and learning methods so everyone has a
fair chance of success
● Ensuring printed materials are presented in a clear accessible
language and format
● Ensuring materials are available in electronic format in advance (or
on Google) for those that need more time to prepare for lessons.

Diversity Diversity is about broadening minds and celebrating differences. It will

also help you to prepare for working in the global jobs market. I will
do this by:
● Ensuring that a range of views are represented and cliques do not
develop during discussions and small group work.
● Ensuring teaching and learning activities and materials are used to
challenge stereotypes and counter stereotypical assumptions
● Ensuring prejudiced or inappropriate language, views or behaviour
are always appropriately challenged to raise awareness and bring
about behavioural change.
● Ensuring activities are used that acknowledge and promote your
different views and perspectives.
● Where possible, ensuring opportunities are taken to make reference
to and use examples from a variety of cultures, religions and to
acknowledge and promote current, contemporary issues.
Values British values include learning about democracy, the rule of law,
individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and
beliefs. In this subject/unit I will do this by:
● Taking the opportunity to learn about how legislation is created and
how the law works when we explore legislation relevant to this
subject such as health and safety legislation.
● Learning about respect and tolerance when we learn about working
with other people whether this is at college or in a future workplace
or at university.
● Demonstrating how democracy works through in-class debates,
voting on topics and general discussions where there are opposing
points of view
● Encouraging you to become responsible learners and to actively
participate in your own learning and development

7. Developing Employability Behaviours while studying this Subject/Unit

The development of employability behaviours will help you in your future careers whether
you study higher education first, go to do an apprenticeship or go straight out to work. You
will have the opportunity to develop the following employability behaviours alongside your
main learning while you are studying this subject/unit/work experience:

Employability Behaviours (T-Shaped) Developed within this Subject/ Unit

Personal Resilience ✔ Continue to improve and develop

Development (bounce-back after a set-back) your English skills

Reliability ✔ It is important that you attend

(attendance and punctuality) every lesson and you are punctual

Reflective ✔ How to use feedback to improve

Adaptability ✔ Work with different people in your

group

Focus and Drive ✔ Complete classwork and

homework

Social Skills Team-work ✔ Work with others in your group to

share ideas and give support

Leadership ✔ Complete tasks and identify and

support a peer

Empathy ✔ Respect views and opinions

Networking ✔ Share ideas

Communication ✔ Working with others and

discussing tasks

Enterprise Creativity ✔ Try new styles of learning

Skills
Initiative ✔ Take responsibility to help others,
keep classroom clean and tidy when
leaving, see what else needs to be
done
 Problem Solving ✔ Be organised and plan time
effectively to ensure completion of
tasks

Risk Taking ✔ Try different methods to complete

tasks

Business Awareness ✔ Use what you learn outside of the

classroom, demonstrate transferable
skills

8. Embedding and promoting the development of English, mathematics and

digital skills within this Subject/Unit
The development of English, maths and digital (computing) skills are essential skills for work
and life in general. When you study this subject, we will be developing the following skills
which could also be considered as important employability skills for your future.

English, maths and digital skills Developed within this Subject/ Unit

English Speaking and listening ✔ You will have the opportunity to

contribute to class discussions where
you will listen to other students and
speak your ideas

Reading ✔ You will have the opportunity to

contribute to class discussions where
you will listen to other students and
speak your ideas

Writing ✔ You will write different texts to

communicate information, with your
ideas and opinions. Using different
tone and language to get your point
across
✔ You will writing different types of
documents, using correct layout and
style, such as: letters, emails, reports,
reviews, blogs, speeches etc

Spelling, punctuation and ✔ You will develop or improve your

grammar (SPaG) skills in: Spelling, punctuation and
grammar to write clearly and
accurately

Layout and structure of work ✔ You will use different layouts and
features to help the reader follow the
text

Mathematics Using numbers in calculations

 Applying maths in my subject ✔ You will read numeric data such as
from timetables, recipes

Data and statistics ✔ You will be able to use data and

statistics in your written work to
support your explanations/arguments
etc.

Organising and presenting data

Time management ✔ You will learn how to manage your

time in the lesson and for learning
outside the lesson

Digital Skills Using Google Classroom to ✔ You will learn how to use the
support learning Google Classroom to continue
learning outside the lesson

Presenting your work digitally ✔ There will be opportunities to use

the computer for written texts

Using Google Apps: Google ✔ You will be using the Google Apps
drive, docs, sheets and slides to submit your work both during the
lessons and for homework

Using digital technologies to ✔ You will use an online tool called

enhance, extend and record Century to do a diagnostic
your learning assessment of your current skills. You
will continue to use this through the
academic year to develop your
learning and test your skills. Your
progress will be automatically
captured and checked by your
teacher.

Using electronic library ✔ You will be given websites to read

resources and effective news, books and magazines
searching for online materials ✔ You will search websites to obtain
information on the topic for your
discussion
9. Scheme of Work 2022-23
This is how your course will be organised this year. The scheme of work is prepared to
show the sequence of the lesson topics. I have also included links to learning outside the
lesson or preparation that you need to do between lessons.

Date Lesson Topic Learning outside the lesson

(Identify knowledge and skills being developed and and/or preparation for the
include dates of assessment) next lesson.

w/c 09/09/24 Topic: Induction week - Welcome to the Functional First Week of term starts
Skills course Monday 5th September 2022

Knowledge: ● Read the subject guide

● Discussion of main outcomes/ expectations, independently.
Google Classroom, Century and student guide ● Explore Century
independently.
● Introduction to the course ● Practice logging on to
the College intranet.
● Icebreakers ● Access our Google
classroom.
Skills:
● Navigate way around Google Classroom and
Century

w/c 16/09/24 Topic: Using a range of punctuation correctly ● Complete Century

nugget on:
Knowledge: Spellings: Tricky words
● Understanding the importance of using correct (Level 1)
punctuation and how it can alter meaning in
texts Read a broadsheet
● Using full stops, question marks, exclamation newspaper and
marks, commas, possessive apostrophes highlight a variety
of differentiated
Skills: punctuation markers.
● Use SPAG with accuracy and understand the
range of punctuation marks
● Proofread and correct punctuation errors

Complete a variety of Diagnostic assessments

w/c 23/09/24 Topic: Reading for information ● Skimming and

scanning Youtube
Knowledge: activity.
● Facts and opinions; purpose of a text;
punctuation and meaning (using apostrophes ● Complete Century
and exclamation marks) nugget on:
Punctuation and
● Using dictionaries sentences:
Apostrophes of
● Understanding the main points, ideas and possession (Level 1)
details in texts
Bring in an example of
a text that you typically
Skills: ‘skim read’ and a piece
● Skimming and scanning of text that you ’scan
read’
● Comprehension skills

w/c 25/09/24 Topic: Comparing a variety of different texts ● Complete Century

nugget on:
Knowledge: Understanding the
● Exploring different text types text: Finding
quotations (Level 1)
● Spelling strategies/Sound patterns (tion and
sion, plural suffixes and suffixes that end in Y) Bring in an example of one of
the following for next lesson -
Skills:
 ● Identifying features of different types of texts. ● Information text
● Persuasive text
● Using appropriate punctuation for quotations ● Instruction text
● Descriptive text

Your level of study will be given to you by this week.

w/c 30/09/24 Topic: Textual features ● Complete Century

nugget on:
Knowledge: Language and
● Uncover a variety of features that exist within Organisational
texts for organisation and understanding. Features: Formal and
● Identify WHO a piece of writing is aimed at Informal Language
and WHY a piece of writing has been written (Level 1)
(Purpose and Audience)
Finding Information in
Texts: Finding key
Skills: words (Entry 3)
● Identify and recognise language features.
● Watch the
● Explain the difference between formal and video clip and
informal language. make notes
on the formal
● Purpose and audience and informal
interactions
between the
learner and
the teacher.

w/c 07/09/24 Topic: Organisational features ● Complete Century

nugget on:
Knowledge: Language and
● Structural features Organisational
Features: Layout
● Organisational markers and features (Level 1)

● Images and purpose Finding Information in

Texts: Layout
(Organisational
Skills: Features) (Entry 3)

● Identify and explain how a text is structured

and how this contributes to the purpose.

● Analyse a variety of texts

w/c 14/10/24 READING AND WRITING MOCK WEEK 1

w/c 21/10/24 Topic: Inference skills and implied meaning ● Complete Century
nugget on:
Knowledge: Understanding the
● Reading for meaning Text: Identifying Form
and Purpose (Level 1)

Skills: Finding Information in

● To identify purpose of different texts and Texts: Identifying the
features main point (Entry 3)

● Identify explicit and implicit meaning

● Extract necessary information from the texts

w/c 28/10/24 Half Term

w/c 04/11/24 Topic: Emails and Letters ● Complete Century

nugget on:
Knowledge: Audience, and Form
 ● Develop an awareness of audience - Who are and Purpose
you writing to? ● letters and email
nuggets
● How you can change your tone and formality
in accordance with audience.

● Considering the effectiveness of your writing in

reaching your target audience.

Skills:

● Interpret information for different audiences.

● Write for a variety of purposes

w/c 11/11/24 Topic: Looking at exam style questions ● Complete Century

nugget on:
Knowledge: Understanding the
Text: Identifying Form
● Review exam style questions and Purpose (Level 1)
● Understand the language used and what is
expected of me. Finding Information in
Texts: Identifying the
Skills: main point (Entry 3)

● Be able to answer a range of exam style

questions relating to texts.

w/c 18/11/24 Topic: Instructions and explanations ● Complete Century

nugget on:
Knowledge: Understanding the
● Comparison Text: Comparing (Level
1)
● Reading instructions and explanations
Finding information in
Skills: texts: Reading the
● Interpreting and applying information question (Entry 3)

w/c 25/11/24 Topic: Images and pictorial information ● Complete tasks set in
class and learn key
Knowledge: vocabulary
● Interpreting images and how they help to
support the meaning of a text. ● Complete Century
nugget on:
● Reading descriptions and narrations Language and
● Understand how an image aids understanding Organisational
of texts. Features:Finding
meaning in
photographs and
Skills: images (Level 1)
● Infer meaning from images in text
Finding information in
texts:Finding the
meaning of words
(Entry 3)

w/c 02/12/24 Topic: Speaking and Listening ● Practice asking

questions and
Knowledge: responding to a family
● Listening closely. using active listening. and member/friend.
reflective listening.skills
● Observe the body
● Making appropriate requests and answering language used by
relevant questions. characters in your
favourite TV show.
Skills: What does their body
● Develop listening skills and an awareness of language show you
the importance of effective body language and about the person?
 non - verbal communication.

w/c 09/12/24 Topic: Speaking and Listening Feedback and ● Prepare Speaking and
preparation and first assessment session Listening task for
assessment.
Knowledge:
● Reflect on your speaking and listening
preparation so far

Skills:
● Practice your assessment using flip cameras
Peer assessment and feedback session

16/12/24 Speaking and Listening assessment session first ● Exam Entry Deadline =
half 6th January for W/C
27/01/25
Second half to be arranged with your tutor

Christmas Holidays - w/c /25/12/23 and 1/12/24

w/c 06/01/2 Lessons start on Tuesday 7th

Topic: Writing reviews January

Knowledge: Find an article that interests you

● Format and structure of reviews to share with the group.
● differences between opinions and facts
● Understanding the difference between formal
and informal.
● What are persuasive devices and how do they
effect the reader?
Skills:
● Writing with/without bias
● Effective use of paragraphs
● Create own reviews
● Use techniques such as DAFOREST to
influence your reader.

w/c 13/01/25 Topic: Writing articles and reports ● Complete Google

Form on Classroom
Knowledge:
● Format and structure of articles ● Complete Century
● Bias nugget on:
● Understanding the difference between formal Writing:Articles
and informal. Reports
Skills: (Level 1)
● Writing with/without bias
● Effective use of paragraphs Writing correctly:
● Create own articles and reports. paragraphs (Entry 3)
● Use techniques such as DAFOREST to
influence your reader.

20/1/25 Topic: Exam review Revision for exams. Your

teacher will set an appropriate
Knowledge: task for your needs.
● Re-cap what to expect in your own Exam
papers
● Understand the language of exams through
looking at sample questions.

Skills:
 ● Practice exam style questions for your level
for both reading and writing.

w/c 27/01/25 Exam week

w/c 03/02/25 Topic: Skills Revision Be prepared for Speaking and

LIstening assessment if not
Knowledge: already completed it.
● Review what you feel went well in the exams
● What you found okay
● What you found difficult
● Devise a plan of action for progression

Skills:
● Identify strengths and weaknesses
● Plan to overcome difficulties

w/c 10/02/25 Speaking and Listening mop up assessments Exam entry deadline is 14/02/25
for exam period w/c 10/03/25
If completed, Review past writing exam tasks

w/c 17/02/25 Half Term Week

w/c 24/02/25 Final Speaking and Listening Mop Up session

Review Reading skills

w/c 03/03/25 Topic: Revise different text types and prepare for ● Complete Century
following week’s exams Nuggets: planning,
proof reading, drafting
Knowledge:

● Re-cap different varieties of text (Information,

Instruction, Persuasion, Description)

Skills:
● Analyse different types of text and identify key
features that distinguish each different text
type

w/c 10/03/25 Exam Week -Exam entry deadline is

17/03/25 for exam period w/c
07/04/25

w/c 17/03/25 Topic: Revise Audience and purpose of texts Complete Century nuggets:
-Level 1: anecdotes and
Knowledge: examples
● Recap understanding of who the audience are -Entry 3: Spellings practice
● Identify a range of different purposes in texts
independently.

Skills:
● Review own understanding of audience and
purpose.
● Be able to write for a range of purposes and
audiences.

w/c 24/03/25 Topic: Revise Language features ● Complete Century

nuggets
Knowledge: -Level 1 lists, rules of
● Know what DAFOREST means three…
● Identify DAFOREST in texts -Entry 3: Past Present
Skills: Future
● Complete the mix and match exercise to
differentiate each of the DAFOREST
strategies
● Write your own example for each one.
 ● Embed DAFOREST in to your own persuasive
writing.

w/c 31/03/25 Topic: Writing revision or Speaking and Listening ● Follow own Century
assessments plan this week.

For those that have yet to complete Speaking and

listening, they will complete their assessments.

Everyone else will complete writing revision tasks in

preparation for retakes after Easter.

w/c 07/04/25 Exam Week

Easter Holidays

w/c 28/04/25 Mock paper Writing practice 2 Individual revision from Mock
Paper 2 Assessment

w/c 05/05/25 Topic: Catch up/revision workshops/final exam Monday is a bank holiday (May
bookings. Day)

w/c 12/05/25 Topic: Catch up/revision workshops/final exam ● Individual revision

bookings.
● Complete any
outstanding Century
nuggets

w/c 19/05/25 Topic: Catch up/revision workshops/final exam ● Individual revision

bookings.
● Complete any
outstanding Century
nuggets
● Exam Entry deadline
02/06/25 for Exam
period W/C 23/06/25

Half Term - w/c 26/05/25

w/c 02/06/25 Topic: Catch up/revision workshops/final exam ● Individual revision

bookings.
● Complete any
outstanding Century
nuggets

w/c 09/06/25 Topic: Catch up/revision workshops/final exam ● Individual revision

bookings.
● Complete any
outstanding Century
nuggets

w/c 16/06/25 Topic: Catch up/revision workshops/final exam ● Individual revision

bookings.
● Complete any
outstanding Century
nuggets

w/c 23/06/25 EXAM WEEK

Summer Holidays for students commence w/c w/c 30/06/25