Tuesday 28 February 2012
Adult Basic Skills replaced by Functional Skills
A recent announcement by BIS confirmed that Functional Skills will replace Adult Basic Skills from August 2012. A very significant move that confirms the absolute end of all ALN "qualifications".
Monday 20 February 2012
Making Sense of Functional Skills Newsletter Feb 21st
February 21st - the Functional Skills newsletter
This week we have confirmation that Functional Skills replaces Adult Basic Skills from August 2012 and also confirmation of funding availability for Functional Skills from Entry Level to Level 2 for all adults, a repeat of the Functional Skills events piece that was so popular last week, a lovely quote from a TES forum and what's on Wednesday's webinar plus links to the previous recordings this term.
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Functional Skills replace Adult Basic Skills at Level 1 and Level 2 from August 2012
News from BIS confirms that Functional Skills will be fully funded and will replace Adult Basic Skills from August 2012.
"BIS wrote to Awarding Organisations in January 2011 to confirm that it will no longer be funding the centrally held test bank which supports Adult Basic Skills (ABS) qualifications and Key Skills Communication and Application of Number qualifications at Levels 1 and 2. Ofqual has confirmed that the operational end-dates of these qualifications mean that no new enrolments will be taken beyond August 2012 for ABS Certificates and September 2012 for Key Skills qualifications. The certification end-dates are August 2014 and September 2013 respectively"
The BIS advice goes on to say about Entry Level
"It is expected that providers will offer either Functional English and Maths qualifications at entry level or whatever new qualifications are available that provide a coherent progression pathway for learners from entry level upwards."
Underlining the importance that the Government places on adults progressing towards GCSE using Functional Skills, the section about funding says:
"We will fund GCSE English and Maths qualifications for adults from August 2012. Functional English and Maths qualifications from Entry level up to and including Level 2 will also be funded."
Click here for a direct link to the statement made on 15th February.
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| Major Functional Skills events It feels as though the interest in Functional Skills is growing exponentially and we had a lot of people contact us about the events we publicised last week. So here's that story and links again. Managing Functional Skills: 2012 and Beyond. This is a national conference aimed at the FE sector and taking place at Alveston Manor, Stratford Upon Avon on 5/6 March. A comprehensive programme of speakers include EDI, Guroo, Virgin Media and major Colleges; the aim is to get managers and practitioners up to date with best practice in this rapidly changing environment. Initial Assessment and Diagnostic for Functional Skills. An excellent example of how Functional Skills is growing; this event is purely about giving you an opportunity to view the initial assessment and diagnostic tools available for Functional Skills. This is a hands on session where participants will be able to sample what is on offer from the various organisations providing these tools, such as Tribal Group, Mindset, PMetrics, BKSB, Guroo, Skills in Sight Project, and Forskills. The exhibition is 10-1 with optional peer group exchange to discuss your expereince between 2-3.30. The event will be held at The Gallery and Gallery Bar, Beacon Building, Staffordshire University, Beaconside, Stafford, ST18 0AD. Contact Tina Richardson for more details. Making a reality of Functional Skills is a new conference just announced by LSIS/AELP who are keen to ensure all members are fully prepared and equipped to take on the delivery of Functional Skills in September 2012. It is free to attend and aimed at all providers of Functional Skills in post-16 education. It takes place on 26 March at the Congress Centre, Great Russell Street, London. You can register your interest by contacting AELP. When you do, please mention this newsletter!
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really nice quote from a TES forum
This is a very recent posting and I picked it up as I was following a thread that was discussing a comparison between Edexcel and C&G assessments.
I hate to say this but I actually quite like Functional Skills!! Perhaps it's just me but they seem to make more sense than anything else out there. This is borne out by students recognising where a lot of the processes and calculations are actually used in "real life" (well, some of the time anyway!)
Well said and so nice to see a completely independent and unsolicited quote!
Click here for the full sequence of messages - the quote is in post 4.
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The Functional Skills Wednesday Webinar
It's a return to the webinar this week for Andy and Simon (the main guys behind support@guroo.co.uk) who are hosting the session entitled "Reports and Reporting in Guroo 2.1".
How to get the most out of reports in Guroo. This session will help you uncover the information contained within Guroo and how to use it in your teaching and administration. We’ll look at the reports available from Initial and Diagnostic Assessments as well as the monitoring and tracking reports that follow your learners’ progress through Guroo’s Teaching and Learning Materials.
Email info@guroo.co.uk and we'll send you the link on Wednesday.
So if you're a customer (or would like to be) join us at 4.05pm on Wednesday 22nd February to learn reports and reporting, plus (at the end of the session) any other support questions you have.
Replay previous webinars at the links below. Simply enter your name and use guroo as the password.
Initial and Diagnostic Assessments
Guroo 2.1 User and Group Admin
Functional Skills Policy, Rumour and Opinion
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Please Plus One us on Google follow us on Twitter @guroofs and like us on Facebook at guroo.functionalskills. The next newsletter is likely to be Tuesday March 6th - if you have anything you'd like us to know about, just get in touch jwells@guroo.co.uk
Monday 13 February 2012
League table qualifications
I have it on very good authority that Functional Skills is what's termed "collateral damage" in the Government's efforts to remove the vocational qualifications from the league tables they don't want to be there.
It brings an interesting question forward:
The Government accept that Functional Skills is rigorous, does have and does lead to progression, and is a valuable qualification, but because it doesn't have a grading system and is treat as a half course, they currently do not meet the requirements for inclusion in the league tables from January 2015.
I predict that will change. Just as some of the key diplomas (Engineering in particular) will be upgraded to reflect their complexity and value, Functional Skills will find their way into the tables. They will do so because they will treat English and maths as a single and you will have to pass both to count plus we will see some development of the qualification to introduce grades.
So you read it here first - Feb 2012 Jonathan Wells of Guroo Functional Skills
Monday 6 February 2012
Making Sense of Functional Skills Newsletter Feb 7th
February 7th - the Functional Skills newsletter
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Major Functional Skills events
Our lead story this week is all about three Functional Skils events, all aimed at slightly different areas of the market.
Managing Functional Skills: 2012 and Beyond. This is a national conference aimed at the FE sector and taking place at Alveston Manor, Stratford Upon Avon on 5/6 March. A comprehensive programme of speakers include EDI, Guroo, Virgin Media and major Colleges, the conference aim is to get managers and practitioners up to date with best practice in this rapidly changing environment.
Initial Assessment and Diagnostic for Functional Skills is an opportunity to view the initial and diagnostic materials and tools available for Functional Skills. This is a hands on session where participants will be able to sample what is on offer from the various educational organisations providing these tools, such as Tribal Group, Mindset, PMetrics, BKSB, Guroo, Skills in Sight Project and Forskills. The exhibition is 10-1 with optional peer group exchange to discuss your expereince between 2-3.30. The event will be held at The Gallery and Gallery Bar, Beacon Building, Staffordshire University, Beaconside, Stafford, ST18 0AD. Contact Tina Richardson for more details.
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Report on the recent Functional Skills Forum
We're delighted to report on MindLeaders second Functional Skills Forum held on 19th January 2012 at the British Library in London. The forum featured speakers spanning the entire field of delivery, from the National Apprenticeships Service and Sector Skills Councils to employers, training providers, curriculum development and educational training providers.
The Wbl sector has been slow to accept Functional Skills so it's really good to say it was an overwhelming positive day where more than 60 delegates from the WBL sector enjoyed excellent presentations from People 1st, Whitbread, NAS, QCDA, Guroo and Mindleaders.
A full report is available here.
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A little bit of fun - perhaps even a world record?
We not only say we're eco-concious at Guroo, we actually take positive action and do something about it!
Here's the Guroo team outside our super low carbon building in Houghton-le-Spring with our latest veheicle - the 100% electric Peugeot iOn - the same one that was mercilessly derided on Top Gear by James May.
But here in the North East, the electric vehicle infrastructure is excellent so we took the plunge and managed to get the team (all 9 of us available on the day plus the kangaroo) in the car - with room to spare!
Click here for the full story.
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The Functional Skills Wednesday Webinar
We have new voices on the webinar this week as Andy and Simon are taking the session entitled "Admin using Guroo 2.1" otherwise known as "All you ever wanted to know about supporting Guroo but never quite got round to asking". Email info@guroo.co.uk and we'll send you the link on Wednesday.
So if you're a customer (or would like to be) join us at 4.05pm on Wednesday to learn about group admin, how to set-up data, getting the best of reporting and answers to all those frequently asked support questions.
Replay previous webinars at the links below. Simply enter your name and use guroo as the password.
Functional Skills Policy, Rumour and Opinion
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Please Plus One us on Google follow us on Twitter @guroofs and like us on Facebook at guroo.functionalskills. The next newsletter is likely to be Tuesday February 21st - if you have anything you'd like us to know about, just get in touch jwells@guroo.co.uk
Wednesday 1 February 2012
Webinars
I can't believe how popular the Functional Skills webinars are proving to be. Today's was about policy and market, we sent out the mailing today at around 11.30 and we still had nearly 40 people join us.
Recordings are always available and we get another raft of hits through these - big numbers for what is really a niche idea in a relatively small market!
Next weeks Functional Skills webinar will be customer focussed and all about admin in Guroo 2.1
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