2015 Functional Skills Annual Survey Report
The Functional Skills Annual Survey 2015 Published January 2015 by Guroo Ltd Based on the results of more than 200 responses from practitioners and managers in the post-16 learning sector received between September and December 2014 with comparisons drawn to similar surveys in 2013, 2012 and 2011 This is release 1 containing an analysis of survey data relating to Functional Skills and GCSE confidence, experience and policy. Further report releases will add an analysis of Awarding Organisations and Key Suppliers of assessment and resources to the sector.
Compiled and edited by Jonathan Wells FCIM Chartered Marketer
2015 Functional Skills Annual Survey Report
History and basis of the survey with significant additions for 2015 This report is based on the results of the 4th Functional Skills Annual Survey. This year, the survey drew responses from 203 respondents in the FE and Skills sector, with answers being provided between September 2014 and early January 2015. It is the largest independent survey in the sector and over the 4 years has received more than 1000 responses. As well as introducing new questions and subjects each year, each annual survey also uses some questions that are the same or similar as previous years to allow for direct comparison and trend analysis. The survey is broken into four distinct areas plus a section on the sector and job type of the respondent. The areas are: • • • •
Respondents experience in and preparedness to deliver Functional Skills and GCSE qualifications Use and opinion of Awarding Organisations Use and opinion of major Resource Providers to the sector Confidence in and opinion of Functional Skills
For the first time this year, we have introduced new questions for e-portfolio use and additional questions about respondent’s experience of and knowledge about GCSE and Government policy. The reasoning behind including questions about GCSE was because a number of Government policy statements were to do with the choice of Functional Skills and GCSE in different scenarios – for example in Early Years Educator apprenticeships and in relation to learners with an existing GCSE grade D.
2015 Functional Skills Annual Survey Report
Sector demographics of respondents The major source of respondents is the Functional Skills newsletter that is sent fortnightly to around 7000 people in the sector. The only real step change to the sector demographics for 2015 is that the number of respondents from the Schools/Local Authority sector is now below 5% - about half that of last year which in itself was done on 2011/12.
What sector do you work in? Others Adult Learning 2014
Training Provider/WBL
2015
FE Colleges 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
47% of all respondents describe themselves as Functional Skills tutor, 30% classify themselves as departmental or senior managers with 15% saying they are assessors/advisors/verifiers/examiners. The level of experience of respondents in Functional Skills has increased significantly over the years of the survey. For 2015, more than 60% describe themselves as “Very experienced” and 93% as “experienced”. The nature of the graph for level of experience has changed significantly over the last year with a marked upturn.
2015 Functional Skills Annual Survey Report
The opposite applies within the sector for GCSE. Just 11% of respondents say they are very experienced with a further 28% saying they have some experience. This leaves 60% with limited or no experience in the delivery of GCSE.
In terms of job type and seniority, 47% of all respondents describe themselves as a Functional Skills or GCSE tutor, 30% classify themselves as departmental or senior managers with 15% saying they are assessors/advisors/verifiers/examiners.
Executive Summary To follow with final publication of the full report – expected February 2015
2015 Functional Skills Annual Survey Report
Experience of and preparedness to deliver Functional Skills and GCSE This question simply asked respondents how prepared they feel to deliver Functional Skills and GCSE. The table and graph below compares the responses which showed a very marked difference. As expected, virtually all respondents were prepared for Functional Skills but the survey did show that nearly 2/3rds were not prepared for GCSE.
Being ready to deliver Functional Skills Being ready to deliver GCSE
Completely prepared
Quite well prepared
Not very prepared
Not at all prepared
74% 16%
21% 20%
3% 23%
1% 41%
How prepared are you to deliver? 80% Being ready to deliver Functional Skills
70% 60% 50%
Being ready to deliver GCSE
40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Completely prepared
Quite well prepared
Not very prepared
Not at all prepared
2015 Functional Skills Annual Survey Report
For the first time, the survey also asked respondents to say whether a number of statements related to English and maths policy for port-16 were true or false (note this was at the time of publication of the survey in September 2014). The survey results threw up a number of anomalies indicating there was a high degree of misunderstanding of policy. The table below repeats the statement, shows the correct answer and then how many respondents were unsure or gave the wrong answer.
Correct Answer
% unsure or incorrect
Final exams for the new specification (2015) GCSE exams will be immediately available on-line and on-demand
FALSE
67%
Apprentices with a grade D GCSE must take GCSE re-sit as a condition of funding
FALSE
64%
First exams for the new specification (2015) GCSE are in May 2017 with two assessment windows per year
TRUE
63%
All learners with a grade D GCSE have to re-sit GCSE now until they pass at grade C
FALSE
51%
Apprentices and adult learners are funded to follow Functional Skills until at least 2020
TRUE
41%
If an Apprenticeship requires level 1 maths and English, as soon as learners have passed level 1 they can stop taking maths and English
FALSE
31%
Adult learners without a level 2 qualification are fully funded to take Functional Skills or GCSE
TRUE
30%
All learners aged 16-18 on full time courses with a grade D GCSE have to re-sit GCSE from Sept 2015
TRUE
29%
GCSE replaces Functional Skills when the new specification GCSE starts in September 2015
FALSE
28%
Statement
The survey also asked a related “free text” optional question; “The Government has been placing an increasing emphasis on learners taking GCSE qualifications. Please say what your view is of this policy and how you think it will impact on learners.” More than 100 responses were received, many of which add value to the current discussion and there the report shows all comments reported exactly as written in the table below. I prefer Functional Skills. Students who have failed before, hate GCSE - I prefer to teach them Functional SKills as it's different GCSE qualifications are undoubtedly valued more by employers and universities. However Functional Skills qualifications, as they stand at the moment, equip learners with useful skills to use in the workplace. It is a shame that they are not valued as much by either students or by employers. Some learners are just not able to pass the GCSE and there should be a credible alternative qualification which is valued. It is my belief that not all learners are suited to the GCSE qualifications, hence the introduction of Key Skills then Functional Skills. GCSEs are academic based and certainly have their place but being more practical, Functional Skills suit some learners better. I strongly believe that both options should be available so that all learners can choose the path which is right for them. The Government needs to understand that one size DOES NOT fit all and needs to be realistic about the situation.
2015 Functional Skills Annual Survey Report
I think it will devalue the qualification if students have to take the exam numerous times to pass. For those less academic/less able, how demoralising that will be! A practical, experience passed testing system is so important. Functional skills are seen as ;learning skills required in life rather than learning to pass an exam I believe a full level 2 Functional Skills Qualification is a valid qualification an demonstrates proficiency at that level as long as fs is still accepted as a valid qual, for those learners unable to achieve gsce this is ok Agree with the policy. Learners should gain a standard of competence that the GCSE programme offers GCSE is not suitable for all learners GCSEs don't suit all learners. Learners will become more disaffected I think this policy is wrong. I teach learners for whom the GCSE curriculum has been unsuccessful. They feel like failures because they have not met the perceived 'gold' standard of GCSE grade C. Yet those are not the skills the country needs anyway. just as long as there is a job out there, when finished course I feel that Functional Skills meets all the requirements and don't see the sense in making learners re-take GCSE's they already feel bad about. VERY TIME CONSUMING FOR THE LEARNER ESPECIALLY IF THEY ARE LESS ABLE. NOT AS PRACTICAL AS FUNCTIONAL SKILLS I feel some learners may never achieve GCSEs and may need to follow functional skills to the level they are capable of. The Functional skills qualification is more than 'fit for purpose.' It meets a very real need for those learners who need functionality in maths and English to be able to meet the needs of the sort of roles/jobs they are in or aspire to be in. I think it is ridiculous, functional skills and GCSE should be parallel courses, some learners are more suited to one than another and FS prepares learners much better for the workplace I feel that GCSE does not suit all learners and a lot of the information learnt for GCSE is rarely relevant post education. Functional skills however, is more relevant to real life and what is learned can be used post education at work and home. The government need to learn a one-size-fits-all strategy will not work however the push to raise standards is admirable. It treats everyone as being equal. Employers don't rate FS as highly as GCSEs - students are aware of this. Pushing GCSE as the only option is very short sighted. Some learners struggle with the style of GCSE but are fine with the practical emphasis of functional skills. Giving learners only GCSE as an option will disadvantage some. Not suitable for all learning styles so therfore not always the best choice It will put people off. If they couldn't do it after 12 years of school, why do they think trying again will make a difference. It will prevent learners engaging in education. Not appropriate for all learners. Functional Skills need to be revamped and made slightly more challenging I do not think it will work unless GCSE's have new vocational related elements that allow for learners who do not respond to traditional classroom methods De-motivating and unrealistic for those with low grades, reinforces their sense of failure. Not possible for all to get C in GCSE. I think this is wrong. If you are undertaking a vocational programme you need a vocational maths and english course to go with it. If you are academic then do GCSE GCSE is not for all learners Great as much more widely accepted by employers I agree with the policy. Learners should be encouraged to achieve GCSE as a standard. The lower we accept the standards to be e.g. by allowing Functional Skills as an alternative, then the less chance we have of raising the skills of the workforce. many learners will not achieve GCSE grade C For many learners, the GCSE qualifications are just too large a jump to take. Functional Skills allows them to build up both their skills and confidence. Forcing them to take a GCSE when they are not ready will only build more barriers to learning. Many of our learners have gone all through school and not achieved GCSE, so Functional Skills is something more practical that they can have a good go at, and which seems relevant and useful to them. I believe FS to be better for all the learners we work Time constraints if they are on apprenticeships - if they couldn't pass whilst at school how are we expected to get them through in the allocated funding time Functional skills are better suited to the workplace. A retrograde step which disadvantages a large proportion of learners who used to take other qualifications. It has significantly narrowed the curriculum. GCSES are not right for all learners, some learners need the stepping stones to get there especially if the have failed a GCSE a number of times. Some learners are demotivated and dont see how some of the acedemic content is relevant to everyday life.
2015 Functional Skills Annual Survey Report
rubbish It has long been recognised in FE that GCSE is not a one size fits all qualification. Further consideration of the progression routes of our students must be taken into account. Not all students require academic achievement of a GCSE to be successful Some learners are very switched off by GCSE and find it too One size fits all is totally impractical. There has been no thought into learners levels of ability, learning styles, initial and diagnostic outcomes to plan learners 'individual programmes and pathways. Not all are capable of a full GCSE qualification but still need to demonstrate ability. Not good. GCSEs are not relevant to adults' experience of maths and English on an everyday basis. Adults also don't have the time to study such an in depth qualification as a GCSE. They will be put off doing any learning as they will associate it with sch GCSE is not a relevent qualification for every learner in particular adults Many students especially in FS will achieve L2 but will not succeed at GCSE in the time frame even if they have the ability. The government doesn't accept some students may never achieve a C at GCSE. apprentice applicants at level 2 have applied to train work based learning due to their lack of interest/skill in maths & english. If a learner has not achieved GCSE grade C in 5 years at school, they are not likely to achieve this during a 1-2 year qual This is not appropriate for learners in certain sectors and doesn't address issues learners have in terms of fear of exams and an alternative and just as effective way of learning. GCSEs are not equipping all learners in English and maths with the skills Adult learners who have chosen vocational qualifications, above GCSE routes to further their individual employability, because they lack the academic ability to achieve success in maths at GCSE is unlikely and the curriculum irrelevant to their job roles. The jump from functional skills to GCSE is quite big at present and this is not impacting well on achievement for adult learners I strongly support the drive to increase English and maths skills of learners and, whilst I welcome the improvements to GCSE feel that post-16 learners will be demotivated to continue GCSE and FS is a welcome alternative to engage and motivate learners. GCSE is right for some learners but not all. Functional Skills fills this gap and it is right that Government are re-evaluating the role these qualifications can play. It will impact poorly by demoralising them GCSE is not flexible enough for roll-on roll-off provision Shortsighted and will create a whole cohort of learners disenfranchised with E & M. It is idealistic but is it realistic. There should be credible options for those who will not be able to achieve a GCSE. This will have a massive impact on learners. If they were unable to achieve a grade C in 5 years at school how can they expect to achieve a grade C in a 1 year apprenticeship none , except I want to continue earning Barrier to learning as a majority of learners take apprenticeships rather than go to university. Not every apprenticeship can attract high, academic students therfore where can the lower ability go? It does not prepare learners for work good idea but might be difficult to encourage learners to "buy in". Misguided This is a short-sighted policy. Although some learners will benefit from increased emphasis on GCSE, for many it is not an appropriate way to demonstrate skills. Totally Disagree. FS should be positioned as an equal alternative qualification. With apprentiseships it will have a big effect retention and timely completors I agree with this policy with regard to Level 2 since training providers and employers are increasingly reluctant to recognise anything other than GCSEs at this Level. I think FS should only be used as stepping stones to GCSE A-C If the schools cannot get them through GCSE to C standard with fully trained teachers, I am unsure how we are supposed to do it with relatively inexperienced trainers. I think the learners should go back to their school to do resits for the first year. GCSE in its present form is not fit for purpose for adult learners and summative top end assessment will be unnecessarily restrictive and counter-productive. Excellent For vocational students this is absolutely awful. For less academic students it causes all sorts of problems, not least a further eroding of their self confidence. The emphasis completely disregards the variety of learning that takes place. Stronger qualification but doesn't teach life skills If they have failed it once it is likely they will continue to fail There are arguments for both sides. In an idea world, everyone would be able to undertake GCSEs, but we're not living in an ideal world.
2015 Functional Skills Annual Survey Report
Positive move - functional skills not fit for purpose as is not widely recognised by employers or HE institutions functional skills were introduced because employers felt that employees could not apply maths in the workplace, learners who had high GCSE grades found it difficult to apply maths in a functional way, so returning to more emphasis on GCSE is a reversal If students have simply not "got it" after 11 years of compulsory education, how are we, in an FE environment, supposed to fix this in 1,2 or 3 years? It will increase the pressure on the learners and some may never achieve it, thus they will give up We deliver apprenticeships and if GCSE are going to replace Functional Skills this will see a drop in achievemnet rates and learners enrolling on apprenticeships. Whilst GCSE iss eena s the gold star, it in my opinion does not preare learners for the world.Many I come acroos with A d have great difficluty in stringina coherent sentence together and often are unable to pass L2 functional skills. More resources and funding needs to be made available to enable learners to achieve. Some students, even those with a D, especially if the GCSE taken is Foundation level, have not got the ability to pass either English or Maths at a C level. Some of course, haven't bothered at sshool, and with some further training and encouragement will p I work predominately in Health and Social Care, the majority of Learners struggle as it is with Functional Skills, I think the the introduction of GCSE as part of the Apprenticeship will discourage Learners in the Sector. Functional skills and GCSEs are poles apart. How can all the Apprenticeship[ providers suddenly switch to GHCSEs without intensive extra training. Its hard enough to keep up in school with the changes never mind the training providers! Qualifications should be geared to learners future and there should be more guidance as to what is required. Sound therory to upskill learners to L2 but not enough time built into apprenticeship length of stay to deliver effective training as employers reluctant to release employees. Insufficient funding for functional skill aims at present. Learners are put off by GCSEs and, therefore, will be put off completing an apprenticeship if they have to sit GCSE maths and English wrong. Some learners will never be able to pass a GCSE and are better served with a functional qualification which helps them in their every day life Logistically impractical for roll on roll off programmes Until GCSEs are on demand this has a huge impact on learners' ability to progress especially with regard to eYE awards Most adult learners are just OK with Functional Skills. GCSE would put them off starting. Although it is fine in principle, it doesn't take into account the different types of learners and the different ways in which they learn, especially in the FE sector. It will mean a lot of students becoming disaffected with English and maths. Too limiting it does not account for individual levels of capabilities. Institutions will be pressured to get results at any cost, regardless of ability The learners who choose to go onto work based learning mostly do so to move away from the formal testing and prefer the functional skills route.The learners who have started on our workbased learning courses all have said thet prefer the functional skills I think it is really unfair to expect all learners to achieve C or above as it does not take learning needs into account. While every society wants the best in terms of education, it is not realistic to expect everyone to be working at the same level. Make sure awarding bodies give learners enough time to plan and draft writing assignments. 1 hour is not enough! Don't get me started!! Can't see how this will work for WBL. Time is limited and precious with all other aspects of their apprenticeship - not sure where employers will give further additional time to study for GCSE's that 11 years of schooling has failed! Not all learners respond effectively to an academic approach. Functional skills provides an appropriate and effective alternative. I do not believe that all learners are capable of completing a GCSE or passing one. This will only allow learners to experience failure. GCSE is a term related to school rather than work which puts a lot of learners off for neet learners and more practical learners, it could be stting them up to fail. It in theory is a good policy but many adult learners struggle to complete exdams in the given time. I doubt the capacity or commitment to deliver amongst politicians GCSE is crazy for vocational learners - how can it fit into work when employers release learners for just a few hours per week.
2015 Functional Skills Annual Survey Report
Awarding Organisations To follow with final publication of the full report – expected February 2015
Analysis of the key assessment and resource suppliers to the sector To follow with final publication of the full report – expected February 2015
Contact and more information This report has been written and compiled by Jonathan Wells and published by Guroo Ltd. It was produced using “Survey Monkey” software with a strict limit of one response per person allowed to maintain integrity of results. Jonathan Wells is the author if the fortnightly “Functional Skills newsletter” that is delivered to around 11,000 people in the sector. His work on the newsletter and this report is supported by ForSkills Ltd and Guroo Ltd. Detailed results including analysis of responses by sector and/or related responses for all questions may also be available at an additional charge to cover the costs of further analysis and research work. Please contact Jonathan Wells on 0191 3055045 or email jonathan@forskills.co.uk for further information and requests.