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
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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?
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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?
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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