Course Code: GB00001 Maths Functional Skills Next course dates Start dateLocationDuration / Fees Anytime Seasiders Learning Centre / £0 Enquire now Anytime Seasiders Learning Centre / £0 Enquire now Overview Is this course for me? What will I learn? How will I be assessed? Key information Where could this course take me? Course SummaryWhat can I use functional skills for? Education and Employment Functional skills can help you access further and higher education courses e.g. engineering or paramedic etc. If you don't have GCSEs, functional skills will meet the minimum essential criteria required for most job applications. Everyday Life Functional skills equip you with the basic skills needed to take control of your life with confidence, from handling money, to formal documents. During the pandemic, functional skills has given parents extra confidence to help children with homework too. What is functional skills Maths? Functional skills qualifications are equivalent to GCSEs up to a grade C (or current grade 4). As an equivalent qualification, functional skills are recognised by employers across all industries and learning institutes, such as universities. At Seasiders Learning Centre for adults (19+), Functional Skills courses run all year round, meaning you can start at any time during the academic year. Courses are part-time with different modes of attendance available to fit around work and busy schedules. Although most courses run for 18 weeks, attendance can be as little as once a week for a couple of hours, and it is possible to complete your course earlier based on your progress! What can I use functional skills for? Education & Employment Functional skills can help you access further and higher education courses e.g. engineering or paramedic etc. If you don't have GCSE's, functional skills will meet the minimum essential criteria required for most job applications. Everyday Life Functional skills equip you with the skills needed to take control of your life with confidence, from handling money, to formal documents. During the pandemic, functional skills has given parents extra confidence to help children with homework too. What is Functional Skills Maths? Functional skills qualifications are equivalent to GCSE's up to a grade 'C' (or current grade '4'). As an equivalent qualification, functional skills are recognised by employers across all industries and learning institutes, such as universities. At Seasiders Learning Centre for adults (19+), Functional Skills courses run all year round, meaning you can start at any time during the academic year. Courses are part-time with different modes of attendance available to fit around work and busy schedules. Although most courses run for 18 weeks, attendance can be as little as once a week for a couple of hours, and it is possible to complete your course earlier based on your progress! Book an Appointment Initial Advice and Guidance appointments (IAG) are designed to assess student current capabilities, discuss learning needs, options available, complete any enrolment paperwork, and assign classes and/or start dates. These appointments are important to ensure we get every learner on to the right level of study and can help every learner to succeed. Questions? - you can call us on 01253 504693 to make an appointment or book online here Close Previous Next Seasiders Gallery Previous 1 2 3 4 5 Next Entry RequirementsIs this course for me? There are no previous qualifications required to undertake this course, so functional skills are ideal for everybody. Functional skills can help you regain the skills you need as an adult to achieve your goals, both in your career and personal life. I have a very busy lifestyle, how can I fit in time for learning? With different modes of attendance available, there are different learning options available to fit around your busy schedule. From classroom-based learning and evening classes, to flexible online distance learning. No previous qualifications or outdated qualifications? Not a problem. Whether you didn't achieve the grades you were expecting at school, or it's been a while since you have been to school or studied, functional skills bridges the skills gap and sets you on your way to achieving your goals by increasing access to more opportunities. Functional skills are also ideal for adults who don't hold a UK recognised qualification. Is this course for me? School was never my thing! There are no entry requirements, so Functional Skills are ideal for everybody. Functional Skills can help you regain the skills you need as an adult to achieve your goals, both in your career and personal life. I have a very busy lifestyle, how can I fit in time for learning? With different modes of attendance available, there are different learning options available to fit around your busy schedule. From classroom-based learning and evening classes, to flexible online distance learning. No previous qualifications or outdated qualifications? Not a problem. Whether you didn't achieve the grades you were expecting at school, or it's been a while since you have been to school or studied, functional skills bridges the skills gap and sets you on your way to achieving your goals by increasing access to more opportunities. Functional skills are also ideal for adults who don't hold a UK recognised qualification. Entry Requirements There are no entry requirements for this course, and you can start at any level. What level? During your Initial Advice and Guidance interview, we look at your previous qualifications in English and assess your current level of capability. This will tell us what level you are working at. If your assessments show your level has dropped since your last exam, don't worry, we have ways to support your learning to get you back up to speed in no time. What is the highest level I can achieve? The highest functional skills level you can achieve is a Level 2 ('C' or '4' GCSE grade equivalent). Most employers, college and university courses will ask for a 'C' or equivalent as a minimum requirement. Functional skills are recognised qualifications across most industry sectors and educational institutes including universities. If your sector needs a higher level, functional skills are the stepping stones to higher level GCSE's. English isn't my first language, can I study Functional Skills? Yes. During Initial Advice and Guidance Interviews, all learners are assessed. If your language skills need developing furthere, we can refer you to our ESOL courses (English as a Second or Other Language) for further assessment. Click the link to find out more about our ESOL courses. Find out more What other levels of functional skills are there? Equivalent Grading Structures GCSE Old Grading GCSE New Grading Functional Skills Equivalent A* 9, 8 Not available A 7 Not available B 6, 5 Not available C 4 Level 2 D 3 Level 1 E 2 Entry 3 F 1 Entry 2 G 1 Entry 1 U U Pre Entry Qualification Functional Skills Maths is externally assessed and accredited by the awarding body. You will receive a certificate for Functional Skills Maths stating the level of learning achieved. Remember, your Functional Skills certificate is proof of your qualification. Pearson Qualification - Maths I'm Pre Entry level, what can I study? At Seasiders Learning Centre, we pride ourselves on the ability to accommodate every level of learning and have classes suited to each level. Our Pre Entry Maths classes are ideal for learners who need to gain the basics and our tutors are highly skilled at teaching at this level. Pre Entry Maths will give you confidence to get started and take the fear out of working with numbers. How do I fit learning around my busy schedule? We understand how difficult it is to juggle work and home life, and still carve out enough time to do the things we want to achieve. We offer different modes of attendance so that as many people as possible can access learning. Student Learning Support When you attend your Initial Advice and Guidance interview, we will ask you about any learning difficulties you may need support with. Our learning support team will discuss your individual needs and explain what support we can offer. Check out the link for learning and financial support on the Seasiders LEarning Centre home page. Find out more Classroom-based learning - this is where you attend a regular face to face daytime class at Seasiders once a week for 2 hours. Evening classes (online) - this is where you attend a regular class online using Microsoft Teams, so internet access and a laptop at home are necessary. Blended distance learning - there are no set class times, so you can fit when you learn around your busy schedule. Again internet access and a laptop are necessary. All learning is online and you arrange contact with your tutor for one to one or group workshops. See our Blended Learning page for more details. Blended Learning If you can't commit to a regular class time and have the self-discipline required for distance learning, click the link to find out more about how blended learning could fit in to your busy lifestyle. Found out more Book an Appointment Initial Advice and Guidance appointments (IAG) are designed to assess student current capabilities, discuss learning needs, options available, complete any enrolment paperwork, and assign classes and/or start dates. These appointments are important to ensure we get every learner on to the right level of study and can help every learner to succeed. Questions? - you can call us on 01253 504693 to make an appointment or book online here PLEASE NOTE - these appointments are for English, Maths and Computer Skills. If you require ESOL or Employability Skills, please telephone 01253 504693 to make a separate appointment. Online Bookings Student Testimonials I really struggled with numbers at school, so I was really anxious about needing to learn maths as an adult. I contacted learning support and they assessed my learning needs to find out what extra support I might need in class. My tutor and the learning support staff were very patient and supportive and helped me pass my exams. To apply for a promotion at work I need to have my Level 2 maths and English. I wasn't great at maths at school, but my tutor was able to teach me different methods that worked for me. I have passed my exams and have applied for the job I want. Having been made redundant, I found myself needing to brush up on my qualifications. It was great to be at Seasiders in an environment that helped me achieve this. The future looks positive now. The added bonus is I can help the grandchildren with their homework. Prev Next Learning and Teaching MethodsThe course is delivered over 18 weeks, where learners will take part in weekly sessions using a variety of different teaching methods and continuous assessment such as quizzes and problem solving tasks. Classroom-based sessions are two hours a week (four hours on our fast-track sessions) and will have addition of homework or online learning each week for normally 1-2 hours. Towards the end of the course, you may get a practice exam to complete to help prepare you for the final assessment. What will I learn? Depending on your individual level of study, the complexity of the content will increase as your level of learning increases. The basic principles of mathematics are built on as your level increases. The basis of functional skills maths is to give you the competency and confidence to apply the skills you learn at work, and in every day life. From handling data at work, handling money at home, paying bills, budgeting, or measuring for home improvements, and even baking! What books or equipment do I need? All we ask is that you come prepared to learn with the basics; you will need a pen, pencil, ruler, paper and a calculator. You may need a folder to keep everything in as your course progresses. As part of your course, you will be supplied with a textbook appropriate to your level, which you can keep at the end of the course. Functional Skills Maths topics include: Using numbers and the number system - to read, write and compare positive and negative numbers by recognising and interpreting mathematical symbols such as add, subtract, multiply and divide. You will explore fractions, decimals and percentages and work with simple ratio and direct proportions. Using common measures, shape and space - to handle money, read digital and analogue clocks, measuring time and distance including size, length, width, height, weight and capacity of 2D and 3D shapes including angles when describing degrees of position and direction. Handling information and data - to sort and classify data and objects using a range of tables, charts and diagrams. You will calculate averages and probability of data related to outcomes. What will I learn? Mathematical Problems You will learn how to improve your maths skills across a range of topics to solve mathematical problems, such as questions involving money, time and percentages. Transferrable Skills From adding up numbers and dealing with time and money, to understanding fractions, decimals, or percentages. Functional skills maths is accessible taking the fear out of numbers, giving you confidence to tackle everyday mathematical problems. Learning and Teaching Methods The course is delivered over 18 weeks, where learners will take part in weekly sessions using a variety of different teaching methods and continuous assessment such as quizzes and problem solving tasks. Classroom-based sessions are two hours a week (four hours on our fast-track sessions) and will have addition of homework or online learning each week for normally 1-2 hours. Towards the end of the course, you may get a practice exam to complete to help prepare you for the final assessment. What will I learn? Depending on your individual level of study, the complexity of the content will increase as your level of learning increases. The basic principles of mathematics are built on as your level increases. The basis of functional skills maths is to give you the competency and confidence to apply the skills you learn at work, and in every day life. From handling data at work, handling money at home, paying bills, budgeting, or measuring for home improvements, and even baking! What books or equipment do I need? All we ask is that you come prepared to learn with the basics; you will need a pen, pencil, ruler, paper and a calculator. You may need a folder to keep everything in as your course progresses. As part of your course, you will be supplied with a textbook appropriate to your level, which you can keep at the end of the course. Functional Skills Maths topics include: Using numbers and the number system - to read, write and compare positive and negative numbers by recognising and interpreting mathematical symbols such as add, subtract, multiply and divide. You will explore fractions, decimals and percentages and work with simple ratio and direct proportions. Using common measures, shape and space - to handle money, read digital and analogue clocks, measuring time and distance including size, length, width, height, weight and capacity of 2D and 3D shapes including angles when describing degrees of position and direction. Handling information and data - to sort and classify data and objects using a range of tables, charts and diagrams. You will calculate averages and probability of data related to outcomes. Qualification If you would like to know more about the course content, you can visit the curriculum website for Functional Skills Maths. Functional Skills Maths is externally assessed and accredited by the awarding body. Pearson Qualifications - Maths I want to progress quickly, can I do this? It's not uncommon for learners to approach us with urgency; for example, requiring a Level 2 by September enabling individuals to enrol on to other courses. Your tutor can support your progress by offering suitable resources for learning, but a quick result will depend on the extra time and effort needed to achieve your goals. Our academic year ends at the end of July and starts again fully in September so we would strongly encourage you to apply early to avoid disappointment. Questions Contact a member of the Seasiders team, who can advise you on the best route to achieve your goals. Contact us Meet The Team Our maths specialist teaching team are here to help you achieve your goals. Assessment of Prior Learning Nationwide assessment portal for Functional Skills (BKSB) is used to assess your current capabilities in maths. It will present you with questions to solve mathematical problems across a range of topics. During your initial advice and guidance interview (IAG), you will complete two BKSB assessments. It's important to allow enough time for your appointment to complete these assessments. Initial Assessment - this assessment will give an overview of your level in Functional Skills maths (average 20-30 minutes) Diagnostic Assessment - this assessment digs deeper to provide your tutor with a detailed picture of your strengths and weaknesses, so that your tutor can ensure you get the best from your course (average 45-60 mins). Assessing Prior Learning BKSB Log in for Blackpool & the Fylde College, Your tutor may also use this platform to provide you with learning resources. BKSB Log in Formative Assessments Formative assessments are the ongoing continuous informal assessments you complete in class such as quizzes. Your tutor will give these to you to complete as part of your course, and they let your tutor know how well you are learning and progressing. Formative assessments: Monitor your ongoing progress. Enrich the learning experience. Enable your tutor to offer you support. Help you to learn and achieve your goals. Ensure you are on the right track to success! Qualification Functional Skills Maths follows the Pearson qualification framework. You can find out more here. Pearson Summative Assessment Exams are usually taken at the end of the course. However, if your tutor feels you are ready to take an exam earlier, then it is possible to complete the course earlier than expected. To prepare you for your exam, your tutor will provide you with a 'practice exam'. Exams can take place on paper, or online, and when booked are usually held at Seasiders and staffed by an independent invigilator. Special arrangements for exams can be discussed with the learning support team and your tutor. Learning Support for Exams If you have requested learning support, this will be organised with you before you start the course. Extra time for exams, or extra resources are also considered and arranged well in advance of your exam date. Student Learning Support Tuition Fees, Costs and Equipment Provided you have not achieved a level higher than the one you want to apply for, Functional Skills maths courses are FREE. Tuition fees would only apply to anybody not eligible for funding. See our finance page for more information. Extra costs from equipment are minimal with an expectation of pen, paper and folder. You will be provided with a free text book and course resources. Financial Support Visit the finance page to see if are eligible for an additional bursary to help with learning costs. You may even be eligible for a free bus pass, or help with childcare costs. Tuition Fees Visit our finance page for more details about help with tuition fees and student finance. Student Finance Learning Support Learning support can be offered to learners who are eligible. If you feel you may need additional learning support or want to find out if you may be eligible visit our student support page for more information. Learning Support Explore our student support pages for more information on learning support. Student Support Where could this course take me? Functional Skills maths (Level 2) will enable you to access more employment and education opportunities. It will enable you to apply for courses needed to progress within a particular industry e.g. as a paramedic, as an engineer, in retail and hospitality etc. The list is endless! If you already have the industry skills but lack the basic skills, Functional Skills maths will put you on an even footing with other job applicants and meets the requirements of most job applications. We would also recommend Functional Skills English too! Functional Skills maths proves to an employer or university that you know how to use numbers and report data effectively. Whether it's writing a report for work, or including numbers in an essay for your course. Functional skills maths gives you the confidence and competency to reach for and achieve your goals. Contact us