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Ofqual: Decisions on Functional Skills reform

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Ofqual: Decisions on Functional Skills reform

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Decisions on rules and guidance for new Functional Skills Qualifications in English and
mathematics
28 June 2018

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Ofqual: Functional skills mathematics guidance 

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Ofqual: Functional skills mathematics guidance 

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28 June 2018

Effective from  00.01am on

Friday 29 June 2018. Applies to:

Qualifications awarded to all learners registered on or after 1 September 2019

All qualifications awarded on or after 1 September 2020.

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Ofqual: Functional Skills English Guidance 

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Ofqual: Functional Skills English Guidance 

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June 2018

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Analysis of responses to our consultation on implementing Functional Skills reform

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Analysis of responses to our consultation on implementing Functional Skills reform

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28 June 2018
Ofqual/18/6385/1

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Functional Skills English and mathematics subject content: equality impact assessment

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Functional Skills English and mathematics subject content: equality impact assessment

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February 2018

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July 2018-August 2019 awarding bodies prepare for new standards, publish assessment strategy and teaching, learning and assessmentt materials for providers

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July 2018-August 2019 awarding bodies prepare for new standards, publish assessment strategy and teaching, learning and assessmentt materials for providers

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Analysis of responses to DfE Consultation on Functional Skills Qualification reform – English and mathematics

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Analysis of responses to DfE Consultation on Functional Skills Qualification reform – English and mathematics

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March 2018 at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/695230/FSQ_analysis_of_policy_consultation_responses_FINAL.pdf

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Original DfE subject content consultation document, 2017

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Original DfE subject content consultation document, 2017

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Functional Skills Qualifications (FSQs) Reform Timeline 2015-2019

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Functional Skills Qualifications (FSQs) Reform Timeline 2015-2019

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2015: Ofqual Thematic Review > need to improve validity and reliability of FSQs

2015: Awarding bodies voluntarily set up a working group to help support the reform process and Federation of Awarding Bodies  Functional Skills Group created

2016: Ofqual published General Conditions of Recognition and Guidance to the General Conditions of Recognition for awarding bodies

2016: ETF Review of Functional Skills to propose new qualifications, including consultation with employers, practitioners, providers, and learners

2016: ETF revised and consulted on new National Adult Literacy and Numeracy Standards and worked on the revised Functional Skills subject content

2017: Ofqual said new FSQs would go live in 2018 but DfE asked for more time to review the standards and consulted further on FSQs from September -November

February 2018: DfE decisions and new subject content for English and maths

March 2018: Ofqual technical consultation on new FSQ rules and guidance published and new (draft) subject conditions published

June 2018: Ofqual publish analysis of responses to the consultation on rules and guidance for new Functional Skills Qualifications in English and maths

June 2018: Ofqual published 6 'final' documents: 'Decisions on Functional Skills reform', 'Regulatory [financial for awarding bodies] Impact Assessment', Conditions and Requirements for English and mathematics, Functional Skills English guidance and mathematics guidance. They are effective from  00.01am on Friday 29 June 2018 and apply to qualifications awarded to learners registered on or after 1 September 2019 and all qualifications awarded on or after 1 September 2020. Gives awarding bodies a 12 month transition period within which to award legacy qualifications for learners registered before 1 September 2019/allow for retake assessments

September 2019: All teaching to be on the new qualifications

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1. All new FSQs must follow the DfE subject content

2. Assessment times specified by DfE

3. Rules on the number of assessments

4. Level 1 and 2 assessments in mathematics, and the reading and writing assessments in English must be set and marked by awarding organisations

5. For speaking, listening and communicating, assessments may be set and marked by the awarding organisation or by the centre, or a combination of the two; but where a centre sets any assessment, the awarding organisation must have specified parameters for the assessment that ensure the assessment is fit for purpose and meets all specified requirements

6. DfE will not restrict assessment availability

7. Pass/fail grades only

8. Learners must pass all three content areas (reading, writing, and speaking, listening and communicating) to achieve an overall ‘Pass’ in English.

9. Weighting ranges for spelling, punctuation and grammar within the writing component set by DfE.

10. Spelling and grammar checks CANNOT be used in the writing component

11. Level-based common criteria for assessing speaking, listening and communicating set by DfE

12. Awarding organisations must provide centres with guidance on conduct and assessment of speaking, listening and communicating

13. Detailed monitoring requirements around the speaking, listening and communicating component set by DfE

14. Maths- weightings for calculator-based and non-calculator based assessment

15. Maths - weightings for the assessment of underpinning skills and problem solving, which will emphasise problem solving more than underpinning skills

16. Rules (but not weightings) set by DfE around the coverage of subject content

17. DfE will put in place enhanced scrutiny of qualification outcomes over time

18. DfE will set rules for awarding bodies' FSQ assessment strategies

19. Maximum 12-months overlap between old and new FSQs. All teaching to be on the new qualifications from September 2019.

20. New Ofqual guidance effective from  00.01am on Friday 29 June 2018 applies to qualifications awarded to all learners registered on or after 1 September 2019 and all qualifications awarded on or after 1 September 2020.

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Reforming Functional Skills Qualifications in mathematics and English Regulatory impact assessment

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Reforming Functional Skills Qualifications in mathematics and English Regulatory impact assessment

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Final June 2018

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Functional skills mathematics conditions and requirements 

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Functional skills mathematics conditions and requirements 

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28 June 2018

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Ofqual: Functional Skills English Conditions and Requirements

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Ofqual: Functional Skills English Conditions and Requirements

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28 June 2018

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DfE: Functional skills subject content: mathematics

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DfE: Functional skills subject content: mathematics

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Functional skills mathematics subject content at entry levels, level 1 and level 2. Published 27 February 2018  at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/functional-skills-subject-content-mathematics

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DfE Functional Skills- English Subject Content (from 2019) 

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DfE Functional Skills- English Subject Content (from 2019) 

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Functional skills English subject content at entry levels, level 1 and level 2. Published 27 February 2018 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/functional-skills-subject-content-english

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Ofqual Implementing Functional Skills reform

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Ofqual Implementing Functional Skills reform

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Consultation on rules and guidance for new Functional Skills qualifications in English and mathematics
28 March -11 May 2018