News

Going for Gold teaching and learning resources

This website from the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) provides links to resources that aim to help you develop and maintain outstanding provision in teaching and learning. There's a section on literacy, language and numeracy and functional skills.

Ofsted Report: Removing Barriers to Literacy

This report aims to illustrate effective approaches that might help others to improve their practice in literacy. Providers of childcare, education and post-16 learning were included in the survey, and the key findings will be of interest to all literacy practitioners and managers.

ESOL Initial Assessment Pack - Scotland

This guide has been produced by the Scottish Government's Lifelong Learning Directorate to support practitioners to undertake initial assessment with their learners. Its aim is to help standardise initial assessment approaches, so that the learner can be placed in the appropriate provision.

Success Factors in Skills for Life at Work

Materials from these seminars held in November 2010 by CfBT Education Trust, LLU+ and City of Sunderland College are now available to download. The seminars focused on good practice in teaching literacy, numeracy/mathematics and English language to adults in low skilled employment.

Skills Funding Agency Guidance Note on changes to funding policy

The Skills Funding Agency (SFA) has published Guidance Note 6, a document which covers 2011/12 changes to funding policy. The SFA is allocating £2.4bn through the Adult Skills Budget for 2011/12. There is an expectation that the sector will increase the level of income secured from individuals and employers during 2011/12, and 2.5% of providers' indicative allocation will be used for Job Outcome Incentive Payments.

Review of Qualifications for Learning Professionals

This review carried out by Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK) concludes that PTLLS, CTLLS and DTLLS (and the subject-specific variants to these qualifications) need updating to meet more effectively the needs of the lifelong learning workforce.

Functional Skills within Apprenticeships

Following consultation with key partners and the identification of a need for additional development time, Ministers have agreed an extended, temporary transitional arrangement involving parallel running between Key Skills, Functional Skills and the new GCSEs (with increased functional content) from April 2011 until the end of September 2012.

Key skills/ functional skills progression in Foundation Learning

As a result of an enquiry raised in a recent inspection, it has been clarified that a possible and acceptable progression from Level 1 key skills (or from L1 adult literacy and numeracy qualifications) is to Level 1 functional skills.

International review programme: adult basic skills development

This literature review looks at how adults’ basic skills can be improved through family, workbased and flexible learning. It also looks at two specific components within basic skills: financial capability and employability skills. A programme report, leaflet, conference paper, discussion paper and presentation slides are now available to download.

Teacher training courses starting in January – don’t miss your chance to get on!

PTLLS, CTLLS and DTLLS teaching qualifications – generic and Skills for Life options (literacy, numeracy and ESOL) available for January 2011 at Newcastle College