DIPLOMAS
Case study: Hanham High School
The enthusiasm
well, and that really is a tribute to the way we provided in the local arts centre. Learners
have organised schemes of work lower down considered how persuasive language can be
of the Diploma
the school. We have covered a lot in a short used to encourage people to get involved in
amount of time and lessons are very pacey. We their communities.
cover a lot of ground in our normal lessons in “When we do these exercises I ask
students at Hanham
these subjects, so we are not unduly concerned pupils to detect any bias in the writing, and
with the time we are devoting to Functional the impact this may have on the reader,”
High is testament
Skills because we know that pupils are being Ms Farrington said.
supported elsewhere.” “For the oral examination, we have
to the obvious real-
Ms Farrington teaches Functional Skills in discussed what we should put on as a
English to two groups of 20 Diploma students school as part of the Hanham Festival. The
life relevance of
each. One group is for those taking Level 2, festival had a winter theme and the pupils
and the other is a mix of Levels 1 and 2. worked in groups and had to present their
Functional Skills
F
or students at Hanham High School
the purpose of Functional Skills is
quite clear.
“It is taking normal subjects and real-
life experiences and putting them into a
practical setting and to practical use,” said
Joe Mallett, aged 15, who is doing the
Diploma in IT.
“We are learning how to use
‘
It is taking normal subjects and real-life
experiences and putting them into a
practical setting and to practical use
– Joe Mallett, 15, Diploma student
“As a teaching head, I am having a whale case to the council of
mathematics, English and ICT in the real of a time teaching this because it is so
world rather than just in lessons. It is interesting to teach and the focus is quite
really useful and is teaching us how we practical,” she said. Mathematics and ICT
will be applying these subjects when we Functional Skills teaching is carried out by
go out to work.” similarly specialist teachers.
’
what they think it
should involve.
“They did brilliantly and really got
involved in it.
“The exercises are often cross-curricular
and include things like writing a CV, which
Learners understand that Functional In recent weeks, Ms Farrington’s groups will be useful when they leave school.
Skills lessons build on what they are have been looking at a number of texts Another task, in proof-reading, required
already learning in their everyday classes. and passages, including an article called students to use paragraphs, to spot spelling
“The best thing about it is that we get London Calling, published by the Youth mistakes in texts, and when sentences don’t
presented with different situations and Hostel Association, which has just created make sense.”
problems, which we have to work out,” almost 300 extra beds. Pupils looked at Christian Povey, aged 16, who is doing
said Hayley Synn, also 15, a student what information was provided and what the the Diploma in IT, agreed that Functional
of the Diploma in Society, Health and purpose was of this. Skills learning was a valuable part of the
Development. In another exercise, students studied a curriculum.
“Personally, I have found the make-believe letter from the He said: “In English, we get to do more
mathematics lessons the most useful. They local council asking people speaking and listening and
help with other qualifications, including for ideas on what facilities so it backs up what we
GCSEs and not just the Diploma. The work and resources should be are doing as part of our
is entirely different from what we would do Diplomas.”
in the course of our normal lessons.”
While the enthusiasm of students
is heartening, delivering lessons in
Functional Skills has its challenges.
Schools often find themselves struggling
to find space in an already over-crowded
timetable.
“Time is a really big issue and I don’t
believe we are spending as much time as
we should be on Functional Skills,” said
Peggy Farrington, the head of Hanham,
which is located near Bristol in South
Gloucestershire.
“At the moment, each group has an
hour every fortnight in each of the three
subjects. Ideally, we should probably
be spending twice as much time on
Functional Skills as we are, but it’s just not
possible. By the time you have fulfilled all
the statutory requirements in relation to
PSHE and so on, it is impossible to fit into
the timetable.
“However, I expect all the students to do
SecEd 5 13
12-13.indd 2 19/2/10 16:31:27
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16