Greenbank College’s Functional Skills Department provides support for people who would like to improve their standard of English, Maths and IT.

Improving functional skills can help to:

• Manage money.
• Get a job.
• Assist children with their homework.
• Fill in forms.
• Increase confidence.

English (or Literacy) courses cover speaking, listening, reading and writing.

To complete the course a learner must pass final Functional Skills assessments in speaking and listening, reading and writing.

Maths (or Numeracy) courses cover fractions, using whole numbers, decimals and percentages to solve problems; calculations with money, time and measurements; information in graphs and charts and finding out about 2D and 3D shapes.

Learners undertake a final Functional Skills assessment task.

IT courses show learners how to use technology effectively, confidently and for a range of purposes.

Assessments are based on ability in the following areas:

• Using IT systems.
• Finding and selecting information.
• Developing, presenting and communicating information.

Courses can be done independently or combined with study in another College department and are offered from Entry Level up to Level 2.

English and Maths courses are compulsory for 16 to 18 year old learners who have not already achieved a Level 2 qualification in these subjects.

Courses offered are:

English

NOCN Entry Level 2 Award in Functional Skills – English
NOCN Entry Level 3 Award in Functional Skills – English
NOCN Level 1 Award in Functional Skills – English
NOCN Level 2 Award in Functional Skills – English

Maths

NOCN Entry Level 2 Award in Functional Skills – Maths
NOCN Entry Level 3 Award in Functional Skills – Maths
NOCN Level 1 Award in Functional Skills – Maths
NOCN Level 2 Award in Functional Skills – Maths

IT

NOCN Entry Level 3 in Functional Skills – IT
NOCN Level 1 in Functional Skills – IT