This resource consists of two speaking and listening discussions for Functional Skills English Level 1. It is for staff use, providing a topic for a discussion and a checklist to assess the pupils progress. Although this assessment follows the theme of Christmas, it can easily be edited for any topic and used multiple times. There are two pages for each activity, one for teachers to assess multiple pupils and one for assessing one pupil which can be placed in this pupil’s file. The first discussion asks pupils to imagine that they are arranging a charity Christmas dinner. As a group they must discuss what food and drink to serve, what activities to put on, where to hold it and what charity to raise money for. The must make a final decision as a group to end the discussion. The second discussion poses the question, “Is Christmas too commercialised?” In a group, students must discuss this question and come to a group conclusion. This discussion is linked to our Christmas Functional Skills English Level 1 reading resource. Both discussion should last around 15 minutes, but it depends on the number of pupils involved. Please look at our other Functional Skills Christmas resources ranging from Entry Level 1 to Level 1 and including reading, writing and speaking and listening activities.

This resource consists of a revision exercise for a Functional Skills Entry Level 1 assessment. It is for staff use, providing a topic for a discussion and a checklist to assess whether pupils have passed the test or not. Although this assessment follows the theme of Bonfire Night, it can easily be edited for any topic and used multiple times. There are two pages for this resource, one for teachers to assess multiple pupils and one for assessing one pupil which can be placed in this pupil’s file. Please look at our other Functional Skills Bonfire Night/Guy Fawkes resources ranging from Entry Level 1 to Level 1 and including reading, writing and speaking and listening activities.

This is a listening comprehension worksheet that can also be used as a research task. It looks into Gandhi’s revolution in India. It is best used with a presentation also available which is titled ‘Gandhi’s Revolution In India Presentation’.

This is a short reading text about the life and career of Andre The Giant, with comprehension questions included.

This is a series of questions about Gandhi’s early life, dealing with his time in London and in particular South Africa. It is best used to accompany a presentation that you can find under the title ‘Gandhi’s Early Life Presentation’. This worksheet could also be used as a research activity.

This resource contains two functional skills writing activities with instructions for the pupils to follow. The tasks could be used for either Entry Level 3 or Level 1 with the pupils’ outcome determining their level. You could ask the pupils to plan their work before writing if you wish. The first text asks pupils to write a letter to the local council applying for permission to host a bonfire night. In the second task, the council has asked the students to write an informative text to schools describing a celebration or festival and its historical or religious significance. Students can choose real celebrations and write about them and you may also want them to research the chosen topic as they plan their text. Alternatively you may allow pupils to invent their own celebration, adding some imagination to the functional task. We at Engage Education believe in making functional fun. Please check out our other Functional Skills English resources.

This is an Entry Level 1 reading text that can be used as a stand alone revision paper or after reading Chapter 1 of ‘Of Mice and Men’. It has two parts. One about caring for rabbits and the other about writing to a farm to ask for work.

This is an Entry Level 3 reading text that can be used as a stand alone revision paper or after reading Chapter 1 of ‘Of Mice and Men’. It has two parts. One is about looking after rabbits and the other is about predicting the weather using nature itself.

This resource consists of a selection of activities that can be used to help pupils to write an essay about a person associated with a religion. There is an information gathering exercise which pupils can use to research and learn more about a chosen person. This is followed by differentiated writing frames that the pupils can complete to create an easy to follow plan for their written text. This frame helps the pupils to structure their texts and includes some vocabulary suggestions (varied sentence openings). Pupils are then asked to use the plan to write their text about this person. This resource can be used in English or R.E lessons and is an effective way of promoting literacy across the curriculum.

This resource consists of a selection of activities that can be used to help pupils to write an essay about a religious event. There is an information planning exercise which pupils can use to plan what they wish to include in their text and their thoughts on the event. This is followed by differentiated writing frames that the pupils can complete to create an easy to follow plan for their written text. This frame helps the pupils to structure their texts and includes some vocabulary suggestions (varied sentence openings). Example frames and texts are included so pupils can easily see how the frame is used to create the writing text. Pupils are then asked to use the plan to write their text about the religious event. This resource can be used in English or R.E lessons and is an effective way of promoting literacy across the curriculum.

This resource consists of a selection of activities that can be used to help pupils to write an essay about a religious event festival. There is an information planning exercise which pupils can use to plan what they wish to include in their text and their thoughts on the event. This is followed by differentiated writing frames that the pupils can complete to create an easy to follow plan for their written text. This frame helps the pupils to structure their texts and includes some vocabulary suggestions (varied sentence openings). Example frames and texts are included so pupils can easily see how the frame is used to create the writing text. Pupils are then asked to use the plan to write their text about the religious festival. This resource can be used in English or R.E lessons and is an effective way of promoting literacy across the curriculum.

This resource consists of a selection of activities that can be used to help pupils to write an essay about a deity. There is an information gathering exercise which pupils can use to research and learn more about a chosen deity. This is followed by differentiated writing frames that the pupils can complete to create an easy to follow plan for their written text. This frame helps the pupils to structure their texts and includes some vocabulary suggestions (varied sentence openings). Pupils are then asked to use the plan to write their text about a deity. This resource can be used in English or R.E lessons and is an effective way of promoting literacy across the curriculum.

This is an Entry Level 2 Functional Skills English reading resource. It consists of 3 non-fiction reading texts with comprehension questions. The first text gives advice on how to decorate a Christmas tree, the second is an advertisement for a Christmas sale in a shop and the third is an informative text about Christmas dinner around the world. These texts can be used as class activities, exam revision or as homework. Please look for our other Functional Skills Christmas resources.

This is an Entry Level 3 Functional Skills reading activity consisting of two texts with questions. The first text gives advice on buying Christmas presents for the one you love. It gives tips on how to do this successfully and what you should not do. This text could also be used to generate a class discussion. The second text gives advice on decorating your home at Christmas. The texts and questions are used to help the pupils improve their Functional Skills reading while at the same time being engaged with the themes that they deal with.

This includes a Level 1 Functional Skills English reading resource. Pupils are asked to read a text discussing whether we should celebrate Guy Fawkes Night or not. The writer discusses both sides of the debate and then concludes with their opinion on how we should change the way it is celebrated in modern times. Pupils could research this topic before or after reading the text, looking into the gunpowder plot and the history of how Guy Fawkes Night has been celebrated. After reading, the pupils have to complete a comprehension exercise and they are also asked for their opinion on the topic. The reading leads to a Level 1 Functional Skills speaking and listening exercise where pupils debate whether we should celebrate Guy Fawkes Night, stop celebrating it or continue to celebrate it, but change the way that we do it. The group must come to a conclusion at the end if the discussion, taking everyone’s views into account. The speaking and listening resource included is for staff to use as an assessment tool. There is a checklist of skills used to chart pupil progress both as a group and individually. This is a quick and easy way to assess pupils in their Functional Skills speaking and listening and it provides clear evidence in pupils’ books or folders.

This is a knowledge organiser for EYFS Autumn 2. It is visually striking and supplies information on the topics to be taught, the vocabulary specific to those topics and the help that will be offered to the pupils so that they can access the learning. This is normally used for Reception class.

This resource is to be taught with Chapter 3 of Michael Morpurgo’s novel ‘Private Peaceful’. It deals primarily with two topics. These are the character of Grandma Wolf and that of the kids in the story poaching. This resource actually contains enough activities to last for a series of lessons. The teacher can choose which activities they wish their pupils to do in class and can use other activities as homework if they wish. The activities included are used with the following lesson(s) plan: Lesson(s) Plan: • Listen to/read the 3rd Chapter of the novel. • Complete the comprehension challenge about Grandma Wolf. • Take part in a group discussion about whether the kids should poach or not. • Record the opinions of you and your group on this topic. • Take part in a class debate on this topic. • Work on a writing plan for a discursive essay. • Write a discursive essay about whether the kids should poach or not. There is also a sheet which gives pupil some useful language that they can use in discursive writing.

This unit of work comprises of a short story about a new pupil coming to school who is considered different by the others. This should lead to some discussion about what makes people considered different. The pupil is bullied throughout the day, with the bullying getting progressively worse. The reader learns the bullies own life issues. The story teaches an important moral message and leads to many possible discussions. Many of these are introduced in a worksheet asking the pupil to note their thoughts on the story in detail, with many questions and discussion points raised. The unit then becomes an imaginative writing unit. Various elements of the short story are used as a springboard for the pupils to plan then write their own story about a new pupil coming to a school and being considered different. The unit could be used as part of an English course and should last for a half term if taught once a week. It could be used in late Primary School or early Secondary School. It is also a very good unit to teach to older SEN pupils.

This resource consists of a powerpoint presentation and a collection of worksheets on the topic of who pupils would choose to treat to a special Christmas dinner. Pupils complete a series of speaking and reading activities that help to prepare them for their own written text regarding who they would treat to a special Christmas dinner. Using the lesson powerpoint, discuss which of the famous people the pupils would choose to treat to a special Christmas dinner and why. The pupils read a text about who a person has chosen to treat to a special Christmas dinner and complete the profile worksheet about them. (Choose which of the five texts to give each pupil depending on their ability) Using the lesson powerpoint, the pupils’ understanding of these texts is assessed as pupils tell the class what they have learned about the characters that they have studied using the images and words on the slide to help them. Using the powerpoint, the class discusses who they would treat to a special dinner if they could invite anybody in the world (in history). The pupils make the writing plan to describe the person that they would treat to a special Christmas dinner, what they would eat and do and why they would choose them. The pupils use their writing plan to write a text about who they would treat to a special Christmas dinner. This resource normally takes two full lessons to complete, but could last longer depending on the speaking and listening exercises. If there are pupils who do not celebrate Christmas in your class, the lesson can be adapted to be about treating people to a special dinner instead.

This presentation looks at the life of Saint Andrew in detail. It also poses the pupils questions that can be used for writing or discussion activities.