KS4 Functional Skills English Curriculum Support for Parents
This page is designed to help you support your child with Functional Skills English at home. Across the year, students develop reading, writing, speaking and listening skills that prepare them for everyday life, work and future study.
Students learn how to read and understand real-life texts, write clearly for different purposes, communicate effectively and improve their confidence with spelling, punctuation and grammar.
Each week includes a short overview of what students are learning, why it matters, and helpful BBC Bitesize and YouTube search links so you can explore topics together at home.
Weekly Learning Resources
Jump to: Autumn 1 ⬇ | Autumn 2 ⬇ | Spring 1 ⬇ | Spring 2 ⬇ | Summer 1 and 2 ⬇
Autumn 1: Entry Level 3 Foundations
Week 1: Introduction to Functional Skills English
Students explore where reading and writing are used in everyday life, including forms, emails, messages and workplace communication.
Week 2: Reading Skills, Finding Information
Students learn how to scan texts, identify key words and locate important information quickly.
Week 3: Purpose, Audience and Text Features
Students identify the purpose of texts such as emails, posters and leaflets, and explore how language changes for different audiences.
Week 4: Writing Emails and Messages
Students practise writing clear emails and messages using an appropriate tone and structure.
Week 5: SPaG Fundamentals and Sentence Structure
Students improve sentence structure, punctuation and grammar accuracy.
Week 6: Applying Reading and Writing Skills
Students apply reading and writing skills to real-life functional tasks and practise working independently.
Autumn 2: Revision, Speaking and Listening
Week 7: Reading Practice and Retrieval
Students practise comprehension skills by retrieving information from short functional texts.
Week 8: Writing Structure and Clarity
Students focus on writing clearly with openings, main points and conclusions.
Week 9: Combined Reading and Writing Tasks
Students read information and produce linked written responses using evidence from texts.
Week 10: Speaking and Listening Skills
Students develop discussion skills, including listening, turn-taking and expressing opinions clearly.
Week 11: Speaking and Listening Assessment
Students take part in structured discussions and practise responding appropriately to others.
Week 12: Entry Level 3 Exam Preparation
Students prepare for reading and writing exams by revisiting key strategies and practising exam-style tasks.
Spring 1: Level 1 Reading and Writing
Week 13: Core Reading Skills
Students develop skimming and scanning skills and identify key ideas in more challenging texts.
Week 14: Audience, Layout and Text Features
Students compare formal and informal texts and analyse layout, tone and structure.
Week 15: Writing for Purpose
Students write emails, messages and leaflets using paragraphs and an appropriate tone.
Week 16: Writing Opinions and Community Issues
Students express opinions clearly using reasons and examples linked to real-life issues.
Week 17: Extended Writing and Editing
Students plan, draft, edit and improve extended writing with a focus on punctuation and grammar.
Week 18: Reading Comprehension and Balanced Responses
Students answer comprehension questions using evidence from texts and clear written explanations.
Spring 2: Level 1 Revision and Exam Skills
Week 19: Ideas and Viewpoints
Students identify writers’ viewpoints and support answers with evidence from texts.
Week 20: Comparing Texts and Viewpoints
Students compare two texts and identify similarities and differences in purpose, audience and viewpoint.
Week 21: Writing to Explain and Persuade
Students learn how to explain ideas clearly and use persuasive techniques effectively.
Week 22: Extended Writing and Proofreading
Students structure extended responses using paragraphs and proofread their work for accuracy.
Week 23: Speaking and Listening Assessment
Students take part in structured discussions and demonstrate confident communication skills.
Week 24: Exam Skills and Consolidation
Students practise mixed exam-style reading and writing questions to improve confidence and exam readiness.
Summer 1 and 2: Creative Writing, Revision and Resits
Week 25: Show, Don’t Tell
Students improve descriptive writing by showing emotions and actions rather than simply stating them.
Week 26: Descriptive Language
Students use similes, metaphors and ambitious vocabulary to create imagery and atmosphere.
Week 27: Setting and Atmosphere
Students use sensory detail to create atmosphere and mood in descriptive writing.
Week 28: Character and Narrative Writing
Students create characters, plan narratives and structure stories with beginnings, middles and endings.
Week 29: Extended Creative Writing
Students plan and write longer creative pieces independently, using descriptive and narrative techniques.
Week 30: Editing and Improving Writing
Students edit and improve vocabulary, punctuation, grammar and clarity in their writing.
Week 31: Reading Revision
Students revisit reading strategies, evidence selection and answering comprehension questions effectively.
Week 32: Writing Revision
Students revisit structure, tone, punctuation and paragraphing in functional writing tasks.
Week 33: Combined Timed Practice
Students complete timed reading and writing tasks to build exam confidence and time management skills.
Week 34: Targeted Intervention and Improvement
Students focus on individual gaps in reading, writing or SPaG and apply feedback to improve.
Week 35: Resit Exams
Students complete Functional Skills English reading and writing exams independently under formal conditions.