Functional Skills level 1: Classroom resources - The Education and Training Foundation (2024)

Scheme of work

The CfEM scheme of work for Functional Skills Mathematics level 1 was developed by teachers in the CfEM colleges, based on the Five Key Principles of Teaching for Mastery in Further Education (FE).  

It provides an outline of a 30-hour sequence of lessons (20 lessons of 1.5 hours), with links to 16 full mastery lessons that can be used and adapted by FE teachers. 

Download a PDF copy of the scheme of work, including a rationale for its development and links to the lessons here:

Functional Skills Level 1 Scheme of Work

The lessons

Lesson 1: Attitudes to maths and getting unstuck
Lesson 2: Mindsets, resilience and number sense
Lesson 3: Graphs and charts
Lesson 4: Mean and range
Lesson 5: Direct proportion
Lesson 6: Scales, maps and scale drawings
Lesson 7: Multiplication and estimation
Lesson 8: Division and estimation

Lesson 10: Basic fractions – have your cake and eat it!
Lesson 11: Equivalence between fraction, decimals and percentages
Lesson 12: Probability
Lesson 14: Using ratio
Lesson 16: Properties of 2D shapes
Lesson 17: Perimeter of rectangles and compound shapes
Lessons 18: Area of rectangles and compound shapes
Lesson 19: 3D shapes and volume

In addition, guidance on adapting 7 of the GCSE mastery lessons, developed by the University of Nottingham, can be found in the Research Lessons section. 

The lessons can also be accessed via links in the  scheme of work.

Lesson 1: Attitudes to maths and getting unstuck

Lesson 1: Lesson plan and slides

Attitudes to maths and getting unstuck lesson plan (PDF)
Attitudes to maths and getting unstuck lesson plan (Word)
Attitudes to maths and getting unstuck slides (PPT)

Lesson 2: Mindsets, resilience and number sense

Lesson 2: Lesson plan and slides

Mindsets, resilience and number sense lesson plan (PDF)
Mindsets, resilience and number sense lesson plan (Word)
Mindsets, resilience and number sense slides (PPT)

Lesson 2: Handouts

Lesson 2 Handouts Zip folder (PDF)
Lesson 2 Handouts Zip folder (Word)

Lesson 3: Graphs and charts

Lesson 3: Lesson plan and slides

Graphs and charts lesson plan (PDF)
Graphs and charts lesson plan (Word)
Graphs and charts slides (PPT)

Lesson 3: Handouts

Lesson 3 Handouts Zip folder (PDF)
Lesson 3 Handouts Zip folder (Word)

Lesson 4: Mean and range

Lesson 4: Lesson plan and slides

Mean and range lesson plan (PDF)
Mean and range lesson plan (Word)
Mean and range slides (PPT)

Lesson 4: Handouts

Lesson 4 Handouts Zip folder (PDF)
Lesson 4 Handouts Zip folder (Word)

Lesson 5: Direct proportion

Lesson 5: Lesson plan and slides

Direct proportion lesson plan (PDF)
Direct proportion lesson plan (Word)
Direct proportion slides (PPT)

Lesson 5: Handouts

Lesson 5 Handouts Zip folder (PDF)
Lesson 5 Handouts Zip folder (Word)

Lesson 6: Scales, maps and units

Lesson 6: Lesson plan and slides

Scales, maps and units lesson plan (PDF)
Scales, maps and units lesson plan (Word)
Scales, maps and units lesson plan (PPT)

Lesson 6: Handouts

Lesson 6 Handouts Zip folder (PDF)
Lesson 6 Handouts Zip folder (Word)

Lesson 7: Multiplication and estimation

Lesson 7: Lesson plan and slides

Multiplication and estimation lesson plan (PDF)
Multiplication and estimation lesson plan (Word)
Multiplication and estimation slides (PPT)

Lesson 7: Handouts

Lesson 7 Handouts Zip folder (PDF)
Lesson 7 Handouts Zip folder (Word)

Lesson 8: Division and estimation

Lesson 8: Lesson plan and slides

Division and estimation lesson plan (PDF)
Division and estimation lesson plan (Word)
Division and estimation slides (PPT)

Lesson 8: Handouts

Lesson 8 Handouts Zip folder (PDF)
Lesson 8 Handouts Zip folder (Word)

Lesson 10: Basic fractions – have your cake and eat it!

Lesson 10: Lesson plan and slides

Basic fractions – have your cake and eat it! lesson plan (PDF)
Basic fractions – have your cake and eat it! lesson plan (Word)
Basic fractions – have your cake and eat it! slides (PPT)

Lesson 10: Handouts

Lesson 10 Handouts Zip folder (PDF)
Lesson 10 Handouts Zip folder (Word)

Lesson 11: Equivalent fractions

Lesson 11: Lesson plan and slides

Equivalent fractions lesson plan (PDF)
Equivalent fractions lesson plan (Word)
Equivalent fractions slides (PPT)

Lesson 11: Handouts

Lesson 11 Handouts Zip folder (PDF)
Lesson 11 Handouts Zip folder (Word)

Lesson 12: Probability

Lesson 12: Lesson plan and slides

Probability lesson plan (PDF)
Probability lesson plan (Word)
Probability slides (PPT)

Lesson 12: Handouts

Lesson 12 Handouts Zip folder (PDF)
Lesson 12 Handouts Zip folder (Word)

Lesson 14: Using ratio

Lesson 14: Lesson plan and slides

Using ratio lesson plan (PDF)
Using ratio lesson plan (Word)
Using ratio slides (PPT)

Lesson 14: Handouts

Lesson 14 Handouts Zip folder (PDF)
Lesson 14 Handouts Zip folder (Word)

Lesson 16: Properties 2D shapes

Lesson 16: Lesson plan and slides

Properties 2D shapes lesson plan (PDF)
Properties 2D shapes lesson plan (Word)
Properties 2D shapes slides (PPT)

Lesson 16: Handouts

Lesson 16 Handouts Zip folder (PDF)
Lesson 16 Handouts Zip folder (Word)

Lesson 17: Perimeter of rectangles and compound shapes

Lesson 17: Lesson plan and slides

Perimeter of rectangles and compound shapes lesson plan (PDF)
Perimeter of rectangles and compound shapes lesson plan (Word)
Perimeter of rectangles and compound shapes slides (PPT)

Lesson 17: Handouts

Lesson 17 Handouts Zip folder (PDF)
Lesson 17 Handouts Zip folder (Word)

Lesson 18: Area of rectangles and compound shapes

Lesson 18: Lesson plan and slides

Area of rectangles and compound shapes lesson plan (PDF)
Area of rectangles and compound shapes lesson plan (Word)
Area of rectangles and compound shapes slides (PPT)

Lesson 18: Handouts

Lesson 18 Handouts Zip folder (PDF)
Lesson 18 Handouts Zip folder (Word)

Lesson 19: 3D shapes volume

Lesson 19: lesson plan and slides

3D shapes volume lesson plan (PDF)
3D shapes volume lesson plan (Word)
3D shapes volume slides (PPT)

Lesson 19: Handouts

Lesson 19 Handouts Zip folder (PDF)
Lesson 19 Handouts Zip folder (Word)