Builth Wells High School

Key Skills

Key Skills Co-ordinator: Ionwen Spowage
Email address: ispowage@builth-hs.powys.sch.uk

Key Skills Tutors:
Year 8
Penny Hourahane (ICT)
Mary Stonefield (AoN)

Year 9
Penny Hourahane (ICT)
Mary Stonefield (AoN)
Sarah Evans (Comm)

Year 10
Penny Hourahane
Hilary Mcphee

Year 11
Penny Hourahane
Hilary Mcphee
Judith Sharp

Year 12
Amy Griffiths
Penny Hourahane
Meinir Jones
Hilary Mcphee
Judith Sharp

Year 13
Elin Non Ennis

Key skills are the skills that you need in order to operate confidently and successfully in school, college, university, work, training, and life in general.

Key Skills are a range of essential skills that underpin success in education, employment, lifelong learning and personal development.

Key Skills are an integral part of the Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification.

The Key Skills qualifications offered in Wales are the same as those in England and Northern Ireland, however, in Wales, all six key Skills are certificated by means of an internally assessed and an externally moderated portfolio. There are no external tests.

There are six Key Skills:

Application of Number (AoN)
Communication (Comm)
Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
Improving Own Learning and Performance (IOLP) †
Problem Solving (PS) †
Working with Others (WWO) †

† Commonly referred to as the 'Wider Key Skills'

All six Key Skills qualifications are certified at levels 1 to 4.

Level 1 is roughly the same level as GCSE grade D to G, Level 2 is about the level of GCSE A* to C and Level 3 is about the same level as AS or A level.

The point of key skills is that you apply them in your other studies and in your work, to get results. You use key skills with a purpose – to get things done. GCSEs give you the underpinning techniques; key skills show you how to use them.

The importance of Key Skills is emphasised in The Annual Report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales 2004-2005, which states:

"These skills will better equip learners for a future work environment. Those who are flexible and able to continue learning to refresh their existing skills and gain new ones will be best equipped to meet the challenges of the changing nature of work."

Key Skills are recognised by the UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) tariff for admission to higher education with each Key Skill attracting the following points:

Level 4 – 30 points
Level 3 – 20 points
Level 2 – 10 points

The current Key Skills standards (Communication, Application of Number and ICT) and the Basic Skills standards (Adult Literacy, Adult Numeracy, Skills for Life and ICT) are being converged into a single suite of standards and qualifications from Entry 1 through to Level 4.

This new suite of qualifications will be called Essential Skills Wales/Sgiliau Hanfodol Cymru and consist of three skill areas: Communication, Application of Number and ICT.

For further details on WJEC Key Skills: www.wjec.co.uk

Course outline Key Stage 3

Year 8

Year 9

In year 8, pupils will develop their ICT and AoN skills. They will spend half of the year developing AoN skills and the remainder of the year developing ICT skills.

Group 1 (ICT)
Developing skills in using ICT for finding, exploring, developing and presenting information (text, images and numbers).

Group 2 (AoN)
Developing skills in interpreting information involving numbers, carrying out calculations, interpreting results and presenting findings.

In year 9, most pupils will obtain accreditation in the Key Skills of ICT, Application of Number and Communication at an appropriate level. They will spend one third of the year working on each of the First three Key Skills.

Group 1 ( ICT)
Pupils handle simple numerical, textual and graphical information in the context of short, straightforward tasks, using basic techniques.

Pupils learn how to use technology safely, care for equipment and avoid losing data.

Group 2 (AoN)
Pupils handle simple numerical and graphical information and techniques applied in the context of short activities.

The numerical content will be concerned with whole numbers and the use of decimals in everyday contexts (e.g. in using money or taking measurements) and the use of common units of measurement.

Pupils will cover each element of the Collect Process Interpret cycle.

Group 3 (Comm)
Pupils use speaking, listening, reading and writing skills in the context of straightforward tasks, including taking part in discussions on everyday subjects, identifying the main points and ideas in reading material and producing short documents written in uncomplicated language.

Homework Frequency

KS3 (Year 8 and Year 9)

As appropriate, but no more than 15 minutes, once per week.

Likely forms that homework will take

KS3 (Year 8 and Year 9)

When homework is set, it is likely to take the form of research or drafting work.

Student Grouping

Year 8	Year 9
Pupils are taught in mixed ability groups.	Pupils are taught in mixed ability groups.

Assessment Pattern

Year 8	Year 9
Pupils are internally assessed during each unit	To achieve certification, pupils must present evidence to cover all of the standards for each Key Skill. Evidence is internally assessed by an Assessor (tutor). External moderation is the process by which WJEC monitors internal assessment to ensure it is valid, reliable, fair and consistent with the Key Skills Standards. Key Skills portfolios are submitted for External Moderation in June.

Marking and Grading of Work

Year 8

Year 9

Pupils follow the Key Skills standards. Pupils self-assess their own work for each task using the assessment criteria. Tutors record feedback in the pupil folders.

The Key Skills standards are used by pupils to develop and achieve the Key Skill at their own pace.

WJEC logbooks and/or workbooks are given to pupils as they start their Key Skills programmes. These are used to track their progress and by tutors to record feedback.

How can you help your child?

Year 8	Year 9
Support staff in emphasising the benefits of Key Skills; if pupils know why they are learning important key skills during Key Stage 3, they will understand the wider contribution they make to their education.

Course outline Key Stage 4

Key Skills in Key Stage 4 form part of the Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification (WBQ).

In order to achieve the WBQ at Intermediate level, pupils need:

Four Key Skills, two at level 2 and two at level 1, including the ‘first three’ i.e. Communication, Application of Number and ICT. There must be evidence of having pursued all six Key Skills.

In order to achieve the WBQ at Foundation level, pupils need:

Four key skills at level 1, which must include one from the ‘first three’ i.e. Communication, Application of Number and ICT, and evidence of having pursued all six key skills.

The Wales, Europe and the World, Work-related Education (WRE) and Personal and Social Education (PSE) components of the WBQ Core have been designed to give pupils the opportunity to develop these six key skills in a natural, contextualised way.
To gain both the first three Key Skills and the wider Key Skills pupils must provide a portfolio of evidence for assessment.
The development of Key Skills will be embedded in each pupil’s programme, by design in the Core components and within specific Key Skills programmes, and through careful signposting in the Options, leading to assessment opportunities.

Year 10 and Year 11

ICT
Pupils will gather evidence for their ICT portfolio from the WBQ Core activities.
Pupils carry out effective searches and derive new information. They present combined information, such as text with images or numbers, in a consistent way. Pupils are expected to be able to enter formulae when using appropriate software (e.g. spreadsheets, stock control, accounting) to generate simple calculations such as totals.

Pupils need to observe copyright and confidentiality laws and health and safety risks. They should be able to spot errors and their causes and be aware of ways of reducing the risk of viruses. They should also know how to send and receive emails.

AoN
Pupils will complete their AoN activity in their mathematics lessons.
Pupils will carry out at least one activity that covers all of the assessment criteria. The activity will give them scope to make decisions on how to find the information they need, what calculations to use and how best to present their findings.

Calculations will involve two or more steps and a more demanding range of techniques and understanding. Pupils will be expected to know how to work with numbers of any size, including addition and subtraction of factions, calculations involving area and volumes, ratio, unit conversions, percentages and scaling, as well as the use of formulae and graphs. one piece of work must show evidence of the whole Collect Process
Interpret cycle, with other work showing evidence of ‘collect and process’ or ‘process and interpret’.

Comm
Pupils will gather evidence for their Communication portfolios from the WBQ Core activities and their Options programmes.
Pupils are required to give a short talk and contribute to a discussion by using varied vocabulary and helping to move things forward.

Pupils will be required to select relevant reading material from different sources and be able to use more advanced reading skills, both in order to follow lines of reasoning in lengthier documents and to summarise information.

They must show they can adjust the structure and style of writing in different types of document and show they are capable of using complex sentences that are correctly spelt and punctuated.

IOLP
Tutors and/or the Learning Coach/es will support pupils in developing IOLP.
Pupils provide information to help set targets and plan how these will be met. In working towards targets, they take responsibility for some decisions about their learning, identifying when they need support and working for short periods without close supervision. Reviews involve pupils in identifying evidence of achievements and ways to further improve their performance.

PS
Pupils will complete their PS activities in their Design Technology lessons.
Pupils help identify problems, take some responsibility for finding different ways of tackling them and obtain help from others when appropriate. They produce plans which are straightforward but might involve changes as they organise tasks and work through the problems. Some of the resources they use might be unfamiliar. They clearly describe results and identify the strengths and weaknesses of their approach.

WWO
The WBQ Team Enterprise activities form the basis for WWO.
Pupils plan work with others, the objectives being suggested by their teacher or the pupils themselves. They identify responsibilities and confirm working arrangements. Pupils are expected to organise their own tasks and support cooperative ways of working, checking progress and seeking advice when needed.
Reviews involve pupils in sharing information on what went well/less well, identifying their role and agreeing ways of improving work with others.

Homework Frequency

KS4 (Year 10 and Year 11)

As appropriate, but no more than half an hour, once per week.

Likely forms that homework will take

KS4 (Year 10 and Year 11)

When homework is set, it is likely to take the form of research or drafting work.

Student Grouping

Year 10	Year 11
Pupils are taught in mixed ability groups.	Pupils are set according to their WBQ level i.e. Foundation (level 1/2) or Intermediate (level 2/3).

Assessment Pattern

Year 10 and Year 11

To achieve certification, pupils must present evidence to cover all of the standards for each Key Skill. Evidence is internally assessed by an Assessor (tutor). External moderation is the process by which WJEC monitors internal assessment to ensure it is valid, reliable, fair and consistent with the Key Skills Standards.

Key Skills portfolios are submitted for External Moderation in November, February and June.

Marking and Grading of Work

Year 10 and Year 11

The Key Skills standards are used by pupils to develop and achieve the Key Skill at their own pace.

WJEC logbooks and/or workbooks are given to pupils as they start their Key Skills programmes. These are used to track their progress and by tutors to record feedback.

How can you help your child?

Year 10 and Year 11

Support staff in emphasising the benefits of Key Skills; Key Skills are important to improve the employability of young people, to provide them with the skills required by employers, and to equip them as effective learners.

Course outline

Year 12

ICT
Pupils will gather evidence for their ICT portfolio from the WBQ Core activities.
Students are required to plan and carry through at least one major task. They must know how to mange their work and the technology and software they are using. This includes observing laws of copyright and rules of confidentiality; safe working and avoiding loss of information; identifying errors and minimising risks from viruses.

Students need to be aware of the wider implications of using ICT. They should also know how to send and receive emails with attachments.

The focus is on a critical approach, requiring students to make judgements on their work, in terms of speed, ease of use, effort and accuracy and compare their use of ICT against other systems and manual methods.

AoN
Pupils will gather evidence for AoN portfolio from the WBQ Core activities.
Students are required to be responsible for planning and carrying through their use of application of number in the context of one or more activities that cover all of the assessment criteria, including handling data from a large data set.

Calculations will involve several stages. Students need to justify their approaches and methods, in addition to presenting their findings. Calculations involve use of compound units and powers, as well as using formulae. At this level, all of the student’s work must show evidence of the whole data handing cycle.

Comm
Pupils will gather evidence for their Communication portfolios from the WBQ Core activities and their Options programmes.
Students will be expected to access complex materials and subject matter. Specialist vocabulary may be used and students are likely to be required to balance a number of points simultaneously, while evaluating the relative importance of each.

In discussions, students need to be sensitive to the contributions of others, develop points and ideas and actively encourage others to participate.

In making presentations, students should demonstrate a clear sense of purpose and be able to engage their audience’s attention.

Reading matter should include different documents about a topic that present a number of ideas (which may sometimes be abstract). Documents will tend to be detailed and require close reading in order to extract lines of reasoning. Students should demonstrate an ability to use materials in a systematic way so that they can quickly find relevant information, separate fact from opinion, spot biased writing and then synthesise their findings.

Writing should use a style suited to the complexity of its subject and purpose and be carefully reasoned and set out in a coherent and well-crafted manner

IOLP
Tutors and/or the Learning Coach/es will support pupils in developing IOLP.
Students are required to set realistic targets, based on information they have sought from appropriate people, and plan how these will be met. They take responsibility for their learning, reflect on progress, seek feedback and support and adapt approaches to meet new demands.

Students are expected to provide information on the ways they have used their learning, gather evidence of their achievements and agree ways to further improve their performance.

WWO
The WBQ Team Enterprise activities form the basis for WWO.
Students need to take more responsibility for planning work, offering their own suggestions when agreeing objectives, roles, and responsibilities and working arrangements. They also need to be proactive in seeking to develop cooperation and share information on progress.

Reviews involve students in agreeing the extent to which the work has been successful and in identifying factors that influenced the outcome, as well as ways to improve collaborative work.

Year 13

PS
Choosing their destination in relation to Higher Education/Training and Careers forms the basis of the PS activities.
Students are expected to use a variety of methods and resources in exploring and identifying a problem and comparing options, including risk factors. They justify the approach they select to take forward. Their plan provides scope for reviewing and revising their approach, as necessary.

Students apply systematically agreed methods for checking whether the problem has been solved. They draw conclusions from the results and consider alternative methods and options that might have been more effective.