Maths Courses
Are your maths skills a little rusty? Take the opportunity to improve your skills and achieve an Entry Level, Level 1 or Level 2 (equivalent to a GCSE) maths qualification. These qualifications are nationally recognised and can help you to upskill and gain employment. You will learn in a friendly, supportive online environment and at a pace to suit your needs.
Maths classes will take place once per week, between two to three hours per lesson. It is recommended that you also complete a couple of hours home study per week. Lessons take place on a variety of days and times to suit everyone's schedules. Functional Skills courses are free of charge, more details are available in the entry requirements section.
If you cannot commit to attend our weekly classes due to your work schedule, childcare issues or other personal reasons, we can offer Level 2 maths classes online via our online 'Equal Platform'. These online version is only accessible by those who receive a very high Level 2 result in their initial assessment. There's no need to attend online or classroom based lessons, once you have access to the system you will be allocated a tutor and you will study online, in your own time, to fit around your schedule. Please note you must still attend an online initial assessment and crucially you must sit an exam in one of our venues to complete the course/s
All Functional Skills courses are free of charge, more details are available in the entry requirements section.
Please navigate this page for all of the maths information you need.
Entry Requirements and Initial Assessments
All maths courses are free of charge*. Entry requirements are as follows:
- Are aged 19 years or older;
- Have been a UK, EU or EEA resident continuously for the previous three years;
- Have the right to live and work in the UK, EU or EEA
*If you do not meet any one of the three criteria listed, each level you study will be charged at £135 and the assessment will be charged at £20.
You must sit an assessment in order to join a maths course. These take approximately 1 hour and are held every Friday between 1pm-3.30pm at the Coleridge Centre. You can also sit the assessment online if required. Assessments are not held on bank holidays or during school holidays.
The level at which you join a maths course is dependent on your results of the initial assessment and any previous qualifications you may hold. You may incur a waiting period in between completing your assessment and starting lessons.
To book an initial assessment please contact us.
Functional Skills Maths – Entry Level
This course is suitable for those whose maths is currently below GCSE level and for those who want to further improve their skills. The emphasis is on building up the basics to continue on to higher levels. Improved numeracy skills will assist in maintaining your personal finances, shopping, household bills and in seeking or improving your employability.
The curriculum intent of Entry Level Functional Skills maths is for learners to gain knowledge, skills and confidence across the three main areas of maths–number, measures and data. The curriculum structure and delivery of the courses will help and support learners to progress to further maths learning at a higher level.
Each week, we will focus on different skills, and the course leads to achieving an accredited qualification through an externally set and marked exam from the OCR awarding body. The course covers:
- Basics of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division
- The use of numeracy in money
- Rounding and estimation
- Fractions and decimals
- Interpretation of graphs and charts
- Measurement - time, temperature, length, distance, weight and capacity
- 2D and 3D shapes
- The use of perimeter of simple shapes
After this course has finished you may like to progress to the next level which might be a higher Entry level or a Level 1 (equivalent to a GCSE grades 1 – 3, previous grades GCSE D - G). Please bring a pen and notepad.
Functional Skills Maths - Level 1 and Level 2
This course is suitable for those whose Maths is currently below GCSE level or at Level 1 and for those want to further improve their skills. The emphasis is on building up the basics to progress to a Level 2 or GCSE. Improved numeracy skills will assist in maintaining your personal finances, shopping, household bills and in seeking or improving your employability.
The curriculum intent of Functional Skills maths is for learners to gain knowledge, skills and confidence across the three main areas of maths – number, measures and data. This will lead to an increase in ability to solve mathematical problems. Each level of Functional Skills maths builds on the previous level up to the completion of a Level 2 qualification. Level 2 is regarded as a GCSE equivalent by many employers and for entry on to higher level courses. Many learners who study Functional Skills maths also find it becomes a valuable tool in helping their children with their education.
Each week, we will focus on different skills, and the course leads to achieving an accredited qualification through an externally set and marked exam from the OCR awarding body. The course covers:
- Basics of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division
- Ratio, proportion and scale
- Fractions, decimals and percentages
- Money and exchange rates
- Interpretation of graphs and charts
- The use of averages and probability
- Measurement - length, distance, weight and capacity
- The use of perimeter, area and volume of simple and complex shapes, including using formulae
After this course has finished you may like to progress to the next level which might be a Level 2 if you are studying Level 1 or to a GCSE (a Level 2 is equivalent to a GCSE grade 4). Please bring a pen and notepad.
Functional Skills Maths Exams
A requirement of Functional Skills courses (both classroom and online based) are to sit mandatory exams to achieve your qualification. Your exams will take place at L&S at The Coleridge Centre or L&S at Bennet House in Darlington. Under no circumstances can you sit your exam at home or at any other venue.
Exams for Functional Skills in England are set by the Department for Education in cooperation with national exam boards. There are no nationally set dates and times for exams, you will only sit an exam after a period of study when your tutor and yourself mutually agree you are exam ready. Learning & Skills will book a variety of exam sessions and you will be invited to attend at least one of them.
Maths exams take two hours to complete.
