Condition of Funding and Progress Points - Guide for Reformed Functional Skills

Sep 5, 2026

Guidance on how the reformed Functional Skills affect funding and performance progress points. It explains the new guided learning hours setting of 55 hours for English and Mathematics and the revised Condition of Funding for further education in 2019/20. The document details how final outcomes shift for learners with GCSE grade 2 versus grade 3, and how compulsory re-sits may change. It also outlines updated Progress Points for post-16 performance tables, including Entry Level and Level 1/2 scoring, plus practical scenarios comparing GCSE and Functional Skills choices.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time10 min

AccessFree to download

Guided Learning Hours and Funding Rates

Condition of Funding

Progress Points

What This Means in Practice

Scenario 1

Scenario 2

Scenario 3

Condition of Funding and Progress Points In line with the reform of Functional Skills, there have been a number of recent announcements regarding funding and value of the reformed Functional Skills. This is intended as a guide for you to help understand these changes. Guided Learning Hours and Funding Rates The Guided Learning Hours for the Reformed Functional Skills has been set at 55 hours for both English and Mathematics at all levels. This is an increase of ten hours. However, this increase in delivery time is not large enough to generate an increase of funding in any setting, be it Further Education, Apprenticeships or the Adult Education Budget. Condition of Funding As well as changes to the Guided Learning Hours, it has also been announced that there will bea change in the Condition of Funding for Further Education for the 2019/20 academic year. Currently all learners have GCSE attainment stated as their final outcome, with those who have a grade 3 having to do compulsory re-sits. This means a learner with a grade 2 in either GCSE English or Mathematics can sit Functional Skills, but their final outcome, the one they must reach by age 19, has to be GCSE. For the new Condition of Funding, the compulsory re-sits for learners who have achieved a grade 3 remains the same. However, those with a grade 2 or below can have their final outcome set at Functional Skills Level 2. This means there is no compulsory re-sit for these learners and it will be down to the individual college to make the choice, possibly on a learner by learner basis. The AoC believes this will affect over 20,000 learners in 2019/20 . Once a learner (who doesn't have a grade 3) passes Level 2 Functional Skills, they no longer have to continue their English and Mathematics studies. Progress Points In addition to the Condition of Funding, there will also be changes to Progress Points for Performance Tables post 16 for the academic year 2019/2020 . Currently all Entry Level Functional Skills attract a points score of 0.4. This will be amended on a sliding scale so that Entry 1 is worth 0.25 points, Entry 2 is worth 0.5 points and Entry 3 is worth 0.75 points. Level 1 Functional Skills will be worth 2 points (the same as a grade 2 GCSE) and Level 2 Functional Skills will be worth 3.5 points, directly in the middle of grades 3 and 4 GCSE) . Future points: 2020 performance table | Points Awarded | Grade Achieved | | | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | 9-1 GCSEs | Legacy GCSEs | Functional Skills | Free Standing Mathematics | ESOL | AQA use of Mathematics | | 9 | 9 | | | | | | | 8.5 | | A* | | | | | | 8 | 8 | | | | | | | 7 | 7 | A | | | | | | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 5.5 | | B | | | | | | 5 | 5 | | | | | | | 4 | 4 | C | | | | | | 3.5 | | | L2 | | | | | 3 | 3 | D | | L2 (all grades) | L2 (all grades) | A*/A/B/C | | 2 | 2 | E | L1 | | | | | 1.75 | | | | L1 (A-C) | L1 (D/M) | D/E | | 1.50 | | F | | | | F | | 1.25 | | | | L1 (D) | L1 (pass) | | | 1 | 1 | G | | | | G | | 0.80 | | | | L1 (E) | | | | 0.75 | | | EL 3 | | EL 3 | | | 0.50 | | | EL 2 | | EL 2 | | | 0.25 | | | EL 1 | | EL 1 | | The changes are: ● Increasing the relative progress points for attaining Functional Skills Level 1 and Level qualifications so providers can further support students to take the Level 2 qualification which is most appropriate for them. ● Reflecting the new GCSE grading system and making the points consistent by moving from the old 8-point scale to the new 9-point scale, with each grade worth one point. ● Recognising progress made between each Entry Level. Currently attainment of any Entry Level qualifications receives 0.4 progress points. From 2020 tables, Entry Level 1 will receive 0.25. Entry Level 2 will receive 0.50 and Entry Level 3 will receive 0.75 points. What this means in practice? In a simplified way, a college is entitled to choose the English a

FAQs

What are the new Guided Learning Hours for reformed Functional Skills in English and Mathematics?

The reformed Functional Skills are set at 55 guided learning hours for both English and Mathematics at all levels.

How does the revised Condition of Funding change final outcomes for learners with GCSE grade 2 compared with grade 3?

Learners with grade 3 keep compulsory re-sits with GCSE as the final outcome, while learners with grade 2 or below can set the final outcome at Functional Skills Level 2, removing compulsory re-sits for those learners.

How will Progress Points be calculated for Entry Level and Functional Skills Level qualifications in post-16 performance tables?

Entry Level scores move to a sliding scale: Entry 1 = 0.25, Entry 2 = 0.50, Entry 3 = 0.75. Level 1 Functional Skills is 2 points and Level 2 Functional Skills is 3.5 points.

Sep 5, 2026

Upload by Felix Montgomery