DfES, Key Skills




	FAQ for Schools
	FAQ for Colleges
	Work-based Route

General FAQ

Q. Do universities value and recognise key skills achievement?
Q. What about the Wider Key Skills?
Q. Can you provide any statistical information?
Q. What do we mean by proxy/relaxation in key skills?
Q. Who delivers support for key skills?
Q. Where can I find out further information?

Q. Do universities value and recognise key skills achievement?

Success in the key skills qualifications attracts UCAS Tariff points: 10 points for each key skill of Communication, Application of Number and Information Technology at level 2 and 20 points at level 3. So a student who achieves all three key skills at level 3 will obtain 60 points, the same as for a grade A at AS level. Universities take a variety of approaches to recognising these Tariff points for offer purposes.

The published indicative entry requirements for 2004 entry showed that 240 UCAS member institutions (74%) have at least one course where key skills achievement is encouraged, and around 49% have at least one course where key skills tariff points are counted towards an offer.

It is true that many universities admissions tutors do not explicitly require key skills achievement, usually because not all students have access to key skills programmes. Recent experience is that universities which do not require key skills achievement for the initial offer will take this into account when making final decisions on applicants.

There have been two further significant developments to the UCAS website. Firstly, a ‘tariff calculator’ has been created. This enables a candidate to enter their A level, AS and AVCE grades along with their achievements in the individual key skills qualifications so that their total tariff points can be calculated. Secondly, the ‘Entry Profiles’ in the courses database: Each Profile includes a listing for skills that are essential to the field of study and the aim is to include all university courses, around 50,000 in all. As well as signalling the value of key skills to applicants, this process is encouraging admissions tutors and course teams to consider underpinning skills and to make them explicit.

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Q. What about the Wider Key Skills?

These skills are valued by employers and higher education institutions and for lifelong learning. The wider key skills units (Working with Others, Problem Solving, Improving Own Learning and Performance) are not externally assessed (unlike the key skills qualifications of Application of Number, Communication and IT).

A more tailored approach to designing programmes should make it possible for students who have already achieved the Government's expectations - Level 2 in Communication, Application of Number and IT plus, for those aiming for a professional or higher qualification post-19, at least one Level 3 in these subjects - to seek formal assessment and certification in the wider key skills if they so wish.

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Q. Can you provide any statistical information?

Figures on the achievement of the key skills qualifications are available through the official Departmental Statistical First Release (SFR). This includes full awards by subject, level, route, proxy qualification, gender and age and covers the period up to the end of September 2007. The latest statistics on key skills, released on the 3^rd April 2008 can be found at: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000783/index.shtml

Other types of qualifications are available through the Department's statistics site at www.dcsf.gov.uk/statistics

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Q. What do we mean by proxy/relaxation in key skills?

There are two parallel but separate issues. The first is around key skills requirements for those in the work-based route taking an Apprenticeship or Advanced Apprenticeship, whilst the second is around those wishing formal accreditation for the key skills qualifications and who want to use their previous qualification(s) as formal proxies to claim for either the test and/or portfolio components.

The work-based route

For completion of an Apprenticeship or Advance Apprenticeship framework, trainees who started on or after 1st September 2001 and hold GCSEs A*-C in English and Maths do not need to achieve the key skills qualifications in communication and application of number at level 2. A maximum period of five years will be allowed between the award (i.e. date of certification) of the GCSE and the registration date of the Apprenticeship programme;

For those trainees who nevertheless want to achieve accreditation in one or more of the key skills qualifications, or are still required to do so for an Advance Apprenticeship framework, the normal proxy qualifications rules would then apply (see below);

Proxies / Relaxation

Proxy qualifications are those qualifications that have been agreed to assess the same knowledge and skills as aspects of the key skills. Because of this overlap, candidates can claim exemption from all or part of particular key skills qualifications for up to three years from the date of the award of the specific accredited proxy qualification. For example, GCSE ICT at grades A*-C is a full proxy for the IT key skills qualification at level 2. In other words, those who have an IT GCSE at A*-C can claim the IT key skill qualification (and its attendant UCAS points);

There is a strict three-year time limit from the date of award of the relevant proxy qualification, within which the learner must provide proof of achievement of the proxy and either submit a portfolio of evidence or claim the key skills qualification (as appropriate). Full details of proxy qualifications are available on the QCA website at http://www.qca.org.uk/qca_6561.aspx;

The use of proxies is distinct from the relaxation ruling. The relaxation ruling allows Apprentices who started on or after 1 September 2001, and who have achieved a grade A*-C GCSE in English and/or Mathematics, to complete their frameworks without being required to take the Level 2 Communication and/or Application of Number key skills qualifications. This relaxation is designed to enable apprentices to concentrate on developing other key skills or improving their Communication or Application of Number by progressing to Level 3.

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Q. Who delivers support for key skills?

The Key Skills Support Programme closed in April 2008. All materials and publications produced by the programme are available to view and download free from http://www.keyskillssupport.net

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Q. Where can I find out further information?

Publications

The QCA's initial report, Review of Curriculum 2000 - Report on Phase One was published on 11 July 2001. The full text can be found on the QCA website at http://www.qca.org.uk/c2k/review2000_phase1.asp

Government's response, published on the same day, can be found on the DfES website at
www.dfes.gov.uk/qualifications/document.cfm?siD=44

The Government press notice which accompanied this response can be found on the DfES website at www.dfes.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2001_0304

The LSC guidance on Funding of Key Skills in Further Education, which came into effect from 1 August 2001, can be found on the LSC website at www.lsc.gov.uk/news_detail.cfm?id=10

The QCA Addendum to the Guidance on the Key Skills of Communication, Application of Number and IT (level 1-4) can be found on the QCA website at http://www.qca.org.uk/nq/ks/addendum_2001.asp

The list of recognised proxy qualifications can be found on the QCA website at
http://www.qca.org.uk/nq/ks/proxy_qualifications.asp

The September 2001 Key Skills Update can be found on the QCA website at http://www.qca.org.uk/nq/ks/200109_update.asp

The QCA Final Report on the Curriculum 2000 Review, presented to the Secretary of State in December 2001, can be found on the QCA website at http://www.qca.org.uk/pdf.asp?/nq/framework/c2k/c2k_phase2.pdf

The full text of the QCA Key Skills Review report can be found on the QCA website at http://www.qca.org.uk/pdf.asp?/nq/ks/key_skills_review01.pdf

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