Basic & Key Skills

Basic and Key Skills are embedded across all subject areas and encompass all aspects of independent living including functional literacy, numeracy and ICT skills. We aim to develop the students’ strengths and nurture the skills which are relevant to their day-to-day lives, ensuring that learning takes place in real life contexts within the College and local community.
Basic Skills are “the ability to read, write and speak in English, access ICT and to use mathematics at a level necessary to function and progress at work and in society”

Key Skills are the ability to apply these in a range of different contexts and to transfer the skills from one situation to another. They are important to the educational and personal development of the students.

Beechwood College is committed to providing opportunities for students to develop their Basic and Key Skills beyond their level at entry to the College and where appropriate, to gain external accreditation.

The College’s dedication to the promotion of Basic and Key Skills is derived from it’s commitment to an inclusive learning culture. Beechwood recognises that ability in these skills enhances individual success in life long learning for future employment. Through this commitment a learning framework will give learners the opportunity to develop valuable independent learning skills

Basic Skills tutors will ensure that these opportunities enable development that  is necessary both for the demands of the student’s course and for their everyday lives,.

Successful delivery of Basic and Key Skills is achieved by using a whole college approach and aims to:

• Raise standards by focussing attention on a set of transferable basic and key skills
• Encourage learners to become more independent in the process of learning
• Provide initial assessment of basic and key skills for all students
• Implement a whole college approach to basic and key skills with the participation of all facilities
• Incorporate basic and key skills as a fundamental part of individual structured learning planning
• Enable individuals to communicate effectively and appropriately in a variety of situations, in whichever way is appropriate to their individual needs
• Provide a flexible approach to teaching and learning, including a variety of delivery modes
• Provide students with a variety of situations and audiences through which they can practise and develop their basic and key skills
• Ensure skills building at a pace which enables and shows progress
• Provide clear progression routes through basic and key skills levels

Students will be offered a range of compulsory and optional modules, all of which aim to develop the individual’s basic and key skills necessary for independence