Key Facts
Qualification purpose
Prepare for further learning or training and/or develop knowledge and/or skills in a subject area
Qualification Grading Type
Pass
Assessment Methods
Why choose this qualification?
The Gateway Qualifications Awards/Certificates in Mathematics have been designed as stepping stones for learners and to recognise and reward progress towards achieving an A*-C in GCSE Mathematics or the Level 1 or Level 2 Functional Skills Mathematics Qualification. These qualifications address the needs of learners with maths skills below Level 2 and provide the necessary flexibility and responsiveness required by adult learners.
The learning outcomes and assessment criteria reflect the national adult numeracy standards from Entry 1 to level 2. The qualifications in Mathematics are built from a number of small units at each level. Each unit covers a curriculum area or an aspect of a curriculum area and is a qualification in its own right and is also included in rules of combination for a certificate which covers all the curriculum areas. Each unit is underpinned by the national standards for adult numeracy (QCA 2005) and mapped to the Adult Numeracy Core Curriculum (DfES 2001, revised 2006-7 and updated 2009). The units have also been mapped to the Functional Skills standards and where appropriate to the GCSE grade descriptions for Mathematics
The Mathematics qualifications cover:
- understand and use mathematical information
- calculate and manipulate mathematical information
- interpret results and communicate mathematical information
The design of the qualifications reflects the announcements by the Skills Funding Agency with regard to the development of Mathematics skills. They have been developed in collaboration with representatives of Further Education Colleges, Adult and Community Learning Providers, the voluntary sector and Offender Learning providers. The unit and qualification design provides maximum flexibility with the opportunity to certificate either a specific curriculum area according to an identified need, for example a particular aspect of number, or the opportunity to develop and certificate all three curriculum areas. Qualification Specifications and Assessment Guidance, including sample assessment activities and contexts, are available to Gateway Qualifications registered centres who are interested in running the qualifications.