Developing learning skills: learning to learn — City & Guilds Limited Digital Functional Skills Qualification Foundations for Learning Revision

    This Element focuses on equipping learners with foundational metacognitive skills, enabling them to understand how they learn best. It supports the develop

    Topic Synopsis

    This Element focuses on equipping learners with foundational metacognitive skills, enabling them to understand how they learn best. It supports the development of self-advocacy by helping learners identify personal learning strengths and areas for improvement, communicate preferences, and actively participate in person-centred planning. Practical application involves embedding these skills into everyday learning activities, promoting greater independence and ownership of the learning process.

    Key Concepts & Core Principles

    Exam Tips & Revision Strategies

    Common Misconceptions & Mistakes to Avoid

    Examiner Marking Points

    Developing learning skills: learning to learn

    CITY & GUILDS LIMITED
    vocational

    This Element focuses on equipping learners with foundational metacognitive skills, enabling them to understand how they learn best. It supports the development of self-advocacy by helping learners identify personal learning strengths and areas for improvement, communicate preferences, and actively participate in person-centred planning. Practical application involves embedding these skills into everyday learning activities, promoting greater independence and ownership of the learning process.

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    Learning Outcomes
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    Assessment Guidance
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    Key Skills
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    Key Terms
    5
    Assessment Criteria

    Assessment criteria

    City & Guilds Entry Level Certificate in Personal Progress (Entry 1)

    Topic Overview

    The City & Guilds Entry Level Certificate in Personal Progress (Entry 1) is designed to support learners with significant learning difficulties, including those with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD), in developing essential life skills. This qualification focuses on personal progress across six key areas: communication, numeracy, ICT, personal and social development, independent living skills, and community participation. It is highly individualised, allowing learners to work at their own pace and achieve small, meaningful steps towards greater independence.

    This qualification matters because it provides a structured framework for recognising achievements that might otherwise go unacknowledged. It builds confidence, self-esteem, and practical skills that enable learners to engage more fully in daily life, whether at home, in education, or in the community. By focusing on personal progress rather than academic benchmarks, it ensures that every learner can experience success and develop a sense of agency.

    Within the wider subject of Foundations for Learning, this certificate serves as a stepping stone for learners to progress to higher-level Entry Level qualifications or vocational courses. It emphasises a person-centred approach, with learning outcomes tailored to individual needs and aspirations. The qualification is typically delivered in specialist settings such as special schools, colleges, or adult learning centres, and is assessed through observation and portfolio evidence.

    Key Concepts

    Core ideas you must understand for this topic

    • →Person-centred planning: Learning goals are based on the individual's own interests, strengths, and needs, ensuring relevance and motivation.
    • →Small steps of progress: Achievement is recognised in incremental stages, such as making eye contact, following a simple instruction, or completing a task with support.
    • →Functional skills: Emphasis on practical, real-life applications like using money, telling time, or communicating basic needs.
    • →Multi-sensory learning: Activities often involve touch, sound, sight, and movement to accommodate different sensory preferences and abilities.
    • →Transferable skills: Developing skills that can be used across different settings, such as waiting, turn-taking, or making choices.

    Learning Objectives

    What you need to know and understand

    • Identify strengths and weaknesses in relation to learning, Express preferences about learning, Be involved in making choices in relation to learning, Get help with their learning, Be involved in producing and reviewing a person-centred learning plan

    Assessment Criteria

    Key criteria assessors look for in your portfolio

    • Award credit for evidence that the learner can clearly state at least one personal learning strength (e.g., 'I am good at remembering pictures') and one weakness (e.g., 'I find writing hard'), using appropriate communication methods.
    • Look for the learner expressing a preference about learning, such as choosing between visual aids, hands-on activities, or verbal instructions, and providing a reason for the choice.
    • Evidence should show the learner making a genuine choice related to their learning, not just accepting a predetermined option; for example, selecting the order of tasks or a topic from a limited range.
    • Assess the learner's ability to seek help appropriately, e.g., by using a pre-agreed signal, approaching a trusted person, or explaining what support is needed, and note the effectiveness of the help-seeking strategy.
    • For person-centred planning, credit should be given for the learner's involvement in contributing to their learning plan, such as placing a photo or symbol on the plan, or verbally expressing a goal, and for participating in a review by indicating likes/dislikes or progress using accessible tools.

    Assessment Guidance

    Guidance for achieving higher grades

    • 💡For internally assessed portfolios, ensure evidence is gathered over time in naturally occurring contexts to demonstrate that skills are embedded, not just performed once upon request.
    • 💡Use a range of multimedia evidence (e.g., witness statements, photos, video clips) to capture non-verbal communication such as gestures, sign, or symbol use, as many learners at Entry 1 may not use formal spoken language.
    • 💡When assessing 'identify strengths and weaknesses', provide structured tools like talk mats, emoji scales, or sorting activities to enable learners to indicate with minimal verbal demand.
    • 💡For the learning plan, involve the learner in a way that is meaningful to them; even placing a sticker on a chosen goal or tapping a picture can be credited, but clearly annotate the evidence to explain the learner's role.
    • 💡Focus on capturing evidence of progress in natural settings, such as during daily routines or preferred activities. This shows the learner's ability to apply skills in real-life contexts, which is highly valued.
    • 💡Use video or photographic evidence alongside written observations to demonstrate small achievements, like a learner independently picking up a spoon or responding to their name. Visual evidence can be more powerful than written notes alone.
    • 💡Involve the learner in self-assessment where possible, even if through non-verbal cues like pointing or eye gaze. This promotes ownership of learning and provides evidence of decision-making skills.

    Common Mistakes

    Common errors to avoid in your coursework

    • Learners may confuse personal preferences (e.g., favourite colour) with learning preferences (e.g., preferred way of receiving information) and require support to distinguish between them.
    • When asked about weaknesses, learners might just say 'I can't do it' without specifying, or confuse a temporary difficulty with a genuine area for development; prompts may be needed to support reflection.
    • In group settings, learners may copy others' choices rather than expressing their own, leading to inauthentic evidence; assessors should use individual sessions or discreet observation to capture genuine preferences.
    • Learners might assume that asking for help means they are failing, so they may avoid seeking support until frustration occurs; reinforcing that help-seeking is positive is crucial.
    • During person-centred review, learners may focus only on what they enjoy rather than reflecting on progress, or may agree with everything without understanding, so concrete evidence like photos or completed work should be used to prompt discussion.
    • Misconception: 'Personal Progress is just about basic self-care like washing and dressing.' Correction: While self-care is included, the qualification also covers communication, numeracy, ICT, and community participation, making it broader than just personal hygiene.
    • Misconception: 'Learners must complete all units to pass.' Correction: The qualification is flexible; learners only need to complete the units that are relevant to their personal targets. There is no requirement to cover every area.
    • Misconception: 'Progress is measured against national standards for the learner's age.' Correction: Progress is measured against the learner's own starting point, not age-related expectations. This ensures that every step forward is valued.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Common questions students ask about this topic

    Before You Start

    Prior knowledge that will help with this topic

    • •No formal prerequisites are required for this qualification, as it is designed for learners with significant learning difficulties. However, learners should have a baseline assessment to identify their starting points and individual targets.
    • •Familiarity with the learner's communication methods (e.g., Makaton, PECS, or assistive technology) is helpful for staff delivering the qualification.

    Key Terminology

    Essential terms to know

    • Identify strengths and weaknesses in relation to learning, Express preferences about learning, Be involved in making choices in relation to learning, Get help with their learning, Be involved in producing and reviewing a person-centred learning plan

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