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PawSteps · Pathfinders

Functional Skills Workbook

Real reading. Real numbers. Real conversations. · Ages 14–18+

✔ FUNCTIONAL ENGLISH: read a bus timetable · fill in a real form · understand a payslip · spot scam messages
✔ FUNCTIONAL MATHS: budget a weekly shop · compare prices · plan around appointments
✔ COMMUNICATION: phone call scripts · writing a proper email · interview practice · telling people about my needs (my choice!)
✔ Respectful, adult tone — skills for YOUR life, not worksheets for the sake of it
✔ Maps to Entry Level Functional Skills (England) · answer key included

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Pathfinders · Functional English 1

Reading a Bus Timetable

Name:

Date:

Timetables read DOWN for the journey and ACROSS for the bus times. Find your stop, then slide across to pick a bus.

Route 42 — Mon to Fri	Bus A	Bus B	Bus C	Bus D
Elm Street	8:05	8:35	9:05	9:35
Market Square	8:14	8:44	9:14	9:44
College Gates	8:25	8:55	9:25	9:55
Hospital	8:33	9:03	9:33	10:03

Work it out:

1. What time does Bus B leave Elm Street?

2. You must be at College Gates by 9:00 for class. Which is the LAST bus you can catch from Elm Street?

3. How long does the journey take from Elm Street to the Hospital?

4. You miss Bus C at Market Square. How long do you wait for the next one?

⭐ Real life: find YOUR real bus (or train) time for somewhere you actually go:

From to — I'd catch the

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Pathfinders · Functional English 2

Filling In a Form

Forms follow you through life — gym memberships, library cards, job applications. Rules: read it ALL first · use BLOCK CAPITALS if asked · never guess, ask · you can take a form home to finish it.

Practise on this leisure centre membership form:

First name (BLOCK CAPITALS)

Surname (BLOCK CAPITALS)

Date of birth (DD/MM/YYYY)

Phone number

Address including postcode

Emergency contact — name and number

Signature

Today's date

Form detective — true or false?

"DOB" means date of birth — TRUE / FALSE

You should sign a form before reading it — TRUE / FALSE

If a box doesn't apply to you, you can write "N/A" — TRUE / FALSE

💡 Keep a "form cheat-card" in your wallet: your address, postcode, phone number and emergency contact — then forms are just copying.

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Pathfinders · Functional English 3

Understanding a Payslip

Name:

Date:

Your first payslip can look like a puzzle. Two words unlock it: GROSS = what you earned. NET = what actually lands in your bank after deductions.

PAWS CAFÉ LTD — Payslip · A. Sample · Month: June
Hours worked: 40 @ £8.60/hour	Gross pay: £344.00
Income Tax	£0.00 (under your tax-free allowance)
National Insurance	£0.00
Pension contribution	£10.32
NET PAY (into your bank)	£333.68

Read your payslip:

1. How many hours did A. Sample work?

2. What is the GROSS pay?

3. What was taken off, and what for?

4. How much actually arrives in the bank?

5. ⭐ The café pays £8.60/hour. If you worked just 10 hours, what would gross pay be?

💡 Always check hours × rate = gross. Mistakes happen — people who check their payslips catch them. If it looks wrong, ask your manager or a trusted adult. That's normal, not rude.

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Pathfinders · Functional English 4

Spot the Scam

Name:

Date:

Scammers target EVERYONE — and they're good. Learn the red flags: 🚩 urgency ("act NOW!") · 🚩 asks for bank details, passwords or codes · 🚩 too good to be true · 🚩 odd sender address · 🚩 "don't tell anyone".

Scam or safe? Write S (scam) or OK next to each message:

"URGENT: your bank account is locked!! Click this link in 10 minutes and enter your PIN to unlock it."

"Hi, it's the dentist. Your check-up is Tuesday at 2pm. Reply YES to confirm or call us to rebook."

"CONGRATULATIONS! You won a £500 voucher in a prize draw you never entered! Just pay £4.99 postage — send card details."

"Mum: running late, be home at 6. Dinner's in the fridge x"

"Hello, I am a prince and I need YOUR bank account to store £2 million. You keep 10%. Tell NO ONE."

"Your parcel could not be delivered. Pay a £1.99 redelivery fee here: bit.ly/xk7q2" (you're not expecting a parcel)

My scam rules — finish them:

If a message asks for my PIN or password, I will

If I'm not sure about a message, before doing ANYTHING I will

💡 Golden rule: real banks NEVER ask for your PIN or full password — by text, email or phone. Not ever. When unsure: stop, don't click, show a trusted person.

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Pathfinders · Functional Maths 1

Budget the Weekly Shop

Name:

Date:

You have £15 for the week's basics. Plan it, total it, and check you're under budget — the exact skill every adult uses at the till.

Item	Price	Item	Price
Bread	£1.10	Pasta (500g)	£0.85
Milk (2 pints)	£1.30	Pasta sauce	£1.20
Eggs (6)	£1.55	Frozen veg	£1.40
Cheese	£2.60	Apples (6)	£1.60
Chicken pieces	£3.80	Cereal	£2.20
Rice (1kg)	£1.45	Biscuits (treat!)	£1.00

Plan your basket:

My items:

Total cost: Under £15? YES / NO Money left over:

⭐ Challenges:

1. Could you make 3 dinners from your basket? What would they be?

2. Prices rise! Add 10p to every item you chose. Are you still under £15?

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Pathfinders · Functional Maths 2

Compare Prices Like a Pro

Name:

Date:

Bigger isn't always cheaper, and brands aren't always better. The trick supermarkets don't advertise: compare the price per 100g (it's printed in tiny writing on the shelf label).

Which is the better deal? Circle A or B, then prove it:

1. Cornflakes — A: 250g for £1.00 B: 500g for £1.80 → per 100g: A = 40p, B = Better deal: A / B

2. Juice — A: 1 litre for £1.50 B: 2 litres for £2.80 → Better deal: A / B

3. Crisps — A: 6-pack for £1.50 B: single bags at 30p each (you want 6) → Better deal: A / B

4. Brand cola £1.80 vs own-brand cola 55p. How much do you SAVE going own-brand?

💬 Think it through:

When might the bigger pack be the WRONG choice, even if it's cheaper per 100g? (Hint: will you use it before it goes off? Can you afford the bigger price today?)

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Pathfinders · Functional Maths 3

Appointments & Planning Backwards

Name:

Date:

Adults plan BACKWARDS from the appointment: when must I arrive? how long to travel? when do I leave home? Build in a safety cushion — 10 minutes early beats 1 minute late.

Read the appointment card:

🦷 SMILE DENTAL — Appointment
Patient	A. Sample
Date / time	Thursday 12 March · 2:30pm
Please arrive	10 minutes early to check in

1. What time should you ARRIVE?

2. The bus takes 25 minutes. What time must you catch it?

3. It's a 5-minute walk to the bus stop. What time do you leave home?

⭐ Your turn — plan backwards for something real:

Event: starts at

Travel takes → so I leave at → and start getting ready at

💡 Can't make an appointment? Cancelling is fine — not showing up isn't. One phone call: "I'd like to rebook my appointment please." That's the whole call.

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Pathfinders · Communication 1

Phone Calls Without Panic

Phone calls are hard for LOTS of people (adults too). The fix: know your opener, have your info ready, and remember — the person answering does this all day and just wants to help you quickly.

The universal call formula:
1. "Hello, I'd like to…" (book / cancel / ask about)
2. Give your details when asked (name, date of birth)
3. Write down what they tell you
4. Repeat it back: "So that's Tuesday at 2:30?"
5. "Thank you, bye."

Fill in your script for booking a doctor's appointment, then practise it aloud twice:

"Hello, I'd like to "

"My name is and my date of birth is "

Before I hang up I will check:

Practised out loud: ⬜ once ⬜ twice ⬜ with a real person pretending to answer

Rescue lines — for when calls go wobbly (tick the ones to remember):

"Sorry, could you say that again more slowly?"

"Could you spell that for me?"

"I just need a moment to write that down."

"I find phone calls difficult — please bear with me." (100% allowed to say!)

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Pathfinders · Communication 2

Writing a Proper Email

Name:

Date:

Texts are for friends; emails are for colleges, employers and organisations. The shape never changes: greeting → who you are → what you want → thanks → sign-off.

Example:
Subject: Work experience enquiry

Dear Ms Patel,

My name is Alex Sample and I am a student at Hillside College. I am writing to ask whether you offer work experience placements at your garden centre.

I am available on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I enjoy practical work and I am reliable and keen to learn.

Thank you for your time.

Kind regards,
Alex Sample

Now write yours — email a real place you'd like to visit, join or work at:

Subject:

Dear ,

Kind regards,

💡 Before sending, check the 3 C's: is it Clear? is it poLite (we know, we know)? did you Check the spelling of their name? Nothing sinks an email faster than "Dear Ms Pattel".

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Pathfinders · Communication 3

Interview Practice

Name:

Date:

Interviews are not tests of being perfect — they're conversations about whether you'd be good at THIS job. Prepare three things and you're ahead of most people: an answer about yourself, an example of you doing something well, and a question to ask THEM.

Build your three answers:

"Tell me about yourself." (2–3 sentences: what you're studying/doing, what you're good at, what you enjoy)

"Tell me about a time you worked hard at something." (school project? caring for someone? a hobby you stuck at?)

Your question for them: e.g. "What would a normal day look like?" or write your own:

Interview basics — tick what you'll remember:

Arrive 10 minutes early (plan backwards — you know how!)

Greeting + their name: "Hello, nice to meet you."

It's fine to pause and think before answering. Silence isn't failure.

It's fine to say "Could you repeat the question?"

Practise once out loud with someone playing the interviewer

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Pathfinders · Communication 4

Telling People About My Needs — My Choice

Name:

Date:

Whether you tell a college, employer or club about your diagnosis or needs is your choice — there's no single right answer. This page helps you think it through, not decide for you.

The honest pros and cons:

Telling them can mean: adjustments that genuinely help (extra time, quiet space, written instructions), legal protection from discrimination (in the UK, the Equality Act 2010 requires "reasonable adjustments"), and not having to mask all day.

You might choose not to because: it feels private, you don't need adjustments for this role, or you'd rather tell them later once they know you. All valid.

If I choose to tell someone, my script:

"I have [what I want to call it]. Mostly it means [one honest sentence]. What helps me is [one or two practical things]."

My version: I'd say

What helps me most is:

My decision helper:

People I'd definitely tell:

Situations where I might not:

A trusted person I can talk this through with:

💡 You never have to decide alone — SENCOs, careers advisers and disability employment advisers (at Jobcentres) do this conversation every day.

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Pathfinders · Tutor Page

Answer Key

Bus Timetable

1. 8:35 · 2. Bus B (arrives College Gates 8:55) · 3. 28 minutes · 4. 30 minutes

Form Detective

TRUE · FALSE · TRUE

Payslip

1. 40 hours · 2. £344.00 · 3. £10.32 pension contribution · 4. £333.68 · 5. £86.00

Spot the Scam

S · OK · S · OK · S · S — red flags: urgency, PIN requests, prizes you didn't enter, secrecy, unexpected parcel links

Compare Prices

1. B = 36p per 100g, B better · 2. B (£1.40/litre vs £1.50) · 3. A (25p per bag vs 30p) · 4. £1.25 saved

Appointments

1. 2:20pm · 2. 1:55pm (or earlier bus to be safe) · 3. 1:50pm

Tutor notes

Everything here works best rehearsed aloud and repeated with real documents — real timetables, a real (redacted) payslip, real shelf labels on the next supermarket trip. One real phone call with support is worth ten scripts.