I’m Kate Coldrick, a qualified teacher with over 25 years’ experience across mainstream and specialist settings. My work has included secondary teaching, Functional Skills and GCSE English tutoring, Montessori early years training, and teaching Key Stages 1 to 3 in a specialist ASD residential school. As an autistic teacher and parent of autistic children, I create resources designed to support both classroom and home learning, with a focus on accessibility for neurodivergent students.
I’m Kate Coldrick, a qualified teacher with over 25 years’ experience across mainstream and specialist settings. My work has included secondary teaching, Functional Skills and GCSE English tutoring, Montessori early years training, and teaching Key Stages 1 to 3 in a specialist ASD residential school. As an autistic teacher and parent of autistic children, I create resources designed to support both classroom and home learning, with a focus on accessibility for neurodivergent students.
Developed specifically for the English Functional Skills Level  1 Reading exam, this resource contains:
Text A: Promotional leaflet about a local Community Skills Fair;
Text B: Informational email with key guidance for attendees;
Text C: Forum discussion where visitors share their experiences of the event.
Including Questions 1–15 and a full mark scheme, this resource offers:
A clear structure and language level ideal for Level  1 learners;
A mix of text types for assessing different reading skills (promotional, informational, reflective/personal);
Question types that align with Ofqual expectations for Level 1 (detail retrieval, vocabulary in context, organisational features, fact vs. opinion, comparison).
This resource:
Is a ready-to-print PDF - no preparation time required;
Covers key assessment objectives: comprehension, inference, understanding of tone, structure and purpose;
Perfect for mock exams, classroom assessment, or independent revision.
Developed specifically for the English Functional Skills Entry Level  3 Reading exam, this resource contains:
Text A: Informative leaflet on everyday animal care;
Text B: Formal complaint letter about cat food;
Text C: Personal advice article on volunteering at an animal rescue centre.
Including questions 1–17 and a full mark scheme, this resource offers:
A clear structure and language level ideal for Entry  Level 3 learners;
A mix of text formats for assessing different reading skills (informational, transactional, personal);
Question types that align with Ofqual expectations for EL3 (detail retrieval, vocabulary in context, purpose analysis).
This resource:
Is a ready-to-print PDF - no preparation time required;
Covers key assessment objectives: comprehension, language understanding, inference, purpose;
Perfect for mock exams, classroom assessments, or independent study.
Developed specifically for the English Functional Skills Entry Level  3 Reading exam, this resource contains:
Text A: Informative guide on how to get involved in community volunteering;
Text B: Friendly letter describing a volunteering experience at a community garden;
Text C: Personal advice article on the benefits of volunteering and how to find opportunities.
Including questions 1–17 and a full mark scheme, this resource offers:
A clear structure and language level ideal for Entry  Level 3 learners;
A mix of text formats for assessing different reading skills (informational, transactional, personal);
Question types that align with Ofqual expectations for EL3 (detail retrieval, vocabulary in context, purpose analysis).
This resource:
Is a ready-to-print PDF - no preparation time required;
Covers key assessment objectives: comprehension, language understanding, inference, purpose;
Perfect for mock exams, classroom assessments, or independent study.
Developed specifically for the English Functional Skills Entry Level  3 Reading exam, this resource contains:
Text A: Informative leaflet encouraging people to enjoy local parks;
Text B: Formal complaint letter about poor park conditions;
Text C: Personal advice article on taking part in park activities and community events.
Including questions 1–17 and a full mark scheme, this resource offers:
A clear structure and language level ideal for Entry  Level 3 learners;
A mix of text formats for assessing different reading skills (informational, transactional, personal);
Question types that align with Ofqual expectations for EL3 (detail retrieval, vocabulary in context, purpose analysis).
This resource:
Is a ready-to-print PDF - no preparation time required;
Covers key assessment objectives: comprehension, language understanding, inference, purpose;
Perfect for mock exams, classroom assessments, or independent study.
Developed specifically for the English Functional Skills Level  1 Reading exam, this resource contains:
Text A: Promotional webpage for an eco-adventure holiday camp;
Text B: Visitor information and camp rules;
Text C: Personal review of a trip to the eco-adventure holiday camp.
Including Questions 1–15 and a full mark scheme, this resource offers:
A clear structure and language level ideal for Level  1 learners;
A mix of text formats for assessing different reading skills (promotional, informational, personal);
Question types that align with Ofqual expectations for Level 1 (detail retrieval, vocabulary in context, organisational features, purpose, comparison).
This resource:
Is a ready-to-print PDF - no preparation time required;
Covers key assessment objectives: comprehension, vocabulary understanding, inference, fact vs. opinion, purpose;
Perfect for mock exams, classroom assessments, or independent study.
Progression of Skills in Functional Skills Writing – Editable Planning Tool (Entry Level 1 to Level 2)
I created this resource as a practical planning tool for teachers delivering Functional Skills English Writing from Entry Level 1 through to Level 2. It’s designed to help you see the full progression of writing skills across the levels, with clear objectives, example tasks, and suggested word counts that reflect the national subject content and assessment requirements.
What’s included:
A fully editable Word document so you can adapt it to suit your learners and teaching style;
A PDF version for quick reference or printing;
Writing objectives mapped out step by step from Entry 1 to Level 2;
Sample activity ideas for each step, linked to likely exam-style tasks;
Guidance on sentence structures, text types, and grammatical expectations;
Approximate word counts to support lesson planning and learner confidence.
I use this framework myself when planning Functional Skills delivery, and I’ve designed it to work flexibly, whether you’re building a full scheme of work or just targeting particular gaps in learners’ skills. It’s especially useful for tutors working in FE, adult learning, AP, or home education settings.
Includes:
✔ Editable Word document (DOCX)
✔ Printable/reference PDF
Writing Sentences - Entry Level Practice for Functional Skills English
I designed this sentence-writing resource to support learners working at Entry Levels 1, 2 and 3 in Functional Skills English. It’s ideal for building writing confidence, sentence control, and grammatical accuracy in a step-by-step way, and it’s especially helpful for learners who need structure, repetition, and clear examples.
What’s included:
Sentence models for each entry level, with simple explanations and example structures;
Targeted writing prompts with space for learner responses.
Practice tasks gradually increase in complexity:
Entry Level 1: one idea per sentence with capital letters and full stops;
Entry Level 2: simple compound sentences using and, but, so, because;
Entry Level 3: complex sentences using when, before, after, unless - with comma guidance.
This resource complements my Progression of Skills in Functional Skills Writing planning tool - or can be used on its own for focused practice.
Format:
✔ Ready-to-use printable PDF
✔ Ideal for one-to-one, classroom or home learning
