The Future Skills Questionnaire.
The Future Skills Questionnaire gives learners the opportunity to reflect on their career-related knowledge and skills.
The FSQ covers careers knowledge and skills and skills for preparing for adulthood, with versions tailored for key transition points throughout secondary education and for learners with SEND.
We recognise that the Future Skills Questionnaire may not be appropriate for all learners with SEND.
While the SEND version of the FSQ was designed for learners in SEND Group 1 (those who typically will not take Level 2 Qualifications / GCSEs), we understand that this group encompasses a diverse range of learners with varied learning needs. FSQ may not be appropriate for all learners in this group and we therefore encourage practitioners to use their professional judgement when deciding on which learners would benefit from completing the FSQ. liaise with fellow colleagues to help make this decision, Heads of Department, the SENCo, Pastoral staff, the Careers Adviser for example.
It may also be helpful to consider the pathways question in the SEND version of FSQ, and if learners are not likely to take any of these pathways, the Future Skills Questionnaire may not be suitable for them:
- Supported internship
- Supported apprenticeship
- Supported employment
- Further education college
- Extended work placement
- Supported enterprise/ volunteering
As practitioners, you should use your professional judgement when deciding to complete FSQ or not, you are the experts, you know your learners and if they will be able to engage with the questionnaire enough for it to add value to their experience in your setting.
Using the Future Skills Questionnaire is an offer, it is not an expectation. Not every learner has to complete the FSQ. if completing the questionnaire is clearly not appropriate for that learner, that’s okay.
Resources to support completing FSQ with SEND learners.
We have mapped the questions from the SEND version of FSQ to communication in print, using Widgit Symbols.
SEND FSQ questions mapped to communication in print.
- This resource can be used in both 121 and group sessions
- After each question, there is a page that has the different answers relevant to that question, for the learner to choose from
- For question 6 (At the moment, what do you think is the most likely next steps after school/college?) there are two pages with pathways for learners to choose from, with a short description added for each pathway to support staff to explain/understand each one
- This resource has been designed in collaboration with the Customer Management Team SEND Working Group, many thanks to all those involved in developing this.
We'd love to hear from you if you have found this particular resource useful, and it has positively impacted your delivery of FSQ in your setting. Please email compassplus@careersandenterprise.co.uk, with 'SEND FSQ resource' as the email subject.
You may also find the following guide helpful when planning to complete FSQ with SEND learners - Completing FSQ with learners with SEND.