F U N C T I O N A L S K I L L S E N G L I S H · L E V E L 1
Purpose, Audience and Format
WRITING · LESSON 1 OF 10
Lesson by English
This lesson contains 19 slides, with interactive quizzes and text slides.
F U N C T I O N A L S K I L L S E N G L I S H · L E V E L 1
Purpose, Audience and Format
WRITING · LESSON 1 OF 10
Functional Skills English Level 1 · Writing · Lesson 1 of 10 (about 60 minutes)
Covers: subject content 23 (detail and length for purpose and audience) and 24 (format, structure and language for audience and purpose). Statements 19 and 21 run through the proofreading. Also introduces the Level 1 writing assessment.
Before the lesson: print the handout (the three nursery texts, the task, a planning frame and writing lines), one per learner.
Device-free fallback: every activity works with the printed handout, mini whiteboards and hands up.
Description: Functional Skills English Level 1 Writing, lesson 1 of 10. Learners study three short texts from an Ashworth nursery, work out who each is for, why it was written and why it takes that form, choose formal or informal language, and learn how the writing assessment works. They then plan and write an email to parents about a nursery trip.
Tags: purpose and audience, format, formal and informal, writing for a reader, email to parents, early years, childcare, writing assessment, level 1 writing, exam practice, functional skills english, further education, adult learners Image credit: AMONWAT DUMKRUT / Unsplash
😄 Great – ready to go
🙂 Good
😐 Okay
😕 Not great today
😴 Tired
Wellbeing check: how's your energy today?
Phase 0 · Wellbeing check (first 2 mins)
A quick, low-stakes check-in. Only totals show, so nobody is singled out. Say: "There's no right answer. It just helps me plan today."
Act on it: if several learners choose the last two options, ease the pace and build in a pair task early. Check in privately with anyone you are concerned about, and follow your college's wellbeing and safeguarding route.
Editor note: if any emoji have not come through, re-add them in the editor.
Device-free fallback: learners show 1–5 fingers, or write a number on a sticky note face down.
Text or WhatsApp messages
Emails
Forms or applications
Notes or lists
Social media posts
What have you written most in the last week?
Phase 1 · Hook (2–5 mins)
No wrong answer. Everyone is already a writer: messages, forms and lists all count.
Probe: "Would you write a text to your boss the same way as a text to your best friend? What would change?" Draw out: the reader changes the words.
Device-free fallback: hands up for each option.
What we're doing today
W R I T I N G
Today you will
Why it matters
work out who a text is for and why
choose the right format
pick formal or informal words
The right words for the right reader get things done.
In the Level 1 writing exam, marks go to how well your writing suits its reader and purpose.
Phase 2 · Goals (5–7 mins)
Frame it as a work and life skill: in early years, staff write to parents, colleagues and managers every day, and each needs a different style.
Vocabulary: audience = the reader. Purpose = the reason for writing. Format = the form it takes (email, letter, notice, text).
Device-free fallback: read the slide aloud; learners copy the three goals into their book.
Who might staff at a nursery need to write to?
Phase 2 · Activation (7–10 mins)
Free association. Every answer counts: parents and carers, grandparents, the manager, colleagues, the cook, a health visitor, inspectors, the council, a supplier, a new starter.
Then ask: "Which of these would you write to formally? Which informally?" That is today's big question.
Device-free fallback: pairs list as many as they can in 60 seconds; collect on the board. Image credit: Marisa Howenstine / Unsplash
Who? Why? What form?
Who is reading? That's your audience.
Why are you writing? That's your purpose: to inform, ask, remind or persuade.
What form fits best? That's your format: email, letter, notice, text.
Phase 3 · Teaching (10–13 mins)
Say: "Before you write a word, ask three questions. Your answers decide everything else: your words, your layout, how long it is."
Model it: "A child is unwell. Who? One parent. Why? To ask them to collect their child. What form? A quick text or a call." Then: "A summer fair. Who? All parents. Why? To inform and invite. Form? A newsletter or email."
Misconception: purpose is not just "to tell". Texts can inform, ask, remind, persuade or explain, and many do more than one.
Device-free fallback: write Who? Why? What form? on the board as three columns. Image credit: Rewired Digital / Unsplash
Little Acorns Nursery · Parents' newsletter
TEXT A · newsletter
Little Acorns News · October
Autumn trip to Bramble Farm
On Thursday 15 October, children in our Butterflies room (ages 3 to 4) will visit Bramble Farm, just outside Ashworth. They will feed the goats, collect autumn leaves and go on a tractor ride.
Please return the green consent form by Friday 9 October. Your child will need a warm coat and wellies. Lunch is provided.
Would you like to help on the day? Please speak to Funmi in the Butterflies room.
Thank you for your support!
Grace Okoro, Nursery Manager
Busy hands in the Butterflies room
**Heading.** Tells parents the topic straight away.
**Key facts first.** Who, when and where, all in the opening sentence.
**What parents must do, and by when.** "Please" keeps it polite. The bold date stands out.
**A friendly question.** Warm, but still clear and polite.
**Name and job.** Parents know who it is from and who is in charge.
Phase 3 · Text A: newsletter (13–17 mins)
Learners follow on the handout. Read it aloud, then ask: "Who? Why? What form?" before opening hotspots 1–5.
Answers: Who: all parents and carers in one room. Why: to inform them about the trip and ask them to return a form. Form: a newsletter item, because it goes to lots of people at once.
Vocabulary: consent = permission. Provided = given to you.
Probe: "Is this formal or informal?" (In the middle: polite and clear, with full sentences, but warm.)
Device-free fallback: printed Text A; learners circle the heading, underline the key facts and box what parents must do. Image credit: Marisa Howenstine / Unsplash
Little Acorns Nursery · messages and notices
TEXTS B and C
Text B · text message to a parent
Hi Mr Novak, it's Jess from Little Acorns. Milo is OK, but he has a temperature of 38°C. Could you collect him by 2pm, please? Thanks, Jess
Delivered 11.42am
Text C · notice in the staff room
STAFF NOTICE
Fire drill: Wednesday 7 October, 10.30am
Room leaders: take your register and the yellow bag.
Meet at the assembly point by the front gate.
Do not tell the children before the drill.
Thank you,
Grace Okoro, Nursery Manager
**Short and quick.** One main point, for one parent who needs to know fast.
**Friendly but exact.** First names and "Hi", but the facts are precise: 38°C, 2pm.
**Bold heading with date and time.** Staff see what it is about at a glance.
**Bullet points and commands.** Take… Meet… Do not… Short instructions are quick to follow.
**Name and job.** Staff know who wrote it and who to ask.
Phase 3 · Texts B and C (17–21 mins)
Read both aloud. Then, in pairs: "Who? Why? What form? Formal or informal?" Open the hotspots to check.
Answers: Text B: one parent; to tell and ask (collect his son); a text, because it is urgent and short. Fairly informal (Hi, first names) but polite and exact. Text C: all room leaders; to remind and instruct; a notice, because everyone needs to see it at once. Short commands in bullet points.
Vocabulary: a temperature of 38°C means a child may be unwell; an assembly point is where everyone meets in a fire drill; register = the list of who is in today.
Misconception: informal does not mean careless. Jess still uses capitals, full stops and exact facts.
Device-free fallback: printed texts; learners write Who / Why / Form next to each.
Formal or informal?
W R I T I N G
Formal
Informal
For people you don't know well, or official matters.
full words: I am, we will
polite phrases: Please, Kind regards
no slang or text speak
For people you know well, and quick messages.
short forms: I'm, we'll
chatty: Hi, Thanks
still clear and correct!
Phase 3 · Teaching: formal or informal? (21–24 mins)
Say: "Formal and informal are not right and wrong. The reader decides."
Model it: "We'll" or "we will"? To a friend, either. To parents you have never met, "we will" is safer. Most work writing sits in the middle: polite, clear and friendly.
Misconception: formal does not mean long, hard words. "I am writing to let you know" is formal and plain.
Probe: "Which of today's three texts is the most informal? Why is that OK?" (Text B: it is to one parent, and it is urgent.)
Device-free fallback: the same, read from the slide or the strategy card on the handout.
Drag each job to the best format: text message, newsletter or staff notice?
Text message
Newsletter
Staff notice
Tell all parents about the summer fair
Tell a dad his son left his coat
Remind staff to wash hands before snack
Share news of the new nursery garden
Give staff the date of the fire drill
Tell a parent their child is unwell
Phase 4 · Practice: format follows purpose (24–28 mins)
Learners drag each job to the format that suits it best. Ask them to say why for at least two.
Answers: Text message: a child is unwell; a coat left behind (one parent, quick). Newsletter: the summer fair; the new garden (all parents, news). Staff notice: handwashing before snack; the fire drill date (all staff, instructions).
Accept a well-argued alternative (e.g. an email to all parents about the summer fair). The point is the reason: one reader or many? urgent or not? news or instructions?
Device-free fallback: read each job aloud; learners show T, N or S on a mini whiteboard.
You're writing to all parents about the trip. Which is the best opening?
Hi all!! You'll never guess where we're off to next week!!
Dear parents and carers, I am writing to tell you about our trip to Bramble Farm.
To whom it may concern, the nursery hereby gives notice of an excursion.
Farm trip Thurs. Forms back Fri. Ta.
Phase 4 · Check (28–30 mins)
Answer: B. It suits the readers (all parents, some of whom the writer has never met) and says the purpose straight away.
Why the others are wrong: A is too chatty and gives no facts; the double exclamation marks look careless. C is far too stiff: "hereby" and "excursion" sound like a legal letter. D is so short it is unclear, and "Ta" is slang.
Probe: "Who would D be fine for?" (A colleague you know well, in a quick message.)
Device-free fallback: learners hold up A–D cards or fingers.
Who's reading?
The nursery is closing at 1pm on Friday because of a burst pipe.
Spin to get a reader. Say your first sentence to them.
Formal or informal? You have 30 seconds.
second
Phase 4 · Practice: who's reading? (30–35 mins)
Spin the wheel, start the 30-second timer. A volunteer (or pairs on whiteboards) says the first sentence they would write to that reader, then the class votes: formal or informal? Play 4–5 rounds.
Model answers: Your manager: "Hi Grace, the nursery will need to close at 1pm on Friday because of a burst pipe." Close friend: "Finishing early Friday – pipe's burst!" All parents: "Dear parents and carers, I am sorry to tell you that the nursery will close at 1pm on Friday because of a burst pipe."
Speaking and listening: ask why they chose those words.
Device-free fallback: write the readers on slips and pull them from a hat.
The writing assessment
W R I T I N G
1
About an hour, usually two tasks. Real-life writing, such as an email plus a letter, article or report.
2
Marks for what you say and how. Purpose, audience, format and detail, plus spelling, punctuation and grammar.
3
No dictionary or spellchecker. So plan first, and leave time to check.
Phase 4 · The writing assessment (35–38 mins)
Click to reveal each point. Keep it calm and practical: "Today's three questions (who, why, what form) are where those marks start."
What to stress: spelling, punctuation and grammar are checked without a dictionary or spellchecker, so the proofreading habit we build every lesson really counts. Timing: plan for about 5 minutes and check for about 5 minutes on each task.
Probe: "If there are two tasks in an hour, about how long for each?" (About 30 minutes.)
Device-free fallback: write the three points on the board one at a time.
Who is reading?
Why am I writing?
What must I tell them?
Plan your email: type one idea, then file it under the right heading.
Phase 5 · Plan (38–41 mins)
Show the task on the next slide first, then come back. Learners type ideas and file each under a heading. Aim for at least two in each.
Good ideas include: Who: parents and carers, some I have never met. Why: to inform them about the trip; to ask them to sign a form. What: Ashworth Park, Tuesday 20 October, 9.30am to 12 noon; bring a coat and wellies; form back by Friday 16 October.
Support: pairs share one device. Stretch: add one sentence that answers a question a worried parent might ask.
Device-free fallback: learners fill in the three-box planning frame on the handout.
Your turn: write the email
minute
second
You work at Little Acorns Nursery. Write an email to parents and carers about a trip. Write about 150 words.
The trip: a nature walk in Ashworth Park, Tuesday 20 October, 9.30am to 12 noon.
In your email:
say where, when and why you are going
say what children need to bring
say what parents must do, and by when
Useful phrases
Dear parents and carers,
I am writing to let you know…
Please make sure…
If you have any questions,…
Kind regards,
Phase 5 · Write, exam style (41–54 mins)
Learners work alone, on paper, using their plan. Start the 15-minute timer: about 3 minutes to plan (if not done), 10 to write, 2 to check.
Support: use the useful phrases; three short paragraphs are fine (why I am writing · the details · what to do). Stretch: add a subject line and one sentence that answers a likely parent question.
What a good answer has: a subject line, Dear parents and carers, the purpose in the first sentence, all the facts, a clear request with a deadline, Kind regards and a name and job.
Device-free fallback: the task is on the handout with writing lines.
Check your writing
W R I T I N G
1. Subject and greeting?
2. Purpose at the start?
3. All the key facts?
4. Right tone for parents?
5. Proofread?
The reader knows what it is about before opening it.
Busy parents may only read the first line.
A parent should not need to ask a question.
Polite and warm works best.
There is no spellchecker in the exam.
Subject: Ashworth Park trip, 20 October. Then Dear parents and carers,
Your first sentence says why you are writing.
Where, when, what to bring, and what to do by when.
Friendly but not chatty: no slang, no !!!, and Kind regards at the end.
Capitals for names, days and months, full stops, and spellings checked.
Phase 6 · Check your writing (54–57 mins)
Learners swap emails with a partner (or self-check). Click each yellow marker to reveal what good looks like; partners tick or circle each point.
Common errors: no subject line; "Hi guys"; the purpose buried at the end; a missing deadline; small letters for days and months.
Proofreading habit: read it once for sense, then once slowly for capitals, full stops and spelling, finger under each word.
Device-free fallback: read the five points aloud; learners tick them on the handout checklist.
You can now…
W R I T I N G
work out the audience, purpose and format before you write
choose formal or informal words to suit your reader
say how the Level 1 writing assessment works
Phase 6 · Celebrate progress (57–58 mins)
Click to bring in each tick. Ask: "Which of these feels solid now? Which needs more practice?" Name it as real progress: who, why and what form are behind many marks in the writing assessment.
Device-free fallback: learners tick the three statements in their book, adding a question mark next to any they are unsure about. Image credit: LessonUp Studio (made for this series)
Who is going to read this?
Why am I writing it?
What form should it take?
Formal or informal?
Before you write next time, which question will you ask yourself first?
Phase 6 · Reflect (58–60 mins)
No right answer: all four matter. Ask one or two learners why they chose theirs, and where they could use it this week (a message to a tutor, an email to a manager).
Device-free fallback: thumbs up for each option, or write the question on an exit slip.
Take it further
W R I T I N G
Stretch: in class
Before next lesson
Rewrite your email as a text message to one parent whose child has no wellies.
What changes? What stays the same?
Find two real texts written to you: a work message, a letter, an email or a leaflet.
For each, write down:
who it is for
why it was written
how formal it is
Take it further
Stretch is for early finishers in class. A good text message: "Hi Ms Begum, it's [name] from Little Acorns. Could you bring wellies for Amir tomorrow for our park walk? Thanks!" Short, friendly, exact.
Before next lesson needs no device. Learners bring their notes to Lesson 2, where we look at emails that get results.
Device-free fallback: this slide is already paper-based.