UK Edition: Phone Skills for Everyday Calls: Appointments and Voicemail, SEND, KS4 and Post-16

A phone skills set for KS4 and post 16 SEND learners who would rather do anything than ring someone: rearranging a dental appointment, getting through a bus information line menu, ringing a friend when the bus is late, and leaving a proper voicemail on a college absence line.

Why I made this

Most of the young people I teach would rather text than ring anyone, and then the dentist or the college absence line leaves them no choice. Everyday calls are short and they follow a pattern. Once a learner has read a script, worked through a phone menu and planned their words, picking up the phone gets a lot easier. This set sticks to personal calls, not calls at work.

What's included

• Teacher page with a short note on the UK details

• Words to know: 10 key words with pictures (appointment, cancel, rearrange, voicemail, phone menu, receptionist, text alert, absence, opening hours, repeat back)

• 3 practice documents: a dental appointment card with opening hours and a call script, a bus information line menu with a text alert, and a college absence line with two voicemails to compare

• 12 Level A questions with pictures and three choices

• The same 12 questions at Level B, with open answers and room to show working

• A real life task: write three short call scripts and practise them in pairs, with a partner checklist

• Answer key that shows where to find every answer

Two levels, same questions

Level A suits learners who need visual support and choices. Level B suits learners ready to write and show working. Because the questions match, the whole group can work from the same documents and go through the answers together.

How I use it

Read the script aloud in pairs first, one learner as the receptionist and one as the caller, then swap. The two voicemails always get a laugh, and then a good conversation about what the college actually needs to hear. Finish with real calls if you can, even if it is only ringing reception from the classroom phone.

Who it is for

KS4, sixth form, FE college and post 16 SEND groups, learners on SEN Support, and supported internship or independent living programmes.

Please note

All names and businesses are made up, and the phone numbers are from the ranges Ofcom keeps for drama, so they will not connect to anyone.

What you download: one printable PDF, A4, answer key included. Licence: single teacher or setting.

Written by Jeremy D. Gooch, a teacher with 20+ years in education. Part of the Functional Life Skills UK series from The Transition Cliff.

Keywords: SEND, EHCP, Preparing for Adulthood, KS4, Post 16, phone skills, telephone calls, making appointments, voicemail, communication, speaking and listening, life skills, independent living