Read More is not functioning.

can you give more details about ‘is not functioning’?

do you use the ‘more tag’ in your posts?
is the post showing fully?
does the link not show?
or not link to the single post?

Certainly. I have used the gode on a static page template (which serves only one page of my site) and it does not have the standard loop call. It has been done using wp_list_categories() a la https://codex.www.ads-software.com/Template_Tags/wp_list_categories.

With the more tag put into my post and the_content('Read More') it still shows the full post. I have even tried setting the variables outside of the loop as directed elsewhere in the codex and this does not work either.

it sounds as if you have read:
https://codex.www.ads-software.com/Customizing_the_Read_More#How_to_use_Read_More_in_Pages

could you paste the code of that template into a pastebin as described here https://codex.www.ads-software.com/Forum_Welcome#Posting_Code, and post the link to it here?

I have resolved the problem. It was due to my lack of understanding of how WP works and have made the calls within The Loop now.