Art and Design
National 4/National 5
Course Overview
The purpose of these courses is to provide a broad practical experience of art and design and related activity. They provide opportunities for pupils to be inspired and creatively challenged as they explore how to visually present and communicate their personal thoughts, ideas and feelings through their work. Pupils will investigate the factors influencing artists and designers’ work and practice and will use this understanding when developing and producing their creative expressive art and design work.
The main aims of each course are to:
communicate personal thoughts, feelings and ideas through the creative use of art and design materials, techniques and/or technology
develop critical understanding of a range of art and design practice
plan, develop, produce and present creative art and design work
understand the impact of external factors on artists and designers and their work
develop creativity, problem solving, critical thinking and reflective practice skills
Both courses consist of 2 main folios of work: Expressive & Design. Within these folios pupils will have the opportunity to use, and experiment with, a wide range of media. In addition, the use of IT will be encouraged.
Production of the folio work will require pupils to further develop their knowledge and skills and take their work to a fully developed conclusion. This work will allow for personalisation & choice and enable pupils to take their knowledge and skills to greater depth.
Faculty Principal Teacher
Mrs E Nicol
Assessment Methods
Formative assessment will be used throughout the course to encourage pupils to identify their strengths & weaknesses and set realistic targets for improvement. Pupil outcomes from each project will be assessed to ensure that they meet SQA standards.
The National 4 course is assessed internally on a Pass/Fail basis.
In the National 5 course, pupils will need to complete a design and expressive portfolio, which is then sent to the SQA for assessment. The National 5 course also requires pupils to sit an external SQA exam, which will test their critical knowledge in relation to the work of artists and designers. 80% of the course award is practical and 20% is based on the written exam.
Learning and Teaching Approaches
The courses will employ a pupil-centered approach and active learning will be promoted at all stages. Pupils will work to a brief during which time they will be encouraged to be reflective and develop their own style. The teacher will drive some of the activities but there will be ample opportunity for pupils to independently apply their own learning.