Practical Metalwork N4/N5

Entry Requirements:

Completion of the school based N5 Practical Woodworking course is preferable but not essential.

Course Content:

This course develops skills in three main areas. Each area provides opportunities for candidates to understand safe working practices, sustainability issues, and good practice in recycling within a workshop environment. Each area of study covers a different set of metalworking skills. All areas include skills and associated knowledge in measuring, marking out, cutting and joining techniques.

Course Description

  1. Bench skills
    Candidates develop skills, knowledge and understanding in the use of metalworking hand tools, bench-fitting work, routine sheet-metal work, measuring and marking out, involving complex features. Candidates develop their ability to read and use drawings and diagrams depicting both familiar and unfamiliar metalwork tasks.
  2. Machine processes

Candidates develop skills, knowledge and understanding in the use of metalworking machines, equipment, related processes, materials, measuring and marking out, involving complex features.

  1. Fabrication and thermal joining

Candidates develop skills, knowledge and understanding in fabrication, forming and joining of metalwork components with some complex features. Candidates develop skills in thermal joining techniques and in measuring and marking out.

Assessment:

  • National 4 – assessment is dealt with by 3 mandatory units: 1. Bench Skills, 2. Machine Processes, 3. Fabrication and Thermal Joining as well as an Added Value Unit. All work is internally marked but is externally verified by the SQA.
  • National 5 – The coursework assignment set by the SQA and worth 70 marks will be undertaken during the course. External assessments:- This will consist of a single final examination worth 60 marks but scaled to 30 marks.

Progression Pathway: