Art and Design    National 5 (SCQF level 5)

Creativity is contagious, pass it on.’ Albert Einstein

We offer our learners a programme of study which aims to equip them with the necessary skills and expertise to realise their full creative potential. This can lead to a career in the creative arts and design industries as well as many other professions.

The Art and Design Department is recognised nationally as an educational leader of creativity in Scotland. With a studio-based approach to teaching and learning, disciplines are interwoven to explore problems in new ways and develop innovative resolutions.

The studio provides an environment for interdisciplinary learning and experimentation which fosters creative thinking. The Critical Studies course supports historical and cultural diversity in preparation for the challenges in society and contemporary business.

There is an ever-widening opportunity for your child to pursue a rewarding career in the creative arts and design industries. The department has forged important links with Art and Design Schools, Universities and Colleges across Scotland as well as creative industry courses, which are offered across the UK.

We have been hugely successful in finding positive career pathways for our learners in Scotland and further afield. We have strong professional relationships with our alumni, who work closely with us to develop the ethos of the department.

Course Outline

The National 5 Art and Design course provides learners with a broad, practical experience of art and design skills and related art and design studies. National 4 and National 5 (N4, N5) share a common course; the level of presentation is based on the quality of practical work produced.

National 5 candidates sit a written exam. The National 5 course is divided into three components, Expressive, Design and Art and Design Studies.

Expressive and Design are folio based areas and the Art and design studies comprises of a written examination.

Pupil Eligibility

You must have:

• Completed the Broad General Education Course – S3 Art and Design BGE course

Qualification Breakdown

Art & Design National 5 SCQF Level 5:

• • Art and Design: Expressive Component
  • Art and Design: Design Component
  • Art and Design Studies Component

Course Folio

Expressive Component

You will draw on, extend and apply the skills you have learned during the production of research and initial development. This area of the course enables you to plan, develop, produce and present art work which demonstrates creativity and the application of practical skills. Through the development of observational drawing and painting skills you will explore methods to visually represent the world you live in and communicate your thoughts, ideas and opinions. In the portfolio, you will produce a variety of small compositional studies and one final A2 expressive art-work.

Design Component

You will draw on, extend and apply the skills they have learned during the production of research and initial development. This area of the course enables you to plan, develop, produce and present design work which demonstrates creativity and the application of practical design skills. Using creativity, problem solving and critical thinking skills, learners resolve design issues and constraints by producing a functional design resolution. Through further development you will produce a variety of design drawings, material samples and models. A final design resolution is produced and photographed. Both portfolios of work will be presented on an A1 board which is submitted to the SQA for external assessment.

Art and Design Studies Component 23%

By investigating the work of artists and designers, you will develop a critical understanding of a range of art and design practice, enabling you to understand the impact of social and cultural influences on the work of artists and designers.

What opportunities will be available to me when I finish?

You might go on to do:

• Higher Art and Design
• Other National Qualifications, National Certificates, Higher National

Certificates, Higher National Diplomas and degrees Art and Design

• Employment (including SVQs)

Architecture, Product Design, Fashion and Textiles, Jewellery, Animation, Illustration, Photography

Fine Art, Painting, Sculpture, Environmental Art