Introduction:
The Course is practical, exploratory and experiential in nature. It combines elements of technique and standard practice with elements of creativity.
The Course provides opportunities for learners to gain a range of practical woodworking skills and to use a variety of tools, equipment and materials. It allows them to plan activities through to the completion of a finished product in wood.
The Course will also give learners the opportunity to develop thinking, numeracy, and employability, enterprise and citizenship skills.

Course Aims:
The aims of the Course are to enable learners to develop: skills in woodworking techniques skills in measuring and marking out timber sections and sheet materials safe working practices in workshop environments practical creativity and problem-solving skills knowledge of sustainability issues in a practical woodworking context.

Course Structure and Assessment:

1. Units are structured as follows:

Unit One: Practical Woodworking: Flat-frame Construction
This Unit helps learners develop skills in the use of woodworking tools and in making woodworking joints and assemblies commonly used in flat-frame joinery. Tasks will involve some complex features. Learners will also be able to read and use drawings and diagrams depicting both familiar and unfamiliar woodwork tasks.

Unit Two: Practical Woodworking: Carcase Construction
This Unit helps learners develop skills in making woodworking joints and assemblies commonly used in carcase construction Tasks will involve some complex features and may include working with manufactured board or with frames and panels. The Unit includes the use of working drawings or diagrams, including unfamiliar contexts that require some interpretation on the part of the learner.

Unit Three: Practical Woodworking: Machining and Finishing
This Unit helps learners develop skills in using common machine and power tools. It also helps learners develop skills in a variety of woodworking surface preparations and finishing techniques.

In each of the Units above, learners will develop an appreciation of safe working practices in a workshop environment. They will also gain an understanding of sustainability issues and good practice in recycling in a practical woodworking context.

The structure of the Course allows learners to cover fundamental woodworking skills in a progressive fashion. Each Unit covers a set of new woodworking skills. All of the Units include skills in measuring, marking out, cutting and jointing techniques.

Conditions of award
To gain the award of the Course, the learner must pass all of the Units as well as the Course assessment. The required Units are shown in the Course outline section. Course assessment will provide the basis for grading attainment in the Course award.

2. Course Assessment:
All units will be assessed on a pass/fail basis within centres. SQA will provide rigorous external quality assurance, including external verification, to ensure assessment judgments are consistent and meet national standards.
The assessment of the Units in this Course will be as follows:

Practical Woodworking: Flat-frame Construction
In this Unit, evidence will be required that the learner can produce flat-framed woodworking joints and assemblies to a given standard. Tasks will include some complex features. Evidence of knowledge and understanding will also be required.

Practical Woodworking: Carcase Construction
In this Unit, evidence will be required that the learner can produce carcase constructions to a given standard. Tasks will include some complex features. Evidence of knowledge and understanding will also be required.

Practical Woodworking: Machining and Finishing
In this Unit, evidence will be required that the learner can carry out machining and finishing to a given standard. Tasks will include some complex features. Evidence of knowledge and understanding will also be required.

Added Value Unit: Making a Finished Product from Wood
In the National 4 Practical Woodworking Course, the Added Value Unit will focus on:

• Challenge
• Application

The learner will draw on, extend and apply the skills and knowledge they have developed during the Course. This will be assessed through a practical activity which involves producing a finished product in wood to a given standard. The task will be sufficiently open and flexible to allow for personalisation and choice and for learners to demonstrate practical creativity.

Course Progression:
National 5 Practical Woodworking
National Certificate Group Awards (NCGAs)
Skills for Work and sector-specific SQA qualifications.

Possible further study and career routes for students:
Apprenticeships and/or training in practical technology and related fields including:
Joinery, Crafts, Construction, Manufacturing, Engineering, Theatre (Stage production)
Visual arts and Dentistry (dexterity).