Professional Focus Paper
Creative Arts
1.
Level: National 1
Who is this paper for and what is its purpose?
This paper is for staff who provide learning, teaching and support as learners work towards Creative Arts National
1.
Curriculum for Excellence is a unique opportunity to raise achievement and to ensure that all learners are better
prepared than they have been in the past for learning, life and work. This is because the new curriculum gives real
scope to build learning from 3 to 18 in a joined-up, seamless way. As a result, progression in learning can be much
stronger, with a clear focus on knowledge, understanding, skills, capabilities and attributes. These are delivered
through the experiences and outcomes of the 3–15 Broad General Education (BGE) and, at the senior phase,
through programmes that build directly on the BGE, leading to qualifications. Because of a strengthened focus on
the nature and quality of learning experiences and increased learner participation in every aspect of the learning,
teaching and assessment cycle, self-motivation is likely to be increased and learners consequently more engaged
and enthused. To ensure continuity and progression, qualifications at the senior phase have been designed to
embrace this unambiguous focus on high-quality learning.
Curriculum for Excellence has the flexibility to meet the needs of all learners in their local circumstances, enabling
each to achieve their very best. For example, some centres may take the opportunity to offer qualifications over two
years, whereas others may enable learners to work towards qualifications within one year. In both cases, the
advice in this paper is relevant to the learning and teaching approaches which learners will encounter. This paper is
intended to stimulate professional reflection and dialogue about learning. It highlights important features of learning
which are enhanced or different from previous arrangements at this SCQF level.
How will you plan for progression in learning and teaching, building on the BGE, to meet the needs of all learners?
2.
What’s new and what are the implications for learning and teaching?
At National 1, Creative Arts consists of five units providing learners with relevant experiences to develop skills for
learning, life and work. The units are:
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Music: Exploring Sound and Rhythm
Music: Producing a Sound
Creating Materials for Display
Creating Materials for Performance
Working with Textiles
At National 1 the units are standalone, and to achieve a Creative Arts unit at National 1 learners must be able to
achieve the outcome within the unit, with the appropriate level of support and resources. At National 1, learning
should be relevant to the learner’s everyday life, their overall learning programme and/or work and leisure.
CREATIVE ARTS
The outcomes across the range of Creative Arts units at National 1 and other areas of the curriculum may be linked
together to provide personalised achievement opportunities for all learners, for example:
 Creative Arts: Creating Materials for Display could link directly with Practical Craft Skills: Working with Craft
Tools and Information and Communication and Technology: Capturing Digital Images
 Creative Arts: Creating Materials for Performance could link directly with Performance Arts: Contributing to a
Performance and Information and Communication Technology: Working with Software Applications
 both music units could link directly to Performance Arts: Using Performance Skills.
Progression for learners may be across the range of Creative Arts National 1 units, Creative Arts National 2 units,
Performance Arts units at National 1 and National 2, Performance Arts units as part of the Personal Achievement
Awards at National 1 and National 2, the Hobbies and Interests unit in the Personal Achievement Awards at
National 1 and 2, and to further study, employment and/or training. The nature of this progression will depend on
the individual needs of the learner.
What are the key aspects of Creative Arts National 1?
Integrated approach to experiences and skills development
Creative Arts units at National 1 build on the experiences and skills developed within the BGE. A range of contexts,
including within the local community, will broaden and extend learners’ experiences and enable them to apply their
skills across a range of curricular areas. The Creative Arts units give learners a wide range of choices to express
their creativity when participating in activities and experiences. This includes exploring sound and rhythm, playing
instruments, listening to performances and working with a range of media, for example textiles, pottery, paint,
photography, jewellery, make-up and multimedia software. For some learners, with more complex needs, specific
targets may be set within their individualised educational programmes to ensure skills are developed across
literacy and thinking skills. In planning experiences and skill development in Creative Arts National 1 staff should
also take account of the targets set in other curricular areas, including literacy, numeracy, and health and
wellbeing.
Wider range of evidence of learning
There is a clear focus on assessment as an integral part of learning and teaching. Staff will want to use their
interactions with learners to form judgments of how teaching and tasks are to be directed to meet learners’ needs.
At National 1 it is anticipated that most evidence for assessment purposes will be gathered on a naturally occurring
basis. A variety of assessment approaches should be used to allow a range of valid and reliable assessment
evidence to be gathered. Such approaches might include:
 observation of evidence demonstrated during an activity (using an observation checklist, visual recording,
photography or equivalent)
 oral questioning before, during and on completion of a task (recorded using audio-visual or audio recording or
using detailed written assessor notes)
 the centre’s own assessment tools
 learning and teaching activities that generate physical evidence for assessment
 identifying opportunities to record evidence within other curricular areas and/or other environments.
These examples of evidence could be used by learners and/or staff to build a portfolio to demonstrate progress
across the outcomes in the Creative Arts units. Staff should develop criteria of success where the focus is placed
on small, well-defined steps in learning. In this way the learner with more complex needs is more likely to achieve
success and be able to progress within the level or on to the next level. Staff should ensure that different
approaches to assessment are matched to the individual learner’s needs, including accurate and regular feedback,
CREATIVE ARTS
as appropriate. Where possible, learners should be at the centre of this process so they have a clear
understanding of what will be assessed and how it will be assessed. They should also be supported and involved in
selecting the assessment evidence that best demonstrates the knowledge, understanding, skills, capabilities and
attributes they have developed. Staff have the flexibility to manage the support requirements for each learner. They
may also keep informal records, including contributions from parents/carers and others, as part of the learning and
teaching process to show how the learner is progressing.
Hierarchy of units
Programmes of learning should be planned to encourage learners to aim for the highest level of achievement.
There is no mandatory content at Creative Arts National 1 but the general aims of the units provide learners with
opportunities to:
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explore sound and rhythm
use an instrument and/or equipment to produce a sound
participate in a creative activity and produce work for display
participate in creative activity and produce work that could be used in a performance
participate in a creative activity and make a creative textile item.
This will help learners to develop and improve their skills in familiar and not so familiar settings and for a range of
purposes. These experiences, skills and knowledge will be developed further in National 2 and beyond, and across
National 1 units in other curricular areas. Careful planning of contexts will be required to ensure learners can move
within and between National 1 and National 2 units and courses, as appropriate.
What are the key features of learning in Creative Arts National 1?
Active learning
Learners will be expected to take an active role in the learning process, working individually and collaboratively to
develop skills. Learners may require individualised differentiation of tasks and activities to promote their
engagement in learning and to support their achievements at Creative Arts National 1. Learners will require varying
degrees of support to enable them to achieve the outcomes and assessment standards. Some learners may take
part at an experiential or sensory level, where they require full support. Some may require frequent direction and
support to enable them to take part, while others may take part independently or with intermittent support. For a
few learners, with more complex additional support needs, where the outcomes in a Creative Arts National 1 unit
may not be fully achievable, the experiences gained in Creative Arts units will enhance learning and may contribute
to their success within other National 1 units. Using a variety of different methodologies, active learning approaches
and support models will ensure that learning experiences meet the needs of all learners.
Personalised learning and learning independently
At Creative Arts National 1 learners have real opportunities to develop skills for learning, life and work in ways that
are stimulating, challenging, relevant and enjoyable. These opportunities may be related to their specific needs,
interests and choices, which in turn promote engagement. For example, learners may be working on widening their
awareness and tolerance of different types of materials, media and musical sounds. As part of a focus on creative
arts in the centre they can, for example, participate in creating props for storytelling or poetry events, use different
instruments and software to create accompanying music and sound effects, and be encouraged and supported to
choose and use materials appropriate to the story’s or poem’s context. Increased motivation and personalisation
will lead to improved outcomes for all. Learners with complex needs will require varying degrees of staff support for
all or part of the tasks. Well-defined assessment tasks will determine the level of support an individual learner may
require at any given point within the learning and teaching environment.
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Learners should be given the opportunity to use their normal mode of communication and have access to the
appropriate resources identified to support their learning, for example:
 materials for creating a collage (pictorial representation of the equipment/materials to be used, audio/visual
clues for sorting and matching materials)
 adapted musical instruments and craft tools, CDs, music software
 voice output communication aids, signing and pictorial/symbol systems
 assistive technologies such as electronic tablets, mobile phones, Boardmaker, PECs, Talking Mats and
switches
 an identified level of staff support to access, participate in and achieve tasks
 an adapted environment.
How will you plan opportunities for learners to learn independently as appropriate?
How will you plan contexts to ensure there is progression without unnecessary repetition of content?
Responsibility for learning
The quality of the relationships of the range of staff supporting the learner and a clear understanding of individual
needs will enhance the learner’s ability to engage in and, as appropriate to individual needs, take responsibility for
their learning. Learners progress at different rates and will require different levels of support depending on the
task/activity to be undertaken. Staff should be aware of the types and range of supports required to enable the
learner to experience success and achievement with the least possible intervention. Personalised learning, with
clear links to previous learning, progress and achievement, ensures that learning, teaching and individual
educational programmes are tailored to the learners’ needs across the contexts for learning. Learners’ preferred
methods of communication and the increasing use of technology will play an important role in allowing learners to
take increased responsibility for learning.
Learners should be encouraged to monitor their own progress, where appropriate. Learners can be guided towards
building their own understanding of the learning process using a range of strategies. For those learners who are at
the earliest stages of reading and writing or who require positive behaviour support strategies the following could
be used:
 visual self-assessment (photographic, pictorial, graphic)
 oral, gestural and signing responses
 an achievement reward system (stickers, certificates).
How will you support learners to take responsibility for and plan their own learning?
What key areas will you communicate with learners to ensure they are making progress with the aims of the
course?
Collaborative learning
Learning and teaching approaches should encourage and develop collaborative working, including learning from
each other. When planning collaborative learning and teaching approaches staff will want to consider how
individual learners can be encouraged and supported to take on roles that provide appropriate challenge and also
meaningful opportunities to contribute to the group and to experience success. Many practical activity contexts
enable learners to work with a partner and in a group. Working collaboratively provides the relevant and real-life
contexts and situations that promote knowledge and understanding of life outside home and school. For example,
learners could visit a local art gallery, attend a concert or participate in workshops with professional musicians or
craft specialists. Many local and national arts organisations are very happy to work with centres in a range of ways
CREATIVE ARTS
to widen learners’ experiences. Creativity, communication and interpersonal skills are likely to be enhanced in
activity contexts where learners are encouraged to take on a range of roles and responsibilities. This could include
organising a display of work, giving feedback to peers on what they have created or sharing chosen pieces of
music. Working together and supporting each other in this way will encourage learners to develop these skills as
well as demonstrating awareness and respect for others.
How might you develop collaborative approaches to learning and make effective use of technology?
Applying learning
For learners with complex needs, learning experiences linked to strengths, interests and choices will enable them
to develop practical skills and knowledge within the area of creative arts and apply these in other areas of the
curriculum and in real-life situations. Staff should ensure that tasks and activities are clearly linked to outcomes,
which in turn will allow learners to demonstrate their knowledge, understanding, skills, capabilities and attributes,
accompanied by whatever support model has been identified for the individual. Learning is enhanced through the
links made between other curricular areas, such as performance arts, social subjects, science in the environment,
practical crafts, information and communication technology, and literacy and communication. There will be learning
opportunities that develop thinking skills as well as literacy and numeracy skills across the Creative Arts units. A
central theme is to encourage learners to use their existing and emerging skills in a range of contexts in the centre,
at home and in the community. Opportunities for learners to apply their creative and musical skills across other
curricular areas and settings will help to ensure their skills and usual mode of communication is reinforced and
transferrable. Working in partnership with parents/carers and others, staff can ensure that learners are able to use
and practice their skills in as natural a context as possible. The experiences of creative arts will encourage learners
to make choices, express opinions, communicate their ideas and personality, and develop aspects of their
emotional health and wellbeing. They can also become aware of sharing and enjoying the work and creation of
peers. Learners will be able to apply their developing skills and knowledge to enrich their learning across all
aspects of the curriculum.
How can you ensure that learners can access opportunities to apply their learning in other curriculum areas?
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3.
Qualification information
The SQA website provides you with the following documents:
 unit specifications
 support notes
 unit assessment support packages.
Full information on arrangements for this qualification is available on the SQA website.
Further information on the developments in National units is available on SQA's National 1 unit web page:
www.sqa.org.uk/national1.
T +44 (0)141 282 5000 E enquiries@educationscotland.gov.uk W www.educationscotland.gov.uk
Education Scotland, Denholm House, AlmondvaleBusinessPark, Almondvale Way, LivingstonEH54 6GA
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