This paper is for staff who provide learning, teaching and support as learners work towards Performance 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?
At National 1, Performance Arts consists of two units providing learners with the opportunity to develop and apply a range of performance arts skills for life and work within real-life contexts. The units are:

Using Performance Skills

Contributing to a Performance.
At National 1 the units are standalone, and to achieve a Performance Arts unit at National 1 learners must be able to achieve the outcomes within the unit with the appropriate level of support and resources. However, in practice, as the units are closely linked, most learners will undertake both units at the one time. At National 1 learning should be relevant to the learner’s everyday life, their overall learning programme and/or work and leisure. The outcomes across the Performance 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 both Performance Arts units could link directly to:

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
Creative Arts: Creating Materials for Performance

Music: Exploring a Rhythm unit or Producing a Sound unit

Social subjects: Cultural Celebrations and Festivals

Religious and Moral Education: Religious Festivals

Communication: Listening and Responding to Texts.
National 1 Performance Arts units could have links with Personal Achievement Awards at National 1, for example
Hobbies and Interests and Performing Arts: Group Activity.
Progression for learners may be across the range of Performance Arts National 1 units to Performance Arts and
Creative Arts National 2 units, and to further study, employment or training.
The nature of this progression will depend on the individual needs of the learner.
What are the key aspects of Performance Arts National 1?
Integrated approach to experiences and skills development
Performance Arts units at National 1 build on the experiences and skills developed within the BGE. A range of contexts, including at home a nd within the local community, will broaden and extend learners’ experiences and enable them to apply their skills across a range of curricular areas. As Performance Arts units include both onstage and back-of-house options the possible range of activities is considerable, for example making props, setting up the stage or helping with the sound or lighting as well as telling jokes, singing or playing an instrument. 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 expressive arts .
In planning experiences and skill development in Performance 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 te aching 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 c entre’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 Performance 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, 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

PERFORMANCE ARTS 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 Performance Arts National 1 but the general aims of the units provide learners with opportunities to:
 select and take part in a performance activity
 choose and carry out an individual task for a performance activity.
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 in Performance 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 Performance
Arts National 1 unit may not be fully achievable, the experiences gained in Performance 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 Performance 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, many centres now hold regular ‘X
Centre’s got Talent’ type competitions which allow learners to rehearse and showcase their individual talents in music, dance, comedy, mime etc to an audience. 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. Learners should be given opportunities to use their normal mode of communication and have access to the appropriate resources identified to support their learning, for example:
 access to adapted musical instruments or music-making software
 preparing for a performance by responding to prompt questions, preparing a story board or picture board, or producing a drawing of the character
 assistive technologies such as electronic tablets, Boardmaker, PECs, Talking Mats and word processing

PERFORMANCE ARTS
 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. For example, music making is now possible for almost all learners through the ongoing development of assistive technology in this area. Many local and national arts organisations are keen to support centres with this and other aspects of performance and creative arts.
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 discuss with learners to ensure they are making progress with the aims of the units?
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. 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 take part in workshops involving professional actors, singers or musicians in the centre or in the community. Confidence and self-esteem are likely to be enhanced in contexts where learners are encouraged to take on a range of roles and responsibilities. In working with others both at front and back of house learners will develop their communication and interpersonal skills and begin to recognise skills in others.
How might you develop collaborative approaches to learning and make effective use of technology?

PERFORMANCE ARTS
Applying learning
For learners with complex needs, the Performance Arts units encourage them to apply their learning across a wide range of themes and contexts, and bring together different curriculum areas. For example, when taking part in a performance, links with music, art, practical craft, information and communication technology, and literacy and communication help learners make links across learning. A real-life event like a charity fund-raiser fashion show or
St Andrew’s Day celebration enables learners to use their performance skills in a meaningful way. Staff should ensure that tasks and activities are clearly linked to outcomes, which in turn will allow learners to demonstrate knowledge, understanding, skills, capabilities and attributes, accompanied by whatever support model has been identified for the individual. There will be learning opportunities which develop thinking skills as well as literacy and numeracy skills within the Performance Arts units. A central theme is to encourage learners to use their existing and emerging skills in a range of contexts in school, at home and in the community. Opportunities for learners to apply and use their creative skills in performance across other curriculum areas will help to ensure that their skills and usual mode of communication are reinforced and transferrable. Working in partnership with parents/carers and others, staff can ensure that learners are able to use and practise their skills in as natural a context as possible.
Taking part in creative and performance arts can contribute significantly to the development of positive health and wellbeing, and can be life-changing for some learners.
How can you ensure that learners can access opportunities to apply their learning in other curriculum areas?
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
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