National 5 Practical Woodworking

• October 2019 subject update (175 KB)
• October 2018 subject update (209 KB)

The Deputy First Minister has announced that there will be no external assessment of National 5 in session 2020-21.

Learners will not be required to sit exams and SQA will not assess coursework (including performances and practical activities). Instead, we are working with stakeholders to develop an alternative certification model for National 5 that is based on teacher and lecturer estimates.

Centres need to gather evidence of candidates' attainment and use this to determine estimate grades and bands. We have today published broad guidance on evidence gathering and estimation with a very clear focus on the quality, not quantity, of evidence. This is accompanied by an SQA Academy Course on quality assuring estimates. This will be followed after the October break by subject specific guidance, published on a rolling basis, on the work that learners need to complete. Where possible, we will specify between two and four pieces of work per subject that will form the basis of arriving at a final award. We will also provide some additional resources that teachers and lecturers can draw on for assessment purposes.

Information on National Course changes for session 2020/21.

The following modification decisions are valid regardless of the agreed approach to assessment in session 2021-22.

National 4

Modifications for session 2021-22 will remain the same as session 2020-21.

There will be no requirement to complete the added value unit assessment.

National 5

Modifications for session 2021-22 will remain the same as session 2020-21.

Question paper: removing this component for session 2021-22 (30% of course assessment) allows teachers and lecturers to focus on practical skills. We expect theory still to be delivered and candidates can evidence their understanding of this through the practical activity.

Practical activity: to help teachers and lecturers, we will re-issue the practical activity from session 2020-21 and publish it earlier in the session, allowing more flexibility in centres.

Centres need to apply for approval before delivering the qualification for the first time, and must consider the resources that are available to them to do this.

In order to deliver this qualification in the next academic session, and in order for candidates to be certificated in August the following year, centres must apply for approval by the end of September of the previous year (for example, the deadline for applications for approval must be submitted by September 2020 in order to deliver and certificate the qualification by August 2021).

Subject-specific requirements for the course

Teachers and lecturers delivering or assessing Practical Woodworking must have one of the following:

• a technology teaching degree (such as BTechEd - Technological Education)
• a degree in a technology area with a post graduate teaching qualification and relevant experience in Practical Woodworking.

Centres must have:

• a woodworking workshop, equipped with power and machine tools defined in the course specification
• a range of woodworking hand tools available for all candidates
• personal protective equipment available for all candidates
• a health & safety policy and risk assessment in place

Find our more about our approval process