LEVEL F IN ART AND DESIGN

Pupils at Level F should be stimulated and challenged to achieve their full potential in art and design and also to increase the amount of responsibility they take for their own learning. Care should also be taken to reinforce work which has been covered at earlier levels. Information provided at Level F should be considered as an extension to advice given about Levels A-E and should be read within the same context.

The content of programmes of study at Level F should relate directly to attainment targets and to the general statements made about programmes at this level. However, it is important to recognise that these general statements are intended as a stimulus rather than a substitute for innovative planning by the teacher. Classroom tasks should be designed to increase the opportunities for pupils to explore visually themes and issues which allow scope for the development of their imaginative ideas and which relate to their personal interests and experiences. While on the one hand, pupils should be provided with opportunities to take greater responsibility for their learning, on the other, it will remain the responsibility of the teacher to provide guidance and direction for pupils and to be actively involved in assessing and evaluating their progress.

As most classes will be of mixed ability, the number of pupils working at Level F will be small. This has implications for the approach and methodology the teacher will need to adopt. For example, there may need to be a greater emphasis on group work, particularly in design and evaluation and appreciation activities. In these areas of the curriculum, tasks set for groups of different ability provide opportunities for pupils to use language specific to the subject, test personal ideas, evaluate their own work and that of their peers, share innovative ideas, develop team skills etc. Group work should be used, whenever possible, to increase pupils' willingness to take responsibility for their own learning.

At Level F, pupils should also be encouraged to increase the demands which they make upon themselves. In addition to enhancing their skills in media with which they are familiar, pupils should also be encouraged to develop new skills in, for example, visual aspects of computer technology, 3-dimensional design, photography and video production. When assisting and motivating pupils to develop and evaluate the contribution made by artists and designers within their own culture and other cultures, teachers should aim to make full use of resources available within and outwith school, for example galleries, museums, heritage centres etc. They should also seek to invite artists, designers, photographers, industrialists etc. to make classroom visits, and try wherever possible to make use of the vast amount of information now available on CD-ROM, the Internet and other relevant sources.

In practice the three outcomes which comprise Level F are, as at Levels A-E, inter-related, and their integration ought therefore to be reflected in course construction, although there will be times when it will be necessary to focus mainly on one outcome. Teachers should take care to ensure that classrooms and resources are organised in ways which support pupils' learning effectively and which encourage the development of positive and productive work habits. Overall, the aims and purposes of the learning activities should be explained clearly, so that they can be understood by the pupils.