What are the aims of this course?

Administration is a growing sector which cuts across the entire economy and offers wide-ranging employment opportunities. Moreover, Administrative and IT skills have extensive application not only in employment but also in other walks of life.

This course will enable pupils to develop

·       IT skills and use them to perform straightforward administrative tasks

·       A basic understanding of administration in the workplace

·       Organisational skills in the context of organising and supporting events

·       Understanding of need for customer care

 What will I be learning about in this course?

 There are 3 sections within the National 5 Administration and IT course:

 Administrative Practices

·       Duties, skills and qualities of an administrative assistant

·       Features of good customer care

·       Organisational responsibilities regarding legislation on health and safety and security of people/information

IT Solutions for Administrators

·       Using spreadsheets - creating, amending, charting, formula functions

·       Database applications – manipulating information from relational database, creating queries, creating reports

·       Word processing – preparing business documents, tables (with formulae), and forms. Integrating data from other IT functions

Communication in Administration

·       Searching for and extracting/downloading information

·       Use technology to prepare and communicate simple information

·       Basic functions of desk-top publishing to produce documents

What skills will I develop?

I will develop a range of skills for learning, life and work. This will include a competency in the use of IT and aspects of literacy, numeracy and thinking skills within a working, business and home environment.

Information must be presented in a form appropriate to its purpose. Learners whether working individually or with others, will be encouraged to produce work which is of a high standard in terms of accuracy and quality. This will prepare learners for their transition into their final years in S5/6 where they are required to produce documents for folios and assignments.

Information must be presented in a form appropriate to its purpose. Pupils whether working individually or with others, will be encouraged to produce work which is of a high standard in terms of accuracy and quality.

What learning and teaching approaches will I experience?

A variety of learning and teaching approaches can be expected within the course. All approaches are designed for each individual section of the course. Teacher led demonstrations, peer support and whole group discussions in combination with the use of the interactive whiteboard ensure that an inclusive experience is provided for all.

How will I be assessed?

The course assessment meets the key purposes and aims of the course by addressing breadth (drawing on knowledge and skills from across the course), challenge (requiring greater depth or extension of knowledge and/or skills) and application (requiring application of knowledge and/or skills in practical or theoretical contexts as appropriate).

National 4 will be assessed internally. This involves passing three mandatory units and an Added Value Unit which will focus on challenge and application.

National 5 will be assessed by way of an external exam. There is also an Administration and IT project which is the Added Value unit which provides breadth, depth, challenge and application in real life scenarios.

What are the homework requirements? Homework will be issued on a regular basis to reinforce learning and will consist of written and practical based tasks.

What might this course lead to in the future? The opportunity to progress from National 5 to Higher exists for those successfully gaining an award at National 5. The course also prepares pupils for everyday life, the world of work, or for further study.