Information Communications Technology
Department staff:
- Mr A Waterhouse
- Director of ICT
- Mr A Monaf
- Head of Key Stage 3 ICT
- Mr M Halfyard
- Head of Key Stage 4 ICT
Departmental Aims
The ICT department aims to provide students with a wide range of software skills and basic theoretical knowledge of ICT.
Resources
The school has 5 dedicated ICT suites. ICT lessons can take place in each of these classrooms.
Curriculum
KS3 - Year 7
- In Key Stage 3, the National Strategy is followed as a basis with additional units written to cover areas such as using the school network effectively.
- Introduction to ICT
- PowerPoint skills
- Cross curricular project that ties in ICT activities such as spreadsheets with Art and Technology. The theme is making cupcakes.
- Spreadsheet skills
- Desk top publishing skills are developed in the creation of a leaflet.
- Internet skills and safety awareness
Year 8
- Publishing on the Web. Students learn to create web sites on a specific topic.
- Excel (Spreadsheets) is revisited. Students enhance knowledge of formulae and graphs, learn goal seek, cell referencing and developing models.
- Students extend the work completed on spreadsheets and also develop skills relating to control systems and flow charts.
Year 9
- Students extend their spreadsheet skills by creating a model seating plan for a theatre.
- The second Unit is a project based Unit in which students develop on line questionnaires and use databases and spreadsheets to analyze the results.
- The final unit involves the use of control software for a theme Park.
KS4 Years 10 and 11
- Students can opt to follow the GCSE ICT – AQA Option A syllabus. The course consists of two main areas of assessment:
- Students will study ICT theory which constitutes 40% of the final mark.
- Students will complete three compulsory set assignments in Year 10 covering such ICT skills areas as databases, spreadsheets, and presentation software.
- Year 11 students will complete a project based round the systems life cycle and focused on an organization of their choice. Both of these projects are 30% each of the final mark.
KS5 Years 12 and 13
- Students are offered the OCR A Level ICT syllabus.
- The course is 40 % coursework.
- Students will complete four compulsory set assignments in Year 12 based round a fictional company and covering such ICT skills areas as databases, spreadsheets, and web site creation.
- Year 13 students will complete a project based round the systems life cycle and focused on an organization of their choice.
- The course is 60% theory and exam questions are based round the issues involved in managing the ICT in a business or organization.