Information Communication Technology
Years 7, 8 and 9
Pupils investigate various aspects of ICT: they cover topics, such as e-safety and the use of chat rooms and the web. They will begin to cover the application and control of data within spreadsheets using Microsoft. They will also look in to multi-media presentations, getting to grips with sound, movies and animation within ICT presentations. They will cover the creation of databases and their versatility. All these areas are taught to extremely high levels, at all times encouraging pupils to be independent and fully utilise computers within ICT lessons and across the whole curriculum.
Years 10 and 11: GCSE ICT
Unit One: Living in a digital world. In this unit, students will explore how digital technology impacts on the lives of individuals, organisations and society. Students learn about current and emerging digital technologies and the issues raised by their use in a range of contexts (learning and earning, leisure, shopping and money management, and health and well-being). They will develop an awareness of the risks that are inherent in using ICT and the features of safe, secure and responsible practice.
Unit Two: Using digital tools. Students broaden and enhance their ICT skills and capability in this practical unit. They will work with a range of digital tools and techniques to produce effective ICT solutions in a range of contexts. They will learn to reflect critically on your own and others’ use of ICT and to adopt safe, secure and responsible practice. You will put into practice what you have learned about digital technology in Unit One.
Years 12 and 13: AS and A Level ICT
This new specification provides the ideal foundation for those students who wish to pursue ICT at degree level or as a career.
- Assessment has been streamlined: the coursework element is still 40% but there are now only two examinations (each lasting two hours).
- Coursework assessment has been retained as the best method to assess practical skills. There are now fewer marks for each coursework unit making assessment quicker.
- AS coursework is structured around tasks which cover a wide range of skills. The criteria for A2 coursework has been rewritten to make it more accessible for non-database projects.
- The emphasis is now on business ICT focus, rather than the traditional Computing perspective - areas like algorithms have been removed and candidates can gain skills that can be transferred into the business world.
Information, Systems and Applications
Topics covered in this unit include: data, information, knowledge and processing; software and hardware components of an information system; characteristics of standard applications software and application areas; spreadsheet concepts; relational database concepts; applications software used for presentation and communication of data; the role and impact of ICT - legal, moral and social issues.
ICT Systems, Applications and Implications
In this unit candidates gain an understanding of the systems cycle; designing computer-based information systems; networks and communication; applications of ICT; implementing computer-based information systems and implications of ICT.
