ICT

ICT Curriculum Intent

The intention of the ICT curriculum is to ensure that students are equipped with a broad range of skills and knowledge that will enable them to actively participate in the digital world in which they live.

The overall aims of the ICT department are to enable pupils to become:

  • Successful learners who enjoy learning, make progress and achieve
  • Confident individuals who are able to live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives
  • Responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to society

In order to enable pupils to achieve these goals, the ICT department will aim to:

  • Provide pupils with ICT opportunities that develop within them a sense of enjoyment and achievement
  • Develop pupils' recognition that ICT is an essential skill for life
  • Develop pupils' ICT capability; technical skills and techniques, understanding to apply these skills purposefully, safely and responsibly in learning, everyday life and employment
  • Provide pupils access to a broad, balanced, relevant, dynamic and motivating ICT curriculum that ensures suitable progression paths from entry in KS3 to KS4 and beyond.
  • Provide a curriculum that promotes pupils to develop as independent learners, critical thinkers, decision makers, problem solvers and reflective learners.
  • Provide curriculum opportunities that promote pupils to work as individuals, as pairs, in small groups and teams as well as develop the skills to self manage their learning within any of these groupings
  • Develop pupils understanding of and demonstration of safe and responsible use of ICT for both themselves and others.

School Trips

A number of school visits are arranged throughout the course of the year.  Details of trips which have taken place this year or are planned in the future can be viewed in the School Visits, Enrichment area of the website.

Facilities

The curriculum area consists of four dedicated ICT suites which are well equipped and updated regularly with the latest software.  All students have access to the Internet, a school email address and Showbie, a powerful learning platform, to share ideas, take tests and submit work from home.

Useful Links

  • www.teach-ict.com  -   This site is dedicated to teaching ICT and Computing at all levels. Students will find revision notes , along with plenty of quizzes, competitions and polls to keep things interesting
  • www.reviseict.co.uk  – This site has a lot of interactive content and includes game-based learning, how to guides on using standard software and the latest ICT news from the BBC.
  • www.bbc.co.uk/click  - Click is the BBC's flagship technology show across TV and radio. On TV it is broadcast throughout the week on BBC One, the BBC News Channel and BBC World News. Click is also available to watch and listen to online after broadcast in iPlayer.
  • http://gadgetshow.channel5.com -  The Gadget Show is a television series focusing on technology and is broadcast on Channel 5.  The show previews and reviews the latest gadgets, broadcasts the latest technology news and is available via Channel 5’s on demand service.

KS3 ICT

Years 7 and 8

All KS3 students complete work which is not just about the acquisition of ICT skills but is also concerned with developing an awareness in our students of the techniques, equipment and resources available that may help them decide the best solution to a problem.

Year 7

Year 7 ICT is taught for one period each fortnight by specialist staff.  Topics include: Computer Hardware, Binary, Python Programming and Photoshop.

Year 8

Year 9 ICT is taught for one period each fortnight and the curriculum is designed to prepare students for study at KS4 in a fun and interactive way.  Students will develop their skills in graphic design using Photoshop. They will also study Python Programming and Introduction to Boolean Logic.

What skills students develop

Students in KS3 will have the opportunity to develop skills in the following areas:

  • Basic ICT skills  for Business
  • Designing and creating professional presentations and promotional materials
  • programming
  • The use of devices such as  ipads to encourage ICT and social skills

How students are assessed

Each student completes ICT assessments, which assess their skills and understanding across six strands. Student progress is tracked against these strands, and they are given opportunities to evaluate their own strengths in each strand.  Students are rewarded for consistently completing work with coded stickers which they record on www.mystickers.co.uk and in turn provides them with the opportunity to access online games and win prizes.

Homework

Students complete homework tasks throughout the year, complementing the work completed in their ICT lessons.  Some of these tasks are available via Showbie, our learning platform.

How parents can help

In order to support students in the classroom, we would strongly suggest that parents ensure their child has a USB memory stick in order to transfer work between home and school, and a set of headphones/earphones.

As a parent you can also help by discussing how ICT has changed within your own lifetime and the impact it has had on everyday life.  This may include topics such as online shopping, entertainment and social networking.  Keep an eye out for documentaries or news clips on TV which look at how ICT is being used in innovative ways.

Extra-curricular Activities

Computer Animation Club

Computer Animation club takes place every Tuesday after school and is an opportunity for students to develop animations created using computer software.  Each year students are encouraged to take part in the UK Schools' Computer Animation Competition which is designed to enthuse schoolchildren aged 7-19 about Computer Science.

Winners are then invited to the Awards' ceremony which is be held at the National Media Museum in Bradford.

Winning animations will be shown on the large screen in the Pictureville Cinema, followed by prizes and the chance to view the exhibits at the museum.

KS4 ICT GCSE

Board and Exam

Information and Communication Technology is offered as an option at KS4. Students currently follow a course that will prepare them for a single award in GCSE ICT run by Edexcel.

Course Content

  • Personal digital devices
  • Connectivity
  • Operating online
  • Online goods and services
  • Online communities
  • Issues raised by the use of ICT
  • Research and information gathering Information
  • Modelling
  • Digital publishing
  • Evaluating outcomes
  • Working efficiently and safely

What students will learn

Students will;

  • Explore how digital technology impacts on the lives of individuals, organisations and society.
  • 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, health and wellbeing and on the move).
  • Develop awareness of the risks that are inherent in using ICT and the features of safe, secure and responsible practice.
  • Broaden and enhance their ICT skills and capability. They work with a range of digital tools and techniques to produce effective ICT solutions in a range of contexts.
  • Learn to reflect critically on their own and others’ use of ICT and to adopt safe, secure and responsible practice

How students are assessed

The scheme of assessment for this course comprises of two units;

Unit 1 – Living in the digital world, which is a written examination at the end of year 11 that is worth 40% of the total GCSE grade.

Unit 2 – Using Digital Tools, which comprises of practical assessments throughout the 2 year course duration worth 60% of the total GCSE grade
Homework

Homework is set once every week to consolidate learning that occurs in the classroom.  It provides an opportunity for students to develop their independent skills.

How parents can help

  • Ensure children meet important coursework deadlines
  • Ensure adequate revision is taking place in preparation for written examination
  • Monitor the progress of their children
  • Encourage their children to spend quality time completing homework assignments

Extra-curricular Activities

There are after school coursework sessions open to all students.
Useful Links

KS4 Creative iMedia Level 1/2 Certificate

Board and Exam

Creative iMedia is offered as an option at KS4. Students currently follow a course that will prepare them for this level 1/2 award run by OCR

Link to Course Specification

Course Content

  • Pre-Production Skills
  • Creating Digital Graphics
  • Creating an Interactive Multimedia Product
  • Creating a multipage website

What students will learn

Students will;

  • Be introduced to a range of essential pre-production techniques used in the creative and digital media, including client brief, time frames, deadlines and preparation techniques.
  • Build on the skills and understanding that they have developed in the previous unit, students explore where and why digital graphics are used and the techniques that are involved in their creation. They apply their skills and knowledge in creating digital graphics against a specific brief
  • Explore different properties, purposes and features of multipage websites. They demonstrate their creativity by combining components to create a functional, intuitive and visually pleasing website. 
  • Develop their knowledge and understanding of about where and why different interactive multimedia products are used and what features are needed for a given purpose. They learn how to interpret a client brief, and how to use time frames, deadlines and preparation techniques as part of the planning and creation process.
  • Develop awareness of the risks that are inherent in using ICT and the features of safe and responsible practice.
  • Broaden and enhance their creative skills and capability. They work with a range of digital tools and techniques to produce effective ICT solutions in a range of contexts.
  • Learn to reflect critically on their own work

How students are assessed

The scheme of assessment for this course comprises of four units;

Pre-Production skills - which is a written examination at the end of year 10 that is worth 25% of the total award

Digital Graphics Project – which is a practical assignment completed in year 10 and is worth 25% of the total award

Creating an Interactive Multimedia Product- which is a practical assignment completed in year 10 and is worth 25% of the total award

Creating a Multipage website- which is a practical assignment completed in year 11 and is worth 25% of the total award

Homework

Homework is set once every week to consolidate learning that occurs in the classroom.  It provides an opportunity for students to develop their independent skills.

How parents can help

  • Ensure children meet important coursework deadlines
  • Ensure adequate revision is taking place in preparation for written examination
  • Monitor the progress of their children
  • Encourage their children to spend quality time completing homework assignments

Extra-curricular Activities

There are after school coursework sessions open to most students.

Useful Links

 

 

Silver School Mental Health Award