ICT
We in the ICT Department want to inspire all students to learn more about ICT and Computer Science. Why? Because there is something for everyone!
ICT - Education and experience
We learn about E-Safety, Graphics, Programming, Website Design, Computational Thinking, Database Design, Animation, Spreadsheets, Multimedia Presentation and much more!
By the time they leave school, students will have a good foundation of skills that will allow them to make informed choices about the areas they would like to specialise in.
As well as practical skills, students will have developed important skills for the workplace, such as planning and organisation of work, problem-solving and presentation, identifying users’ needs, producing solutions and evaluating what has been developed.
e-Sports and Gaming Club
The ICT Department is very excited to host the annual e-Sports event that runs alongside the school’s Sports Day. This highly inclusive event includes team-based matches using a modified networked Minecraft game, with the rules and map developed by our own students.
Running alongside the team matches, the students also compete to achieve the highest scores Beat Saber using the department’s Virtual Reality and the quickest times racing in Mario Karts on Console.
Students work hard so we think they deserve to play hard. The ICT Department also hosts Gaming Club most lunchtimes where they are free to use the computers to game and reset so they are once again fresh for learning.
Examination Courses
Key Stage 4
OCR GCSE Computer Science
Computer Science is a practical subject where learners can apply the knowledge and skills learned in the classroom to real-world problems. It is an intensely creative subject that involves invention and excitement. The Computer Science qualification values computational thinking, problem solving and system design.
Computer Science is a great way to develop critical thinking, analysis and problem-solving skills, which can be transferred to further learning and to everyday life. Computer Science contributes towards the English Baccalaureate and is considered the fourth Science.
Assessments
Computer Systems - examination (50%)
Computational Thinking, Algorithms and Programming - examination (50%)
OCR Cambridge Nationals Creative iMedia
The Cambridge National in Creative iMedia equips students with the wide range of knowledge and skills needed to work in the creative digital media sector. They start at pre-production and develop their skills through practical assignments as they create final multimedia products.
Most of the qualification is tested by coursework that is set and marked by the class teacher and moderated by the exam board throughout Years 10 and 11. If students like project work, enjoy research and doing practical things, they will enjoy Creative iMedia.
The course structure overview and assessment can be seen below:
Pre-Production Skills – this unit will enable students to understand pre-production skills used in the creative and digital media sections. This is assessed by a written examination which is worth 40% of the qualification.
Creating Digital Graphics – this unit is for students to understand the basic of digital graphics editing for the creative and digital media section. This is assessed by internal coursework which is worth 25% of the qualification.
Additional units include:
Creating a Multipage Website & Designing a Computer Game. Both of these units are assessed by internal coursework which are each worth 35% of the qualification.
Key Stage 5
At Key Stage 5, students have the opportunity to study either or both of the following courses:
OCR Computer Science
Unit 1: Computer Systems 40% (exam)
This is an examined unit covering the characteristics of contemporary systems architecture and other areas including characteristics of contemporary processors, input, output and storage devices, software and software development, exchanging data, data types, data structures and algorithms, legal, moral, ethical and cultural issues.
Unit 2: Algorithms and Programming 40% (exam)
This is an examined unit covering computational thinking, including programming and problem solving, pattern recognition, software development, abstraction and decomposition, algorithm design and efficiency and standard algorithms.
Unit 3: Computer Systems 20% (coursework)
This unit gives students a chance to demonstrate their programming ability learnt throughout the course. To complete this project, students will need to analyse a problem, design a solution and give a thorough evaluation.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 Extended Certificate in Information Technology (A Level equivalent)
The course consists of two external examinations for the following units of study:
- Creating systems to manage information (5 hour exam)
- Information Technology Systems (2 hour exam)
There are two internal coursework assessments for the following units of study:
- Using social media in business
- Website Development
