ICT

Members of the Department

Mrs O’Reilly (Leader)

Mr McGuckin

Mrs Ewart

Gary Murray (Technician)

Aims

The world of ICT is an ever evolving one. It is our overall aim as a department to ensure that our pupils are well equipped with skills needed to complete their educational journey successfully as well as preparing them for the digital world in which we live in.

We aim to develop skills which will allow our pupils to:

Have the confidence to use a range hardware and software
Manage information and be able to present it using ICT skills
Apply their skills to other areas of the curriculum
Confidently use the online world in a safe manner

KS3

All pupils at KS3 have discrete ICT lessons every week. Throughout KS3, we want to provide pupils with a range of experiences through the topics that we offer.

Year 8

Year 8 will cover theory and practical topics including:

Getting Started with IT
Microsoft Packages
Interactive Multimedia Product Development

Year 9

Year 9 will cover theory and practical topics including:

Digital Applications and Online Safety
Python Turtle
Microsoft Excel

Year 10

Year 10 will cover theory and practical topics including:

HTML Website Development
Database Development
Fundamentals of IT

iDEA Programme

KS3 pupils will also engage in completing an online programme called iDEA. The Inspiring Digital Enterprise Award will help our pupils to develop digital, enterprise and employability skills. ICT teachers will track the progress of learners and support them through challenges.

On completion of the programme, each pupil will gain a career-enhancing certification (Bronze or Silver) and will have a Record of Achievement which enables them to showcase the full set of skills and knowledge which they have gained. To find out more, you can visit the idea site here.

KS4

From September 2020, we will offer two pathway options for GCSE – Information Technology Applications and Digital Technology.

Information Technology Applications (OCN NI Level 2 Certificate)

This is a vocational course which is a 100% portfolio assessed course. The units that will be studied include:

1. Social Media

2. Presenation Software

3. Spreadsheet Software

4. Fundamentals of IT

5. Word Processing Software

Digital Technology - Multimedia

This CCEA course is made up with three units being studied over two years. It is made up with 70% exam and 30% controlled assessment. The units that will be studied include:

Unit 1: Digital Technology

An external exam will be taken at the end of Year 11, worth 30% of the qualification. Topics include:

Digital data
Software
Database applications
Spreadsheet applications
Computer hardware
Network technologies
Cyberspace, network security and data transfer
Cloud computing
Ethical, legal and environmental impact of digital technology on wider society
Digital Applications

Unit 2: Digital Authoring Concepts

An external exam will be taken at the end of Year 12, worth 40% of the qualification. Topics include:

Designing solutions
Digital development considerations
Multimedia applications
Multimedia authoring
Database development
Testing and developing test plans
Evaluations of digitally authorised systems

Unit 4: Digital Developing Concepts

A portfolio of Controlled Assessment coursework will be created throughout Year 12, worth 30% of the qualification. Topics include:

Designing solutions using appropriate tools
Building and testing a solution
Evaluating a solution

Post-16

Cambridge Technical Level 3 Extended Certificate in IT (2016 suite)

This course allows pupils to gain an insight into IT and cybersecurity. It also offers two practical and project-based units which provides opportunities to develop knowledge and skills in areas including Project Management and Product Development.

Year 13

Unit 1: Fundamentals of IT

This unit is externally assessed in the January series of Year 13. Topics include:

Computer hardware
Computer software
Business IT systems
Employability and communication skills used in an IT environment
Ethical and operational issues and threats to a computer

Unit 2: Global Information

This unit is externally assessed in the May/June series of Year 13. Topics include:

Where information is held globally and how it is transmitted
Styles, classification and the management of global information
Use of global information and the benefits to individuals and organisations
Legal and regulatory framework governing the storage and use of global information
Process flow of information
Principles of information security

Year 14

Unit 3: Cyber Security

This unit is externally assessed in the January series of Year 14. Topics include:
What is meant by cyber security
Issues surrounding cyber security
Measures used to protect against cyber security incidents
How to manage cyber security incidents

Unit 8: Project Management

This unit is internally assessed in Year 14. Topics include: