The ICT Faculty has 3 dedicated ICT rooms, each equipped with up to 29 fully networked computers, interactive whiteboards and a range of other equipment including digital cameras and lighting, sound recorders and headsets, all of which are supported with a wide range of high quality software.
Aims:
- To develop, maintain and stimulate students’ curiosity, interest and enjoyment in ICT.
- To develop excellent skills, knowledge and understanding of a wide range of ICT and its use in the world around us.
- To allow students to develop transferable skills and informed opinions about their ICT use and to be able to support them by reasonable arguments.
- To develop our students in to confident and capable users of ICT.
- To encourage and develop problem solving and mental agility.
Staffing:
Mr G Quinn Head of Faculty
Mr I Saddique Teacher of ICT
Mr P Monfort Assistant Head, Teacher of ICT
Mr J Clegg Teacher of Business Studies and ICT
Mrs S Speight Faculty Personal Assistant
Key Stage 3
Year 7: The majority of students use ICT within their Opening Minds curriculum, using ICT to research and present information in appropriate ways for their project based learning. They also undertake several specific ICT based projects including creating an interactive E-safety quiz, a video about Fair Trade and a project about Healthy Eating. A Gifted & Talented group is taught as a group for 1 period per week.
Years 8: All students have 2 lessons per week of timetabled ICT. The lessons are split with one lesson per week dedicated to developing Functional Skill and the other lesson being project based.
Functional Skills develops a wide range of skills in managing the use of ICT (creating appropriate filing systems, internet skills, safe working practices) and demonstrating effective skills in using a range of Office software (Word Processing, Desk Top Publishing, Spreadsheets, Presentations, Databases, Internet).
Project based lessons are based around the theme of Sustainability and include
Sustainability Report – a survey and report about how energy efficient our homes are and how good (or otherwise) we are at recycling.
Eco Grand Designs – designing a new housing development including 3D house designs, costings, promotional materials and report
Gamemaker Project – Designing and creating a computer game to encourage Energy Saving at home.
Key Stage 4
We are currently offering 2 different courses at KS4: Edexcel DiDA and OCR Creative Imedia.
For the present Y 10 & Y11 we offer Edexcel DiDA at both level 1 and level 2 and have excellent results – in the last 4 years at least 86% of students have achieved the equivalent of at least one grade C or higher and the exam moderators have commented on the excellent quality and standard of work produced by our students.
As of September 2010 we are offering OCR Creative Imedia (Certificate) as the option for Y9&Y10. This course is 100% coursework and consists of a number of units from which we can choose, including Pre-Production Skills, Website Design & Creation, Digital Sound, Digital Photography & Image Editing, Digital Video and Effects, Game Design & Creation amongst others. There is a further option of the Edexcel DiDA Award in Y11.
Enrichment
In collapsed timetable sessions we offer a variety of ICT based projects including themed T-shirt design & production, Podcasting, Video Editing, Flash Multimedia. We also offer some ICT support sessions at lunchtime and after school.
How do we help you achieve your potential?
To help students achieve their potential we regularly review and update the schemes of work and make extensive use of the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) to deliver our courses. The VLE enables us to make all our teaching materials available both in and out of school with secure internet access. It allows students to submit work electronically for assessment and feedback, by both staff and other students. This giving and receiving feedback is a fundamental element in ensuring work is fit for its purpose and the audience it is aimed at and key to recognising how we can improve it further.
Why is it important for my child to learn about and use ICT effectively?
ICT is all around us and necessary in most jobs, careers and walks of life. The ability to use ICT effectively, efficiently and creatively is a prerequisite for the majority of college and university courses and a clear expectation from most employers. ICT covers a very wide range of skills and technologies and offers many routes and specialism’s – from using general software in the business environment, media creators and editors, database designers and administrators, Computer Aided Design & Manufacturing, Programmers, Web design & Creation, Game Designers & Creation, the list goes on and on………
Who should I talk to if I want more information?
Please see either – Mr Quinn, ICT Curriculum Leader; Mr Saddique or Mr Monfort.
Websites
Edexcel DIDA – Coursework, Assignments (Summative Project Briefs) -www.edexcel.com/quals/dida/spb/0909/Pages/default.aspx
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/dida/
OCR Creative imedia
http://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/type/qcf/creative_imedia/l1_dip/index.html
E-Safety
www.websafecrackerz.com
www.kidsmart.org.uk
www.chatdanger.com
www.childnet-int.org/sorted
www.getsafeonline.org
