ICT – Information and Communication Technology

Aims

The increasing use of technology in all aspects of society makes confident, creative and productive use of ICT an essential skill for life. ICT capability encompasses not only the mastery of technical skills and techniques, but also the understanding to apply these skills purposefully, safely and responsibly in learning, everyday life and employment. ICT capability is fundamental to participation and engagement in modern society.

ICT can be used to find, develop, analyse and present information, as well as to model situations and solve problems. ICT enables rapid access to ideas and experiences from a wide range of people, communities and cultures, and allows pupils to collaborate and exchange information on a wide scale. ICT acts as a powerful force for change in society and citizens should have an understanding of the social, ethical, legal and economic implications of its use, including how to use ICT safely and responsibly. Increased capability in the use of ICT supports initiative and independent learning, as pupils are able to make informed judgements about when and where to use ICT to enhance their learning and the quality of their work.

Resources

The school has a generous and up to date network of PCs across the site. There are two computer centres, which can each accommodate a full teaching class, with several “satellite” clusters available to the pupils within department areas. Each classroom has projection facilities, with many having interactive whiteboards and additional workstations.

Teaching

At KS3, all pupils follow a discrete ICT course for one period a week. They are taught skills in using the applications of Microsoft’s Office Suite and Adobe’s Creative Suite and design and produce outcomes to demonstrate these skills. They are also taught how to plan research activities and how to carry out effective searches using the Internet. Pupils are given the opportunity to develop and apply their ICT skills across the whole curriculum, as well as using subject specific software and applications.

At KS4, pupils can opt to study ICT as a GCSE subject. This is a practical course and focuses on the use of ICT applications to solve real-world problems. They develop their understanding of current and emerging technologies and the social and commercial impact of them. An understanding of the legal, social, economic, ethical and environmental issues raised by ICT is gained, whilst recognising the potential risks of using ICT, and thus developing safe, secure and responsible practices.

At KS5, pupils can opt to study Applied ICT. Again, this is a practical course and they will develop an understanding of the main principles of solving problems using ICT and develop the skills necessary to apply this understanding in vocational contexts. Pupils will develop an understanding of the impact of information systems on organisations’ personnel, policies and practices, whilst developing project management skills and an understanding of the need to work with others.