Aims and Philosophy
Modern society now, more than ever, relies on the creation of knowledge and the exchange of information. For young people to be successful and active members of this society, they need to be capable and skilled users of information technology. Studying Information Communication Technology is therefore seen by many to be a necessity, as it equips pupils not only with the skills they need to learn and live in the 21st Century, but also to cope with the rapid rate of change we associate with living in the world today. It also provides them with an opportunity to appreciate the impact that this has had both on society and them as individuals. The need for ICT skills and knowledge is most certainly also cross-curricular and ongoing and thus the course has been designed to build on skills from year to year.
The study of ICT at CVMS aims to provide pupils with:
- The skills and understanding to use software effectively to solve problems
- The ability to critically evaluate and assimilate the information they encounter, particularly through sources such as the internet.
- an appreciation of the role IT plays in the world around them
- an understanding of the need to practice e-safety when using IT resources, particularly online.
The study of ICT, at all levels, encourages learners to develop an appreciation and understanding of the impact that developments in information technology have on themselves, communities worldwide, and the future. Consequently, studying ICT will contribute in a significant way to the general education of pupils, whether or not they intend proceeding to further studies or employment specific to information technology.
Curriculum by Year Group
KS3
The KS3 ICT curriculum follows the National Curriculum closely and aims to develop the boy’s knowledge and understanding of how to process and present accurate and reliable information effectively. In first year, the aim is to introduce the boys to a variety of different problems and to build the practical skills and understanding to solve them. The boys are taught that different problems require different solutions, usually necessitating the use of different software programmes. The 2nd and 3rd year units of work aim to extend these skills further through the completion of more complex problems. The boys are encouraged to explore alternative methods to meet problems and ultimately, to independently solve them
An important component of this curriculum also involves teaching the boys skills on how to disseminate the information they find. Whilst many pupils of this age have the practical skill and understanding to use technology, they do not always possess the skill to discern reliable and valid information from what is not. At all year levels, pupils are encouraged and taught how to check the credibility of information sources and the information they provide.
GCSE
The GCSE ICT qualification consists of a practical component, assessed through coursework, and a theoretical component, assessed through an external examination.
Pupils currently study the AQA ICT A course. This is a single GCSE award is comprised and weighted as follows:
- 3 pieces of coursework in 4th year - 30%
- 1 piece of coursework in 5 year - 30%
- External examination paper - 40%
In 4th year, pupils complete 3 tasks, set by the examining body, requiring the use of 3 different pieces of software. This work is both internally and externally moderated.
In 5th year, pupils are encouraged to find a real problem of their own choosing to solve. This problem requires the use of either a database or spreadsheet software to solve. This is a very large project that is completed over the course of the entire year. It aims to assess the following areas:
- • Databasing/spreadsheeting skills
- Communication and writing skills
- Time management and organisational skills.
At the end of 5th year, the pupils sit one examination paper that aims to assess their overall understanding of the use and impact of IT upon individuals and businesses. It covers learning from both practical and theoretical endeavours.
AS Level
This is a new specification, introduced in September 2009. It has been designed to bring the study of ICT to life, by making it more up to date for the 21st Century. It has the backing of a range of industries, higher education and the National Computing Centre. The course has been developed for pupils who wish to progress to higher education or to the world of work and where an understanding of how ICT can be used in society and organisations, and the implications of its use, would be a valuable asset.
The course is split into 2 units of study:
INFO 1- Practical problem-solving in the digital world – 50%
Pupils are provided with opportunities to use a range of interesting and exciting software to process text, sound, image, video and number. There is no longer a requirement to complete a separate coursework component at AS. Instead, pupils sit an external exam to answer questions about some of the practical work they have done.
INFO2 – Living in the Digital world – 50%
This unit looks at how information systems impact upon our lives and the issues surrounding the use of these systems. Examples include the use of e-commerce website and technology encountered at point of sale terminals.
A level
The course is again split into 2 units of study:
INFO 3 – The Use of ICT in the Digital World
Pupils learn about the fast changing nature of ICT and how it has changed/is changing the way we use ICT in our lives. This is a theoretical unit that is designed to look at how ICT is managed and used effectively by people and organisations.
INFO 4 – Coursework: Practical Issues involved in the use of ICT in the digital world
This coursework gives pupils the opportunity to complete a substantial project of their own choosing. The scope of project choice is immense and includes examples such as a training system, an e-commerce site and a disaster recovery system/plan. The intention is that pupils work individually or in teams to complete this work as this more accurately reflects how projects are completed in the real world.
Outside the classroom
The department has over the past couple of years, invited two guest speakers to address the 4th and 5th year. These lectures have proved very successful in the past and been a useful way to break up the momentum of coursework. The guest speaker from Queen Mary’s University spoke about Artificial Intelligence and the speaker from Goldman Sachs discussed the practical application of databases in a bank.
In conjunction with the Design and Technology department, a G & T/Robotics club for pupils from CVMS and Sion Manning is run one afternoon a week. Pupils are given the opportunity to create a robot that can complete simple instructions and movements, using a software kit called Lego Mindstorms. They must use sequencing and instructions to control multiple sensors including infra-red, motion, sound, colour and pressure. Members of this club.
As part of Specialist Status, Adult ICT classes are run once per term by the department and are open to all members of the community. These courses are tailored to meet the needs of those interested but past topics have included – general use of the internet, word processing, email and spreadsheeting. A member of department also regularly visits local primary schools in the Borough to provide training to staff, in-class support to teachers or to lead a lesson in a particular area of ICT.
This client will allow you to access your school local user area from home.
To get the client working, you will need to:
1. Download the file by clicking on the title or here.
2. Unzip the file, double-click it. A window with the zipped files contents will open. You can click Extract all files. The files should then appear in the desired location.
3. Installation. Double click the new file extracted, and select ok. After that you will be asked to read the user agreement and tick the box if you accept it and want to install the program. After this select Next and finish the installation.
4. Now double click on the Ranger Outpost icon on your desktop or in your start menu and log in using your username and password to access your documents.