ICT
The Computing syllabus has been designed to cover the three main areas of Digital Literacy, Computer Science and Information Technology. The students will be introduced to the IT skills they will need to support other subjects across the curriculum and will be introduced to programming, algorithms, some more complex elements of software packages and an understanding of computer hardware and how it works.
Technology is changing the lives of everyone. Through teaching computing, we equip students to participate in a rapidly changing world where work and leisure activities are increasingly transformed by technology.
It is our intention to enable students to find, explore, analyse, exchange and present information. We also focus on developing the skills necessary for students to be able to use information in a discriminating and effective way.
Computing skills are a major factor in enabling students to be confident, creative and independent learners, and it is our intention that students have every opportunity available to allow them to achieve this.
In Key Stage 3, students will design, use and evaluate computational abstractions that model the state and behaviour of real-world problems and physical systems. They will learn 2 text-based programming languages: Python and HTML/CSS. Students will understand how computers work by looking at the hardware that make up computer systems. They will begin to understand how various types of instructions are stored and executed in computer systems, and how they can be used to represent images, music and text.
Students will undertake creative projects that involve selecting, using, and combining multiple applications to achieve challenging goals. This includes collecting and analysing data and meeting the needs of known users. They will understand a range of ways to use technology safely, respectfully, responsibly and securely: including protecting their online identity and privacy; recognising inappropriate content; contact and conduct; and knowing how to report concerns.
Lessons are taught in well-resourced IT suites and students at KS3 receive one I hour lesson of IT per week.
KS4 option blocks offer 5-hour lessons per two-week cycle and KS5 lessons are delivered over 8-hour lessons per two week cycle.
Computing Homework
Key Stage 3
Homework in IT at KS3 is designed to encourage independent research and to consolidate and to build on the learning in lessons.
Links to websites and research tasks are aligned to the termly units of work being studied and are designed to re-enforce and challenge students to further embed their knowledge, skills and understanding of the topics being covered.
A minimum of two pieces of homework will be set per term.
Key Stage 4
Homework at KS4 is typically set weekly but can be dependent on where lessons fall over the two-week cycle. Homework tasks may encourage reflection on learning, preparation for new learning and revisiting and testing knowledge and recall. In courses where coursework is a requirement, homework will have a focus on coursework completion and further research.
Key Stage 5
Homework at KS5 is set weekly and is designed to support students in embedding and processing information so that they can understand and apply it too. Where appropriate, homework tasks will be research focused and/or link to the coursework or practical element of a qualification.
Assessment
Assessment is formative and summative. Progression across each unit of work is planned so that learning in any one year builds effectively to the next. Feedback is regular and timely and occurs both during the lesson and through written feedback. Students are encouraged to engage with all feedback and to use the academy’s marking policy to rag their work.
We follow the academy cycle of formal assessments and progress monitoring linked to the flight paths of students.
At KS3, assessment booklets are used to record student progress and to reflect on the skills and knowledge being developed by students across each IT topic.
At KS4 and KS5, assessment is based on coursework, work completed in lessons, homework, tests and formal mock exams and these are aligned to GCSE/A level or equivalent grades.