IT
Information Technology
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 is fundamental to participation and engagement in modern society. It 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. E-safety is embedded in lessons as a key SMSC element of the IT curriculum to ensure that our students are not only safe but grow with respect for others when using technology.
As a department, we follow a Computing curriculum and our students get to develop skills in a number of different programming languages as well as understanding the underpinning science of how computers function. We are also keen to ensure students get a chance to be creative and show off their design skills while they are in ICT. They all get their own webspace to help with this. This mix of creativity and computer science principles in Key Stage 3 means students are in a good place to take one of our options at Key Stage 4 where they can choose between Computer Science or Creative iMedia.
Here at St Augustine’s, we are committed to making the use of ICT central to the whole school curriculum. The ICT department also runs a games design club and various Cyber Security clubs to provide students with opportunities to do extra-curricular projects outside their normal ICT lessons. There are numerous opportunities to take part in nationwide competitions and demonstrate the skills they have developed during their time at St Augustine’s.
Key Stage 3
In Years 7, 8 & 9, students follow a broad curriculum that prepares them for an active role in the digital world, instead of being passive consumers of opaque and mysterious technology. They not only learn the technical skills of using different tools, but their application in everyday life too.
Year 7
Term 1: Getting Started/E-Safety
Term 2: Algorithms and Computational Thinking (Bebras Competition)
Term 3: Scratch Programming
Term 4: Lifting the Lid
Term 5: Multimedia Project (Escape Rooms/School Disco)
Term 6: Multimedia Project continued
Year 8
Term 1: Computer Networks
Term 2: Computer Networks and the Bebras Competition
Term 3: Python Programming
Term 4: E-Safety (Fake News) and start of APP Inventor
Term 5: APP Inventor
Term 6: HTML and CSS
Year 9
Term 1: E-Safety (Digital Footprints) and Careers in IT
Term 2: Visual Basic Programming
Term 3: Pre-production skills (planning a multimedia product)
Term 4: Multimedia Project (creating a multimedia product)
Term 5: Game Maker
Term 6: JavaScript Programming
GCSE Computer Science
At Key Stage 4, students learn to solve increasingly demanding problems and use more complex information from a wide range of sources in a variety of contexts. They have the option of taking either:
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GCSE Computer Science (technical option) - learn more about the course at ocr.org.uk
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Creative iMedia (creative option)
Year 10
Term 1: Unit 1.1 Systems Architecture, Unit 1.3 – Computer Networks, connections and protocols
Term 2: Unit 1.2 Memory and Storage, Unit 1.3 – Computer Networks, connections and protocols
Term 3: Unit 1.2 Memory and Storage, Unit 1.4 Network Security
Term 4: Unit 1.4 Network Security, Unit 1.5 Systems Software
Term 5: Unit 1.6 Ethical, legal, cultural and environmental concerns, Unit 2.1 Algorithms
Term 6: Unit 1.6 Ethical, legal, cultural and environmental concerns, Unit 2.1 Algorithms, Programming Project Practical Task
Year 11
Term 1: Unit 2.1 Algorithms, Programming Project Practical Task
Term 2: Unit 2.2 Programming Fundamentals, Programming Project Practical Task
Term 3: Unit 2.3 Producing Robust Programs
Term 4: Unit 2.4 Boolean Logic
Term 5: Unit 2.5 Programming Languages and IDE’s, Exam Practice
Creative iMedia
Year 10
Terms 1 - 4: Unit R081 – Pre-production Documents, Unit R082 – Creating Digital Graphics
Terms 5 & 6: Unit R087 – Storytelling with a Comic Strip
Year 11
Terms 1 & 2: R087 – Storytelling with a Comic Strip, R082 – Creating Digital Graphics
Terms 3 & 4: R084 – Creating Interactive Multimedia Products, R082 – Creating Digital Graphics
Term 5: Finalising unit work for submission
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