ICT at
AAESS
Information Technology is carefully managed
and planned so that you are taught important basic skills as
soon as you join the school. You will be taught ICT skills that
progressively build on each other so that you learn how and when
to use ICT for specific tasks. In Year 7 you will be given an
introduction to computers and how to make the best use of our
network. You will rapidly become familiar with the wide range of
software available in the school. You are actively encouraged to
use computers across the curriculum and to use spreadsheets,
databases and word processing as an integral part of your
studies.
ICT is taught through many subjects throughout the school and
you will soon find that you are using computers for studying and
investigating a wide range of topics.
Key Stage
Three
All students in years seven, eight and nine study information
and communications technology as part of a discrete, planned,
timetabled programme taught by a specialist. The department
curriculum is closely tied in with the National Curriculum for
England and our schemes of work have been revised in the light
of the revised framework.
Students work on relevant and meaningful assignments of varying
lengths which strike a balance between skills and process foci.
Wherever possible ICT assignments are tied into work from other
subjects, to the benefit of the ICT and contributory subject
curriculum, and of course the student. In addition, year 9
students are prepared for the challenge of GCSE IT through
appropriate project-work. Teachers from many subjects are
increasingly booking the IT suites in which to work on subject
related material with their students, to great success. ICT
really has become cross-curricular!
Key Stage 3
ICT in Years 8 and 9
Key Stage 3 Information and Communication Technology
The National Curriculum states that during Years 7, 8 and 9 you
should be given opportunities, where appropriate, to develop and
use ICT. In particular you will learn:
•
How to communicate information through word processing and desk
top publishing e.g. typing and editing a story or creating your
own newspaper.
•
How to handle information through the use of databases e.g.
keeping a record of the week's weather or names and details of
members of a school club.
•
How to use a computer to model a real world event and predict
the outcome of changes e.g. using a spreadsheet to keep details
of a business and then changing the prices of goods to look at
changes in profits.
• When is a good thing to use ICT and when other methods are
more appropriate.
• Some of the social, economic, ethical and moral issues raised
by using ICT e.g. what personal data about you is saved on a
computer and who should be allowed to see it?
By the end of Year 9 you should know:
• how to use a computer and different software programs
• how ICT can help you study and learn in different subjects
• how ICT can provide important information
• when ICT may not provide all the answers you need
• how ICT is used in the real world
• how ICT is used for communicating information around the
world
Will there be an IT exam?
There is no exam for Key Stage 3 ICT although your work will be
assessed by a variety of teachers. Some teachers may set a
small test at the end of a particular piece of work to assess
your knowledge of ICT.
Your teachers will award you a level for your use of ICT on a
scale of 1 to 8. By the end of Key Stage 3 you should be in the
range of level 3 to 7. What you have to achieve for a specific
level will be described by your teachers at the start of an ICT
lesson.
Information
and Communication Technology (0417)
IGSCE
Information Technology
Examination Board
Cambridge International Examinations Board
There are few areas
of modern life not affected by computer technology.
The course aims to
develop each student’s skills base in a range of software
applications and widen their knowledge and understanding of the
role of ICT in the world today.
The International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE)
is the world's most popular international qualification for
14–16 year olds. It develops successful students, giving them
excellent preparation for their next steps in education,
including progression to A and AS Level study, and equips them
with skills for immediate employment. Cambridge IGCSE is
recognised by universities and employers worldwide.
Course Aims
Students will be
able to:
a) Experience a
range of software applications
b) Develop their
information technology skills in order to enhance their work in
a variety of subject areas;
c) Develop
understanding of how information technology systems work;
d) Consider the
impact of new technologies on methods of working in the outside
world and on social, economic, ethical and moral issues;
e) Grow in their
awareness of the ways in which Information Technology is used in
practical and work-related situations.
Course Components
The subject will
be taught through 8 interrelated units of study -
1 Component of a
Computer System
2 Input and Output
Devices
3 Storage Devices
and Media
4 Computer Networks
5 Data Types
6 The Effects of
Using IT
7 The ways in which
IT is used
8 Systems Analysis
and Design
By the end of the course students should be able to:
1. Use e-mail and
the Internet to gather and communicate information;
2. Use word
processing facilities to prepare documents;
3. Use database
facilities to manipulate data to solve problems and represent
data graphically;
4. Use a
spreadsheet to create and test a data model, extracting and
summarising data;
5. Create a
structured website with style sheets, tables and hyperlinks;
6. Create and
control an interactive presentation.
Students should be able to demonstrate knowledge and
understanding in relation to:
1. The functions
of the main hardware and software components of computer
systems;
2. The networking
of information-processing systems;
3. The ways in
which information technology is used in the wider world and the
effects of its use in daily life;
4. The stages and
methods of system analysis and design;
5. Computing
terminology.
Assessment
The course will be
assessed in the form of 3 papers.
All students will
be entered for all papers.
A written paper of
120 marks will assess knowledge and understanding of the
subject. Two practical tests will assess practical skills.
The weighting will be 40% knowledge and understanding, 60%
practical
Levels of
Entry
The aims of the curriculum are the same for all candidates.
Pupils are assessed within the full range of grades A*- G.
Considerations for Entry on Course
Candidate must have a keen interest in learning different ways
of tackling problems
Responsibilities of the Student
Students will be
responsible for handing work in according to deadlines set.
Although there is no formal coursework in this subject, students
will complete extended projects during each year of the course.
It is beneficial to have access to both the Internet and a
standard office package (word processing, database, spreadsheet
and presentation software) at home.
Applied Information and Communication Technology
AS and A Level
Cambridge
International Examinations Board
9713
Students following
this syllabus will develop, and learn to apply, a broad range of
ICT skills, while also gaining an understanding of the way ICT
is used in the world of work. The syllabus introduces students
to the structure and use of ICT systems within a wide range of
organisations, including the use of a variety of computer
networks. As a result, students learn about ICT system life
cycles, and how these affect the workplace. They also gain an
understanding of the wider impact of ICT on society in general.
AS Level
PRACTICAL SKILLS
At AS level candidates should be able to:
1. Select
appropriate software for the task;
2. communicate
effectively with other ICT users using e-mail and search for
appropriate
information using
the internet;
3. prepare, create,
amend and edit documents and interactive presentations;
4. create both
flat-file and relational database structures, add data, check
the data entry, perform
searches,
reorganise data by sorting and present calculated values based
on the data;
5. create graphs
and charts;
6. integrate data
from several sources;
7. output data in
different forms;
8. create and test
a data model using a spreadsheet, extract and summarise data in
a variety of forms.
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At AS level candidates should be able to demonstrate knowledge
and understanding in relation to:
1. the functions
and uses of the main hardware and software components of ICT
systems including portable communication systems;
2. the ways in
which organizations' use ICT;
3. the impact on
society of the use of ICT in the home;
4. the stages of
the systems life cycle and the methods used within each of these
stages;
5. ICT and
computing terminology.
A2 Level
PRACTICAL SKILLS
At A2 level candidates should be able to fulfill all of the
practical skills from AS level and:
1. create a mail
merged document using a word processor and data handling
package;
2. create an
automated procedure which enables a user to select both the
required document and the data to merge it with;
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At A2 level
candidates should be able to demonstrate all the knowledge and
understanding from AS level and extend their knowledge and
understanding in relation to:
1. the ways in
which an extensive range of Organisations use information and
communication technology;
2. the impact on
society of the use of a wide range of ICT online applications;
3. the networking
of information-processing systems and the use of online
services;
