Subject
Information and Communication Technology
Ks3 About ICT is a broad subject that equips learners to use technology effectively in their lives – whether it is for personal, educational, community, social or business purposes. It has the potential to be a powerful enabler of transformation, equipping our learners to make invaluable contributions to society. To do this, they need to understand the tools they are using, develop the skills to make wise decisions and gain the confidence to use technology as a means to finding innovative solutions to problems that would otherwise be unachievable or have less effective or less efficient solutions. Learners, who will ultimately be our leaders and agents for change, should understand ICT, be enabled to design tools for action and be able to think creatively about where ICT can support interventions. There are three main areas that will be taught in ICT: Digital literacy – ability to access, use and express themselves using digital technology, including a critical understanding of technology’s impact on the individual and society Information technology – covers the use and application of digital systems to develop technological solutions purposefully and creatively Computer science – explains how computers work, how they are designed and programmed, and the fundamental principles of information and computation Assessment Arrangements Students will complete end of topic tests which will go towards their end of year result. The topics covered are: How computers work Office products Simple programming Other applications Year 9 students (sets 4 to 7) will sit in January an external Level 2 Functional Skills in ICT examination. It is a 2 hour practical examination with 50 marks in total. There are two sections in the examination. First section involves using the internet to find and select information. Second section involves working with numbers, creating a digital product and using communication tools.