“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 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. ICT capability is fundamental to participation and engagement in modern society.

ICT can be used to find, develop, analyse and present information, as well as to model situations and solve problems. ICT enables rapid access to ideas and experiences from a wide range of people, communities and cultures, and allows pupils to collaborate and exchange information on a wide scale. ICT acts as a powerful force for change in society, and citizens should have an understanding of the social, ethical, legal and economic implications of its use, including how to use ICT safely and responsibly. Increased capability in the use of ICT supports initiative and independent learning, as pupils are able to make informed judgements about when and where to use ICT to enhance their learning and the quality of their work.”

The National Curriculum for England

DFES/ QCA

Enrichment

A wide range of enrichment activities is available.

• Students are engaged in supporting a wide variety of ICT projects
• Students provide a video recording service to the school
• Students provide sound recording of events and authoring of podcasts
• ICT rooms are staffed for additional study at lunchtimes and after school
• All students are provided with email accounts
• All students are provided with their own password protected website
• The ICT department provide home – school access to resources and courses
• Students are engaged in projects which interact with global communities
• Students are invited to join enrichment activities such as our ICT clubs for animation and creating computer games.

Information and Communication Technology

ICT offers opportunities for students to:

• participate in a rapidly changing world in which work and other activities are increasingly transformed by access to varied and developing technologies.
• develop initiative and independent learning skills;
• gain rapid access to ideas and experiences from a wide range of people, communities and cultures.

Course overview.

There are a number of key concepts that underpin the study of ICT.

1. Capability

Students use a range of ICT tools in a purposeful way to tackle questions, solve problems and create ideas and solutions of value. They explore and use new ICT tools as they become available. They apply ICT learning in a range of contexts and in other areas of learning, work and life.

The increased capability in the use of ICT promotes initiative and independent learning, with students being able to make informed judgements about when and where to use ICT to best effect, and to consider its implications for home and work both now and in the future.

2. Communication and collaboration

Students explore the ways that ICT can be used to communicate, collaborate and share ideas on a global scale, allowing people to work together in new ways and changing the way in which knowledge is created.

3. Exploring ideas and manipulating information

Students solve problems creatively by using ICT to explore ideas and try alternatives. They use ICT to model different scenarios, allowing people to identify patterns and test hypotheses. Students can also manipulate information and process large quantities of data efficiently.

4. Impact of technology

Students explore how ICT changes the way we live our lives and how it has significant social, ethical and cultural implications. Students learn how to recognise the issues of risk, safety and responsibility surrounding the use of ICT.

5. Critical evaluation

Students recognise that information must not be taken at face value, but must be analysed and evaluated to take account of its purpose, author, currency and context. They are also capable of reviewing and reflecting critically on what they and others produce using ICT.

Content of ICT at Key Stage 3.

ICT is a vital part of a student’s education and all students in years 7-11 have at least one period of ICT per week either timetabled or as part of a cross curricular activity.

Key Stage 3: Years 7, 8 and 9

At Key Stage 3 the ICT lesson may not be a weekly event but will still total over 30 hours of ICT across each year group. The school is well equipped with computer rooms that ensure pupils do not have to share a computer when developing their ICT skills.

In Year 7 and 8 students are taught in their normal curriculum lessons with support from ICT teachers. They cover many different aspects of ICT such as desktop publishing, website design, animation and presentation techniques.

Year 9 pupils are taught through timetabled ICT lessons that take place once a week. The students follow a structured course in Year 9 which includes the teaching of the following applications:

• Spreadsheets – from basic to advanced techniques
• Control using Logo
• Desktop Publishing
• Presentation techniques
• Database design
• Control devices
• Video and Music editing
• The application of ICT in the real world

“ICT has enormous potential as it changes the way we learn as well as the way we work.”

GCSE ICT

The department offers two exam options at Key Stage 4:

1. ICT Nationals Level 2 – a vocational ICT option with no theory exam.
2. ICT Diploma Level 2. This exam prepares students with the skills, knowledge and understanding required for work in the information and communication technology sector.

OCR Nationals in ICT

The OCR Level 2 Nationals in ICT are the vocational equivalent to GCSE which are heavily based on workplace practices.

The students carry out a range of tasks that have been designed to recognise their achievements in a modern, practical way that is relevant to the workplace. However, students can still progress to A level from this course should they wish to do so. All units are centre-assessed and externally moderated by OCR. The full award and units from this qualification are graded as Pass, Merit or Distinction.

Students will study a range of ICT topics including:

• ICT skills for business
• Web-page creation
• Design and produce multimedia products
• Desktop publishing
• Spreadsheets – design and everyday use
• Databases – application in the real world
• Video and Sound editing

Level 2 Diploma in ICT

The Diploma in ICT allows students to apply their learning in business settings. To complete the Diploma, learners must have access to business environments; this not only brings the subject to life, but offers vital opportunities for students with practical skills to research and implement solutions to IT problems.

Course aim

The Diploma in ICT aims to:

• Develop a broad understanding and knowledge of ICT, and to teach a range of relevant skills
• Encourage learners to deepen and extend their learning into specialist areas
• Strengthen each learner’s generic learning skills.

Diplomas are intended to prepare young people both for Higher Education and employment by giving them an understanding of how particular employment sectors work and by giving them some broad employability skills.

Information Communication Technology at A Level

At A level we offer the OCR Applied ICT course. Students study a total of six modules in the lower sixth year to complete the AS course and three modules in the upper sixth to complete the A level. There is just one exam paper.

The following topics are studied:

• Using ICT to Communicate – looking at real world practical examples of ICT
• How Organisations use ICT (Theory – exam with a practical dimension)
• ICT solutions for individuals and Society
• Creating your own Multimedia CD Rom
• Developing and creating websites
• Working to a brief – documenting an ICT project

ICT Resources and our Mac Computers

“A new generation of students expects a learning environment that integrates today’s digital tools, accommodates a mobile lifestyle, adapts to individual learning styles and encourages collaboration and teamwork.”

The aim of the Netherhall School is to promote excellence in educational technology, learning and advanced skills coupled with the creative application of Information and Communications Technology in teaching. This ensures that teachers bring learning to life with digital technology. Students get to use the very latest Mac computers that are now widely used in Higher Education institutes.

Our Mac computers provide a wide variety of easily integrated solutions for all our educational needs and the Macs work seamlessly alongside PCs. Files can be easily transferred between Mac and PCs and the full Microsoft Office applications are installed on all Mac computers in the school. As well as a personal email account, USB devices, and iPods can all be connected to our computers so student work can be easily moved between school and home.

Apple technology is famously easy to use, and students new to the sixth form will learn quickly and intuitively how to use our computers and the technology will not get in the way of the creative process.

Additional Exam Information

For more in-depth information about the ICT courses click here.