As part of the recently created department of Technology, the ICT & Computing branch of the department offers an exciting curriculum designed to equip pupils with the skills and knowledge needed for the workplace and further education. The department aims to equip young people for the increasingly technological world of work and to provide them with routes into the ICT & Computing industry. Learners demonstrate a positive enthusiasm for the subject and the department continues to evolve its ICT provision to ensure pupils are equipped to meet the ever changing needs of the technological age.  

A varied curriculum is offered which gives every pupil the opportunity to succeed.

OUR DEPARTMENT AIMS

  1. Stimulate curiosity, interest and enjoyment in the study of ICT.
  2. Raise pupil awareness of the ways in which ICT tools and information sources can help their work.
  3. Promote the use of ICT to produce work for other curriculum areas.
  4. Provide pupils with a rich ICT experience in preparation for modern society.

MACS has invested heavily in ICT – the school offers numerous equipped suites of networked PCs, all running Windows10 and Microsoft Office along with other industry recognised software.

ICT AT KEY STAGE 3

ICT is taught via discrete ICT lessons in Years 7 and 8, following National Curriculum guidelines. Pupils are taught to become increasingly independent users of ICT, aware of the way in which ICT tools and information sources can help them in their work. Pupils are encouraged to communicate their experiences, compare the use of ICT with other methods and discuss the wider impact of ICT on society. ICT is used to analyse and interpret data and produce new information from which conclusions may be drawn.  

The department concentrates on skills development in the areas of word processing, desktop publishing, spreadsheets and databases as well as graphics, video/sound editing and web design throughout Years 7 and 8.  Safe use of the Internet is also discussed along with how to search for information. This enables pupils to develop a growing awareness of the relevance and plausibility of information and begin to identify and question bias in sources.  

An introduction to coding, and the use of Micro:Bit and Scratch, in Years 7 and 8 offers pupils the chance to develop a more computational mindset, utilising thinking skills such as abstraction, decomposition, pattern matching, algorithm design, and data representation. Learners with these skills will be in high demand by all industrial, government, and academic sectors, not just information technology.

ICT AT KEY STAGE 4

The WJEC GCSE qualification in Digital Technology is newly introduced, and offers a broad-based qualification that allows learners to build on the digital skills, knowledge and understanding that is used both in our school and everyday lives. The qualification is designed for learners who wish to begin their journey towards a career that utilises digital technologies or to progress onto advanced level programmes of learning involving digital technologies.

The qualification will allow learners to develop their understanding of the range of digital technology systems at use in our connected and globalised society. It will also allow learners to explore the ever-evolving nature of digital technology systems and how these systems can be used productively, creatively and safely.

Course Content:

Unit 1 – Exam: In this unit learners will develop knowledge, skills and understanding in:

  • digital technology systems
  • the value of digital technology 
  • perspectives on digital technology. 

Learners will be given the opportunity to develop their knowledge and understanding of the six areas of content: 

  • Data 
  • Digital technology systems 
  • Digital communications
  • Impact of digital systems on organisations and individuals 
  • Securing data and systems 
  • Changing digital technologies 

Unit 2  – Coursework: In this unit learners will develop digital products. Learners will be required to use appropriate technical skills to develop digital products. The logging of issues, problems, hurdles and solutions will allow the assessment of the learners ability to develop a digital product that meets the identified needs, trends or audience. Learners will test their completed digital products to remove errors and bugs. Learners will produce a document evaluating the extent to which the data-informed digital product has satisfied the identified needs, trends and audience. 

Learners will be given the opportunity to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding of the five areas of content:

  • Data organisation
  • Data analytics 
  • Planning digital products
  • Developing digital products
  • Evaluating completed digital products

Unit 3 – Coursework: In this unit learners will develop knowledge, skills and understanding in:

  • social media and online marketing communications
  • creating digital assets and planning digital communications

Learners will be given the opportunity to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding of the four areas of content:

  • Forms of online marketing communications
  • Impact of online marketing communications 
  • Creating digital assets 
  • Planning digital communications