I.C.T

Head of Department:
Miss Sarah Redman

Phone: 01904 415906

Head of Department: Miss Sarah Redman

2nd i/c of ICT: Miss Lindsay Wood

Teachers of ICT: Mr Martin Charlton and Mr Lee Gladstone

The ICT department now has 4 fully equipped ICT suites available for the department and cross curricular subjects. All suites are fully networked offering a wide variety of hardware and software for the students to experience and learn new skills. Each suite has its own SMART board to offer more interactive lessons.

Key Stage 3

Lessons are focused on the National Strategy for ICT. Teachers within the department use the strategy to develop interactive, dynamic lessons where the students get to participate and work in small groups following a practical approach. Assessment takes the form of teacher observation, peer assessment and formal assessment procedures. The department is also fully committed to the introduction of APP as a form of assessment. Year 9 is focused upon getting the students ready for GCSE. Schemes of work are based around ‘The Deep’ where students get the opportunity to visit the aquarium at the beginning of year 9 where GCSE based tasks are then completed when they return to the classroom.

Throughout key stage 3 students are taught functional skills, they then get the opportunity to sit a formal exam with the intention of receiving a qualification in functional skills at the end of year 9.

Key Stage 4

All students at Burnholme Community College have the opportunity to study ICT at Key stage 4. Students receive 3 hours per week being taught by specialist teachers. Students who particularly enjoy ICT can opt for extra ICT where they receive 6 hours per week. Students enjoy the subject and have proven to be very successful in their academic studies with last year’s cohort achieving 98% grade ‘C’ or above.

The successful ICT department now offers the full range of courses from the OCR Nationals qualifications. Students can achieve up to 4 GCSE’s in the subject and it is very popular and liked by all. The course has been developed to recognise student’s skills, knowledge and understanding of Information and Communication Technology functions, environments and operations. 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.

Assessment

There are no exams for this qualification, students complete units of work in school which is then assessed by an external moderator.

Routes to Qualification

There are various routes for students to take in order to achieve a qualification in the subject. Students can study for the following qualifications:

Qualification	Number of GCSE’s
National First Award in ICT	1
National Award in ICT	2
National First Certificate in ICT	3
National Certificate in ICT *	4

* This can only be taken if students opt for the extra ICT option

Qualification Routes

Most students will aim to achieve the National Award in ICT (2 GCSE’s). If students show promise during their studies they will be encouraged to achieve the National First Certificate in ICT (3 GCSE’s).

Students who opt for ICT on their option block will automatically be entered for the National Certificate in ICT (4 GCSE’s). In order to be selected for the course students must achieve a minimum level 5 in ICT at the end of year 9. Due to the popularity of the course students may need to participate in an interview with the Head of ICT to secure a place. There will be a maximum of 20 students in the group.