The aim at Bromley High School is that pupils should be able to enter employment or further education with a working knowledge and understanding of ICT. Our purpose is to deliver ICT through a variety of activities: practical work, writing up details, observing consequences of modelling, talking, listening to each other in group work, discussion and basic skills teaching.

Year 7

All girls study ICT at Key Stage 3 as a discrete subject and we encourage them to become competent and confident users of ICT. The course is designed to consolidate and extend ICT skills which have been learned in junior school as well as introducing new concepts to challenge pupils.

Year 7 girls have three sessions of ICT which are delivered fortnightly in half form groups. A single session is devoted to a “Touch Typing” course where learning is structured in a relaxed, non-stressful environment. Throughout this course, girls are tested for speed, accuracy and dexterity. In addition, key topics are accommodated for other curriculum areas.

In the other two sessions of ICT, pupils develop skills using software applications – word processing, database, spreadsheet, presentation and graphical representation of data using Microsoft Office, desktop publishing using Microsoft Publisher and Logo. The course is structured to accommodate the differing capabilities of pupils who are encouraged to use software effectively and efficiently to produce documents which demonstrate a high standard of presentation and accuracy.

Word processing – Pupils are encouraged to produce documents using their newly-acquired keyboarding skills to best advantage. Great emphasis is placed on correct procedures for:
paragraphs
headings
inserting/deleting text
moving text
changing margins/format
use of spellcheck/grammarcheck
page breaks/page numbering
search and replace
using format painter.
Database - Pupils are expected to have acquired an understanding of terminology and the uses to which databases can be put. They should demonstrate the following skills by the end of the year:
setting up fields
allocating data types
adding records
adjusting columns and row widths
deleting/inserting records
amending records
sorting records
searching records using and/or
previewing and printing records including selected fields.

Spreadsheets – By the end of the year, pupils should be able to:
understanding terminology
set up a spreadsheet and amend where necessary
use formulae to add, subtract, multiply and divide
replicate formulae
insert new rows/columns
add gridlnes
preview/print
set up graphs – pie, bar, comparative bar, line

Desktop publishing – Emphasis is placed on the:
layout of documents
importing text and clipart using text/picture boxes
style and size of fonts
use of wizards
subtle use of colour

Drawing using Paint – pupils are taught to create their own designs with the use of tools, paint effects and text.

Presentation – pupils are taught how to develop and deliver a presentation to their class using Powerpoint software on a theme from Biology lessons.

Logo – pupils are taught to create instructions and procedures which enable shapes to be drawn and moved around a computer screen.

Assessment - Testing at the end of the Year 7 through a Level 1 Key Skills test enables the Department to assess the current attainment of individual pupils in ICT. This mark, together marks awarded for assessment at the end of each module, provides the end of year final mark which appears on the summer report.

Homework for 30 minutes is set each week. This may involve a task on a worksheet to consolidate and extend work done in class or girls may be required to carry out independent research in preparation for a forthcoming lesson. Tasks set for homework will be marked out of ten where appropriate. Marks will be deducted for mistakes or incorrect answers but generally marks of eight and above are considered to be good or very good. Comments and explanations will be annotated on work where errors occur. Most homework tasks will contain an extension task to stretch the more able pupil. An understanding of ICT terminology and the uses of ICT in the wider community are important aspects of ICT in Year 7 which will be delivered mainly through homework tasks. Information on achievement and effort throughout the course will be conveyed through reports and at Parents’ Evenings.

Year 8

ICT during Year 8 is allocated two lessons a fortnight and encompasses a more subjective approach to the use of the software available within the Department. Lessons are designed to be challenging and to build on the skills developed in Year 7. Revision and further development of software skills are interspersed with projects introduced from subjects across the curriculum and involve, for example, spreadsheets/word processing and graphs for Chemistry, newsletters for History and a Moon presentation for Physics using sophisticated features of Powerpoint software.

The project-based approach gives pupils the opportunity to develop individual skills and expertise and to maximise their potential as well as to work independently or with a partner. Emphasis is placed not only on the final differentiated outcome but also on the process of research and investigation to encourage use of the Internet, which is unlimited but filtered, and CD-ROMs. Topics include the development on an interactive quiz using advanced spreadsheet features, image manipulation, developing a database and mail merge.

ICT across the curriculum is an encouraging and expanding development. Departments which deliver aspects of their curriculum through ICT lessons bring a degree of contextualisation and equality of opportunity to programmes of study. It is anticipated that pupils using ICT within subject areas will benefit from advantages such as increased levels of motivation and interest in lessons, the ability to display data in a variety of ways to aid understanding and analysis and the use of spell-checking to support spelling development.

Assessment Assessment for each module of work is standardised across the Department. Towards the end of the year, pupils are assessed on their understanding of software applications using a Key Skills Level 2 test. Information on achievement and effort is conveyed at Parents’ Evening and in the end of year report.

Homework is set as and when necessary as a research task or preparation for a forthcoming lesson. Aspects of ICT within the community and its social implications are considered as part of the scheme of homework tasks. Pupils are encouraged to be aware of how ICT can affect their lives both in School and in the wider world and what is at the leading edge of technology. ICT topics in the news are displayed within the Department.

Year 9

In Year 9, lessons in ICT broadly follow the National Framework. The core centres around research skills, identifying appropriate sources and appraising their validity, developing and monitoring systems and communicating information in an effective manner.

The majority of tasks will be delivered through project work, for example modelling using spreadsheet software, controlling systems using Flowol software, creating websites using Frontpage and HTML and producing an information booklet for a specific target audience using desktop publishing software.

Homework is usually set once a week and will comprise a task to consolidate learning or preparation for a forthcoming lesson. Work is marked according to set criteria and is standardised across the Department. Information on achievement and effort is conveyed at Parents’ Evening and in the end of year report.

Differentiation Extension tasks are always available for girls who finish set work before the end of lessons. As well as using ICT during timetabled lessons, girls are actively encouraged to transfer their ICT skills to all other areas of the curriculum and to become autonomous users of ICT. All pupils have the opportunity to work in the ICT Department during break, at lunch-times and after School where resources and facilities are available for the completion of homework and to encourage extra-curricular studies. When working with computers and in the computer rooms, it is imperative that girls respect the rules which are designed for their own safety and the safety of others.

GCSE Options

With effect from September 2006, the ICT Department will be offering a choice of two GCSE full courses which aim to meet the needs of pupils at Bromley High School . Pupils may choose either:

GCSE Information and Communication Technology (AQA Spec A 3521)

Or

GCSE Business and Communication Systems (Edexcel 1504).

Whilst there are similarities within both courses, the overall emphasis of each course is significantly different.

GCSE Information and Communication Technology is a natural progression from Key Stage 3 ICT and provides a sound basis for AS/A2 Level ICT in the Sixth Form. The course encourages pupils to demonstrate their ability to:

• Reflect critically on the way they and others use ICT
• Discuss and review the impact of ICT applications in the wider world
• Consider the social, economic, political, legal, ethical and moral issues and security needs for data which surround the increasing use of ICT
• Develop understanding of the wider applications and effects of ICT
• Understand software applications and use them appropriately in a range of situations.

Scheme of Assessment

Project work comprises 60% of the overall marks and is designed to give pupils an opportunity to demonstrate their ICT capability.

For the AQA-set assignment, AQA provides a realistic situation which pupils study in order to identify what they need to do to provide appropriate solutions. For example, a pupil might be expected to create a web site to advertise a concert, produce a spreadsheet of income and expenditure and design the programme. The second project requires pupils to design a system of their own choice to be used in a realistic situation. This could take the form of a relational database which can store details and be searched to retrieve information.

GCSE Business and Communication Systems brings together the subjects of ICT and Business.

The Course has a considerable ICT content which is a natural progression from Key Stage 3 and gives a good basis for AS/A2 Level ICT or Business in the Sixth Form.

You will enjoy this course if you want to study a subject that is relevant to the world you live in and to your future and gives you the opportunity to develop your ICT skills.

The course takes a practical approach (skills which will benefit other subjects also) and develops a theme of why businesses need to communicate, what methods of communication different businesses employ, what technology is available to facilitate communication and what constraints can inhibit communication. It considers organisational structure and how communication impinges on all stakeholders within a business organisation.

There are four key areas of study which focus on:

• The process of communication through paper, organisations, electronic and people
• Manual and electronic systems for data gathering, recording and presentation
• Different payment systems, the documents used in a business transaction and remuneration systems
• Legislation, health and safety, security of equipment and data and operational issues.

You will take two examination papers.

Paper 1 is a practical examination and is worth 35% of your overall mark. You will work on the computer and apply your knowledge of software applications to a scenario set by the examination board.

Paper 2 is a written examination and is worth 40% of your overall mark. It is based on a pre-released case study and covers all the theoretical topics studied.

You will hand in one piece of coursework (25%) in the form of a report on an investigation you have carried out into an organisation of your choice on one of the four key areas listed above. The coursework is designed to allow you to demonstrate your ICT and problem solving skills.

Business and Communication Systems is an ideal subject for developing a full range of skills. You will learn how to research information from different sources and present it in a variety of ways. You will gain experience of working with data, using statistics and ICT software such as word processing, databases, spreadsheets and graphics packages. You will also learn to review your own work and progress. These 'transferable' skills will be useful in your studies at GCSE and beyond and in the world of work.

A good grade at GCSE will help you to move on to study ICT or Business at Advanced Level.

Sixth Form

"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." Thomas Watson, Chairman of IBM, 1943

"I can assure you that data processing is a fad that won't last out the year." Business books editor, Prentice Hall, 1957

"But what is it (the microchip) good for?" IBM Engineer, 1968

"There is no reason why anyone would want a computer in their home." Ken Olsen, founder - Digital Equipment Corporation, 1977

"640K ought to be enough for anybody." Bill Gates, 1981

Even the most eminent people can get it wrong!

Why do ICT?

ICT is becoming increasingly important in today's world. At Advanced Level, you are given the opportunity to get a foothold in this competitive environment. Whether you are considering a career in the computer industry/ICT or not, computers will be involved at some point along the way and having a strong qualification such as this will help you progress infinitely quicker than most. On completion of the course, you will have learned advanced software skills and acquired a deep insight into many of the impacts ICT has on organisations, society and the wider world.

What does ICT cover?

The course is modular and covers many areas of ICT including: the control of information, the social impact, the legal framework, data security and backup procedures, data protection, network environments, disaster recovery, the human-computer interface, management information systems, software and database design. Skills that are developed include analytical and logical thinking, communication with others, time management and problem solving.

What does the course involve?

AS and A2 both comprise three modules. Two modules per year are assessed through a terminal examination in June and the third module is coursework which is 40% of the total mark. This coursework is based around using ICT to solve a real-life problem that you identify yourself. You are encouraged to seek out a business or organisation that you know that does not use computers but, rather, relies heavily on inefficient, paper-based systems. You then analyse the situation and implement a design that will improve the current system. Projects carried out by our former students include a new Year 7 information system, Ski Trip database, Work Experience database, Baby Sitting Club, estimates and invoices for a stained-glass company and a booking and invoice task for a hairdressers.

What do students go on to do?

ICT opens doors to courses and careers in a world increasingly reliant on computers. Popular courses with recent students include those which combine ICT with management and business in particular. ICT also gives you an edge with most other career paths should you decide not to take the more obvious routes.

What specification is followed?

Examination Board: AQA
Advanced Subsidiary 5521, Advanced 6521