Curriculum - Information Communication Technology (ICT)

Information Communication Technology has become an integral part of our every day lives.

At Redwood Park we recognise the importance of developing skills involved when using computers and strive towards giving the pupils knowledge, experience and confidence to use up-to-date technology across the curriculum. Pupils from Years 7 to 11 are all taught I.C.T as a subject and cover a range of skills from typing to recognising computer components and will use software ranging from simple word processing to more complex packages. I.C.T is implemented across the whole curriculum; to meet the demands by other subjects the school provides pupils access to two designated computer suites, mobile laptops used in the English Department as well as further computers in all classrooms, giving the school in excess of 80 workstations in total. Several classrooms now have an Interactive SMART Board giving a whole new dimension to lessons.

Our overarching aim is to enable pupils to use computers as a natural tool with which to produce high quality work.

Aims:

1. Develop, maintain and stimulate pupil’s curiosity, interest and enjoyment in ICT
2. Develop appropriate ICT skills, concepts, principles, methods and vocabulary both in the pupils and staff.
3. Show pupils the wide-ranging and flexible nature of the use of ICT.
4. Ensure progression in the acquisition of ICT skills.
5. Enable all pupils to have equal access to ICT.
6. Allow pupils to develop transferable skills and informed opinions about their use of ICT and support these with reasoned arguments.
7. Encourage all subject teachers to see how ICT and their subject expertise fit together to enable the teaching of ICT as well as how ICT can support and enhance their own scheme of work.
8. Support all staff in their need to develop confidence and strategies in using ICT within their teaching, recognising that INSET and support for staff are vital if pupils are to progress in ICT capability.
9. Recognise that ICT is an essential part of the overall Development Plan of the school.

Objectives:

1. Information Technology is primarily a tool to be used for communication, exploration and expression of ideas and facts; it is not an end in itself.
2. It includes a range of tools that should become increasingly natural for pupils to use in the course of producing high-quality work. The pupils are trained to become increasingly autonomous in selecting work to do and the software they choose to use.
3. Every pupil, regardless of gender or ability, is entitled to a curriculum that includes a full range of Information & Communication Technology.
4. The presentation of ICT to pupils is 'needs' led so that they are genuinely motivated to gain ICT capability for themselves. As far as possible, skills are taught in a suitable context.
5. Peer tutoring is explicitly encouraged.
6. We make full use of the motivational benefits of ICT, in a number of ways. The medium itself has an attraction for many pupils and often the presentation of traditional material can be enhanced using this.
7. Pupils should see all members of staff using ICT as a natural tool for communicating in different ways.

External Accreditation:

Pupils in Years 9, 10 and 11 have the opportunity to gain accreditation via the AQA Unit Award Scheme.

	The AQA Unit Award Scheme provides the opportunity to give students formal recognition of their success in short units of work.
	This recognition of success has been shown to motivate students and improve their performance.