Curriculum Intent
In IT lessons students acquire the skills and abilities needed to engage positively with the digital and global world alongside ICT skills that make creative use of a variety of resources including traditional and digital technologies, and how these all help improve the world around them. Our aim for students, upon completion of the curriculum, is for them to be digitally literate so that they are able to express themselves and develop their ideas through information technology, at a level that is suitable for the future workplace and as active participants in the digital world
In CS lessons students are taught the principles of problem solving and computation, which prepares them to solve the problems of tomorrow, by developing learner’s knowledge, skills and understanding through key computational concepts and experience. They develop understanding for all the technology that surrounds them by not just understanding how computer systems work, but how to put this knowledge to use through programming and problem solving.
Curriculum Features
In Key stage 3 students experience a wide range of topics, based on improving knowledge, skills and understanding in both Computer Science and Interactive Media. They will specifically look at how a computer works, how computers function within a network, computational thinking and making webpages using HTML alongside programming using Python to provide solutions for particular situations.
In key stage 4 students will choose to follow either a creative or a computing pathway.
Computer Science offers students the opportunity to learn about how computers are physically built, ways in which they can be physically optimised, how they are configured to solve problems and ways communication takes place between networked devices as well as how to code in multiple programming languages and environments.
Information Technology offers a broad understanding and offers the opportunity to build practical software solutions to work related tasks. Students build a holistic set of skills which can be used to build and configure software applications for a variety of purposes. They learn how to plan tasks around logistical factors and make solutions to meet a defined client’s needs.
Overview
Year 7
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Autumn |
Spring |
Summer |
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Area of study: |
Digital Passport/Computer Hardware |
Computer Hardware/Software |
Networks |
Computational Thinking |
Programming HTML |
Programming CSS and JavaScript |
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What should they know? |
Students will study: How to use the school internet and computer system safely
The role and functions of different components included within a computer |
Students will study: Different input and output devices
Different types of software and their functions (linked to hardware)
The purpose and functionality of both an operating system and utility software |
Students will study: Hardware and software components that make up a computer system
How computers communicate with one another and computer systems
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Students will study: How instructions are stored and executed within a computer system
Computational abstractions that model real world problems
How to use a programming language to solve computational problems |
Students will study: What HTML is and what it is used for.
Simple tags and how these are structured within a HTML page.
How to look for errors within code and what to do to correct them so that they achieve the desired outcome |
Students will study: How to add Javascript into their HTML pages
How to make HTML pages more interactive and user friendly
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What should they be able to do? |
Students will be able to: Explain how to keep themselves safe when using the internet and social media and how they can keep their own work safe on the school network
Explain what is inside the case of a standard computer - what does each item do and how it relates to other items including peripherals |
Students will be able: Explain the difference between operating systems and utility software
Categorise peripherals into either input or output devices
Identify how the fetch decode execute cycle works and which items of hardware and software are involved in the process. |
Students will be able to: Identify what a network is
identify what is needed to link computers together to share resources.
Draw different layouts of how networks can be put together.
Explain the differences between wired and wireless networks |
Students will be able to: Define abstraction, decomposition and algorithm and apply them to given situations
Identify how a flow chart works and be able to draw one using information.
Identify and explain different types of errors that occur in programming. |
Students will be able to: Use simple HTML tags to produce a basic webpage
Add images, formatting, tables and bullet lists into their coding to enhance the outcome |
Students will be able to: Update an existing page to include CSS and interactivity using examples of simple JavaScript
Add a user form for people to fill in on a web page. |
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Key vocabulary |
Peripherals, hardware, CPU, motherboard, VDU, hard drive, graphics card, RAM, Secondary storage |
RAM, Secondary storage, Input device, output devices, fetch-decode-execute cycle, IPOS, software, applications, operating systems, defragmentation |
Topology, network, Bus, Star, Mesh, LAN, WAN, Wireless, Fibre optic, copper cables, Wifi, NIC, WAP |
Decomposition, abstraction, pattern recognition, algorithm, input/output, decision, terminator, processing, flow chart, syntax, logic |
World wide web, tags, formatting, HTML, internet, home page, site map, menu, URL, body, head, IP address |
Interactivity, buttons, functionality, multimedia, CSS, layout |
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Assessment |
Formal assessment of hardware
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End of unit written assessment including hardware and software |
Series of google quizzes to check understanding as the unit progresses.
Formal assessment of networks |
Series of tasks put together to form the assessment for this unit of study |
Quizzes to check understanding of each new idea presented
Formal assessment of HTML |
End of unit assessment to be completed on the topic including the production of a web page
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Year 8
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Autumn |
Spring |
Summer |
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Area of study: |
E-Safety/ Computational Thinking |
Programming - Python Turtles |
Animation |
Graphics |
Digital Calculations |
Spreadsheets |
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What should they know? |
Students will study: How and when to use technology safely, respectfully, responsibly and securely
How to protect their online identity and privacy
Algorithms and how they translate into pseudocode
The key concepts of abstraction and decomposition and understand how they work in real life |
Student will study: How to write Python programs using variables and different conventions that make programs easier to read
How to write programs that use arithmetic operators and relational operators Students will study how different errors can occur within Python
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Students will study: Different animation type and the basic tools need to produce an animation
The ethical and legal implications of using existing and new components
Basic planning tools for a product and how these relate to a given client brief |
Students will study: How to manipulate graphics using a range of different tools
How to choose a graphic for a particular purpose.
The key concepts of visual identify, colour theory and branding
Diifferent types of compression and when to use them |
Students will study: How and why computers use Binary numbers.
How numbers are represented in binary and how to carry out simple operations on binary numbers.
How images are represented on a computer.
How sound is represented on a computer
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Students will study: How a spreadsheet is constructed and how to format data within it.
How to use simple arithmetic operators, formulas and functions to complete a spreadsheet
How to select data and charts to model different scenarios
How to use goal seeking and what if questions
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What should they be able to do? |
Students will be able to: Explain how to keep themselves safe online
Identify and explain cybersecurity and the threats of things like phishing and pharming
Use an algorithm and turn it into pseudocode.
Follow and write algorithms
Apply both concepts of abstraction and decomposition to a range of different scenarios |
Students will be able to: Use techniques to make programs easier to read, understand and maintain
Understand and identify simple errors within coding and how to fix them
Read, write analyse and refine programs written in a high level programming language |
Students will be able to: Use a range of planning tools such as a moodboard, mindmap and storyboard
Identify different ethical and legal aspect with using existing components
Produce both 2D and 3D animations using Animaker and FlipAnimate
Identify different types of animation and what they would be used to produce |
Students will be able to: Use a range of planning tools such as a moodboard, mindmap and visualisation diagrams
Understand the graphics may be copyright and subject to intellectual property
Identify the differences between vector and bitmap graphics
Produce a graphic following a client brief using a variety of different editing tools
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Students will be able to: Identify different number bases
Explain why computers use binary and link to switches
Convert denary to binary, binary to denary, binary to hexadecimal and hexadecimal to binary
Add 2 simple binary numbers together
Explain how bitmap images are represented
Explain how analogue sound is represented |
Students will be able to: Enter data into a spreadsheet, format it and manipulate it to answer what if questions.
Produce different charts from a spreadsheet setting each one out correctly.
Use relative cell references and absolute cell references in basic formulas. |
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Key vocabulary |
Sexting, phishing, pharming, malware, algorithm, flowchart, decomposition, abstraction, variable, constant, pseudocode, selection, sequence, iteration |
Python, IDLE, arithmetic operators, relational operators, logic, syntax and runtime eros, indentation, white space, selection, sequence, iteration, data types, for loops |
Cell animation, stop motion, CGI, 2D/3D, storyboard, tweening, frame rate, time frame, copyright, intellectual property, mind map, mood board, client brief |
Client brief, visualisation diagram, resize, resolution, compression, Lossy, lossless, vector, bitmap, graphic |
Binary, denary, hexadecimal, addition rules, switches, amplitude, resolution, file size, analogue, digital, sample rate, sample frequency, pixel, colour depth, bit depth. |
Row, column, function, formula, alignment, goal seek, chart, cell, absolute cell reference, sheet, workbook, format |
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Assessment |
Formal assessment of computational thinking
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Formal assessment of Python including a practical aspect. |
Production of a simple animation in response to a client brief |
Production of a simple graphic in response to a client brief |
Formal assessment of digital calculations |
Two formally assessed spreadsheet tasks to be added together to make a final grade |
Year 9 Computer Science
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Autumn |
Spring |
Summer |
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Area of study: |
Computational Thinking |
Programming - Python |
Programming Python |
Programming Languages |
Issues |
Data Representation |
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What should they know? |
Students will study: The key concepts of computational thinking - abstraction, and decomposition to model aspects of the real world
How standard sorting algorithms work
How searching algorithms work
How to write algorithms that use relational/arithmetic operators
How to follow and algorithm to determine the correct output |
Students will study: The structural components of programs
How to validate data entry
The different error types that can occur in programming
The different data types used in programming |
Students will study: The difference between global and local variables
How to use relational and arithmetic operators within programming
How to use inbuilt functions with Python
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Students will stud: The characteristics and purposes of high level and low level programming languages
How an interpreter differs from a compiler
How code is translated into machine code
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Students will study: The threats to digital systems posed by malware.
Environmental issue associated with using technology
Ethical issues associated with using technology
Legal issues involved with using technology |
Students will study: Three number bases, 2 10 and 16
How to convert different number bases
How to add 3 numbers in binary and identify and overflow
How to divide and multiply binary numbers
How to calculate file sizes for images and sounds
How files are compressed and why this might be useful
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What should they be able to do? |
Students will be able to: Identify and use examples of decomposition and abstraction
Produce a bubble and a merge sort
Produce a linear and a binary search
Use an algorithm to produce a trace table
Demonstrate the use of relational operators and arithmetic operators |
Students will be able to: Write programs that use techniques to make programs easier to understand
Use different data types such as boolean and char within programs
Identify different error types that occur during programming and correct those errors so that code works as intended |
Students will be able to: Write programs that use relational operators
Write programs that use AND, OR and NOT
To use the in-built libraries such as random in programs
Make use of sequencing, selection and repetition within programs
Read, refine and write programs written in Python
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Students will be able to: Explain both high and low level languages
Identify when to use a high/low level language
Identify differences between compilers, interpreters and translators
Differentiate between different types of programming errors
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Students will be able to: Identify and explain a range of malware
Identify and explain how to reduce the possibility of a cyber attack
Explain environmental issues of using and disposing of technology
Identify and explain legal issues involved with the use of personal data
Identity and explain ethical issues of AI and robotics
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Students will be able to: Convert binary, denary and hexadecimal numbers
Add, subtract and divide binary numbers
Calculate files sizes for images and sound using standard formulas
Explain how compression works, the different types and compression and when theses should be used
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Key vocabulary |
Decomposition, abstraction, algorithm, flow chart, bubble sort, merge sort, linear search, binary search, sequence, selection, iteration, modulus, exponential |
Sequence, selection, iteration, validation, authentication, logic error, syntax error, run-time error, white space, indentation, comments |
AND, OR, NOT, count controlled loop, condition controlled loop, subprogramme, function, procedure, arrays, local variable, global variable |
High level language, low level language, interpreter, compiler, translate, source code, object code, logic error, syntax error, run-time error |
Malware, trojan horse, worm, virus, keylogger, hacker, phishing, shouldering, blagging, legislation, ethical, AI, trademarks, patents, copyright, intellectual property, environmental |
Binary, denary, hexadecimal, overflow, amplitude, resolution, file size, analogue, digital, sample rate, sample frequence, pixel, colour depth, bit depth, compression, lossy, lossless
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Assessment |
Formal assessment of computational thinking
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Formal assessment of programming using a selection of Python scripts with errors to fix. Formal assessment of programming skills using a set of scenarios
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Formal assessment of programming skills using a set of scenarios
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Formal assessment of programming languages |
Formal assessment of Environmental and Ethical Issues
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Formal assessment of data representation |
Year 9 IT
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Autumn |
Spring |
Summer |
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Area of study: |
Media Industry |
Planning tools |
Digital Graphics |
Animation with Audio |
Digital Games |
Digital portfolio/IDEA |
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What should they know? |
Students will study: The different sectors that form the media industry
The different types of products produced and identify their purposes
What should be included in a client brief
Audience segmentation |
Students will study: The different documents used to support the generation of ideas for a product
How the documents are used to plan and design media products |
Students will study: What is meant by a visual identify and its component features
The properties of digital graphics
A range of different tools and techniques of image editing software used to create digital graphics
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Students will stud:y Features and conventions of animation and audio
The properties of different types of animations
A range of different techniques of animation software used to create a range of different digital animations
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Students will study: The different types of digital games and their characteristics
Games genres and characteristics
A range of different technical skills associated with creating digital games |
Students will study: How to export assets in appropriate formats to add into a digital portfolio
A range of different topics concerned with the use of digital technology |
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What should they be able to do? |
Students will be able to: Identify and explain the different sectors of the media industry Identity the purpose of a range of different products Produce a simple client brief from information given Identify the ways in which audiences are segmented and how this affects the design of a product |
Students will be able to: Identify the purpose and components of a mind map, mood board, script, storyboard, visualisation diagram and wireframe
Identify when each of the documents is appropriate
Produce a range of different document responding to a client brief |
Students will be able to: Identify the different components of a visual identify
Explain the benefits and drawbacks of different types of graphic - bitmap and vector
Use a range of tools and techniques used to create a digital graphic following a client brief
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Students will be able to: Identify the differences between animation types and the methods used to create them
Identify different audio types and explain when to use them and what to use them for
Use a range of tools and techniques used to create a digital animation following a client |
Students will be able to: Identify which digital games type is most appropriate for particular platforms
Identify the distinguishing features of each type of games genre
Write routines, procedures, blocks, scripts and actions to generate outputs based on player inputs in a digital game
Create scoring and timing mechanisms alongside rooms and levels within a game |
Students will be able to: Compress files and choose appropriate file extensions
Produce a digital portfolio of their work during the year including commentary and embedded items
Access and use the IDEA website to learn about a range of different topics concerned with the digital world and gain a certificate for use on college applications |
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Key vocabulary |
Interactive media, multimedia, genre, audience, client brief, client ethos, purpose, demographic |
Pre production, contingency, workflow, mind map, mood board, script, storyboard, visualisation diagram, wireframe |
Visual identity, graphic, strapline, typography, colour palette, layout, brand values, bitmap graphic, vector graphic, scalability, brightness, contrast |
Stop motion, claymation, time lapse, motion capture, CGI, flipbook, cut out, dialogue, narration, voice over, tweening, timeline,layers, onion skinning |
2D arcade, 3D RPG, MMO, simulation, game-based learning, augmented reality, game concepts, game play, quest. |
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Assessment |
Formal assessment of the media industry
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Formal assessment of planning documents |
Formal assessment by producing a digital graphic for a client |
Formal assessment by producing an animation for a client |
Formal assessment by producing simple game for a client |
Formal Assessment of a digital portfolio
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GCSE Exam Information:
IT - OCR Cambridge Nationals Creative IMedia
This course is assessed by the production of 3 units of work
R093: Creative iMedia in the media industry
Written paper, OCR set and marked 1 hour and 15 minutes worth 60 marks
R094: Visual identity and digital graphics
Centre-assessed tasks, OCR moderated, 30 GLH worth 60 marks
Optional unit
Centre-assessed tasks, OCR moderated, 30 GLH worth 60 marks
Computer Science- Edexcel
Paper 1 (1CP2/01) - Principles of Computer Science
Written examination - 1 hour and 30 minutes worth 50%
Paper 2 (1CP2/02) - Application of Computational Thinking
Practical on screen examination - 2 hours worth 50%
Useful links: Teach-ICT.com, erevision.uk, bbc bitesize, MrBrownCS, craigndave.org, online-python.com, trinket.io, datacamp.com
Some of the possible careers this area of study can lead you into: System programmer, Software developer, Web developer, Network administrator, Software Tester, Cyber Security Analyst, Forensic Computer Analyst, Data Analyst, Animator, Games Developer, Digital Marketer, Applications Developer.