ICT and Computing
ICT and Computing at Key stage 3 and 4.
Department staff:
Mrs McAtominey: Subject Leader
Mrs Gillespie: Assistant Subject Leader (Maternity)
Mr Lund
Dr Jackson
Mrs Kuby
Key Stage 3
Overview of the course
Through using a range of different software and hardware, students will be taught the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to create and manipulate digital products to suit specific audiences and purposes. Students will acquire a broad range of subject knowledge and practical skills for both ICT and Computing. As part of their work with Computing and ICT, students will be taught how to use various professional software packages and equipment and be able to apply this knowledge to their wider learning throughout the school.
What will I learn?
Year 7
- Introduction to ICT at Huntington School
- E-safety
- Small Basic – an introduction to text-based code
- Sketch up – 3D Deign
- Scratch games creation
Year 8
- HTML – Website design
- Go Software – sequencing and control
- Spreadsheets and their use in business
- An introduction to Python programming
- Creating digital graphics
- Understanding computers 1 – an introduction to computer science
Year 9
- Advanced Python preparation for GCSE
- Photoshop and marketing
- Understanding computers to – developing our knowledge of computer science
- Databases
- Creating a media product – future technologies
- Computer Science and ethics
Key Stage 4: ICT and Computer Science
Overview of the course: The course involves hands on practical work, problem solving, and research and system design. This course is particularly suited to those students who have logical and analytical mind ready for independent problem solving and debugging. Students should have a fascination with what goes on “inside” computers and an ability to apply their knowledge to unfamiliar contexts.
The assessment model for the course is 100% examination, spilt over 2 papers. The topics on each paper are outlined below.
Paper 1 topics:
Architecture of the CPU
CPU Performance
Embedded systems
Primary storage (Memory)
Secondary storage
Units
Data storage
Compression
Networks and topologies
Wired and wireless networks, protocols and layers
Threats to computer systems and networks
Identifying and preventing vulnerabilities
Operating systems
Utility software
Ethical, legal, cultural and environmental impact
Paper 2 topics:
Computational thinking
Designing, creating and refining algorithms
Searching and sorting algorithms
Programming fundamentals
Data types
Additional programming techniques
Defensive design
Testing
Boolean logic
Languages
The Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
Examination board: OCR:
Specification for June 2021 examinations: http://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/gcse-computer-science-j276-from-2016/
Specification for June 2022 examinations onwards:https://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/gcse/computer-science-j277-from-2020/specification-at-a-glance/
Useful Subject Links:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/subjects/z34k7ty
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/dida/