A successful Poly ICT student will be confident in using a range of different software and have knowledge of the hardware involved in many different computer systems. The student will be able to identify threats both physical and in the cyber world to make clear suggestions on computer systems security and safety. An ICT student will be able to express their knowledge verbally and be confident in their written work being able to create a range of different documents to suit different purposes, using analyst skills and manipulating data to produce strong arguments.
A successful Poly Computer Scientist is one who is equipped with the rigorous skills and knowledge to enable him to become a pioneer in this emerging and exciting technological world. He will have strong mathematical skills, a problem-solving mind-set, and have knowledge of algorithms, laws and computational theory in addition to the staying-power required for this demanding subject. The jobs of the future have their foundation in the developments of today, and the successful Poly Computer Scientist will have the essential disciplines and habits needed to tackle these, as yet, unknown challenges.
All pupils study ICT at Key Stage 3 where we cover a comprehensive range of topic areas. The ICT curriculum builds on the teaching at Key Stage 2 and covers three main strands:
1. Digital Literacy and E-safety
3. Computer Science
Each half term throughout Key Stage 3, students complete a new ICT project covering the three main strands mentioned above. Within these units we have placed an emphasis on developing transferrable ICT knowledge, understanding and skills.
OCR - Cambridge National Information Technologies L1/L2
Computing - Computer with Python programming language
The Royal Institution – Master Classes.
After school/lunchtime clubs (everyday).
This course provides a wide range of career options, as well as a route into further and higher education. Possible careers include IT consultant; games developer; software engineer; network engineer; systems analyst; multimedia programmer; applications developer; information systems manager; IT technical support officer; database administrator; project manager.
From a spiritual perspective, Computer Science provides young people with a framework and set of disciplines that will help refine their general awareness and build their self-worth. This gives the work greater meaning and purpose.
Programming is a challenging discipline to learn and pupils have to apply their concentration and intelligence very deeply. They can become much more enlightened about their strengths and weaknesses, as they navigate the process of producing code that doesn’t work and try to determine how to correct it. Morally, pupils learn about and participate in discussion on the legal framework that surrounds use of ICT in the world:
All of these laws were developed based on a moral and ethical foundation. Pupils are taught about how to discriminate about information they come into contact with on the Internet. Socially, they learn about teams and how they work and the different roles that they can play in getting projects completed. Age appropriate and positive use of social networking sites is promoted using content from the government organisation CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection
Centre). Culturally, all of the projects require pupils to look at the needs of the people their solution is serving.
Pupils are encouraged to conduct research analyse it and then look at how design and presentation of information, examples of TV and video can make their work more professional in standard.
If you would like to find out more about the IT/Computing curriculum, please contact Mr Freeman Jones at: