ICT Curriculum KS3

Overview

Students study ICT to prepare themselves for the ever changing technological world. Studying ICT provides students with a solid foundation for understanding and applying this subject in their future working lives.

Students in Year 7, 8 and 9 study ICT for 1 lesson per week. This includes many challenging activities aimed to improve the ICT capability of all 11-14 year olds. The aim of the ICT department is to:

Establish high expectations for all students and setting them high targets.
To assist with progression and strength during transition between key stages.
To promote engagement and encourage and motivate students.

Year 7

Impact of technology collaborating online respectfully
This unit has been designed to ensure that students are given sufficient time to familiarise themselves with the school network. It also allows the teacher to discuss appropriate use of the school network, and to update and remind students of important online safety issues. Whilst completing this unit, students will also learn how to use presentation software effectively. In terms of online safety, this unit focuses on respecting others online, spotting strangers, and the effects of cyberbullying.

What are computers?
This unit introduces students to what a computer is and describes and explains the hardware required to create a modern-day computer system. Students will learn the hardware and software components that make up computer systems, including input and output devices and how they communicate with one another and with other systems. They will also learn how instructions are stored and executed within a computer system and the role of the CPU.

Programming scratch 1
This unit is the first programming unit of KS3. The aim of this unit is to build students' confidence and knowledge of the key programming constructs. Importantly, this unit does not assume any previous programming experience, but it does offer students the opportunity to expand on their knowledge throughout the unit. Students understand and apply fundamental principles of computer science including logic and algorithms. The main programming concepts covered in this unit are sequencing, variables, selection, and count-controlled iteration.

Spreadsheet software
In this unit the students will look at the functions and formulas of a spreadsheet. They will develop their knowledge of the software features using modelling and IF statements.

Year 8

Digital world/citizenship
This unit continues to ensure that students are responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology. In this unit students will learn about who to trust on line, how to search smart the legal safeguards regarding computer use, including Copyright Law and their implications for computer use. Phishing scams and other email frauds, hacking, and identity theft are discussed together with ways of protecting online identity and privacy.

Understanding computers
Students will revise some of the theory on input and output covered in Year 7 and continue to look at the Input-Process-Output sequence and the Fetch-Decode-Execute cycle through practical activities. Students will then look at some simple binary to decimal conversion and vice versa, and learn how text characters are represented using the ASCII code. This will be followed by some simple binary addition. Students will learn more in depth how storage devices represent data using binary patterns and physically save these patterns.

Introduction Python programming
This unit introduces students to text-based programming with Python. The lessons form a journey that starts with simple programs involving input and output, and gradually moves on through arithmetic operations, randomness, selection, and iteration. Emphasis is placed on tackling common misconceptions and elucidating the mechanics of program execution.

Spreadsheet software
In this unit the students will look at the functions and formulas of a spreadsheet. They will develop their knowledge of the software features using Spreadsheet Modelling, formulas, functions, conditional formatting, creating a spreadsheet and IF statements.

Year 9

Cyber security digital citizenship
This unit takes the students on an eye-opening journey of discovery about techniques used by cybercriminals to steal data, disrupt systems, and infiltrate networks. The students will start by considering the value of their data to organisations and what they might use it for. They will then look at social engineering techniques used by cybercriminals to try to trick users into giving away their personal data. The unit will look at the more common cybercrimes such as hacking, DDoS attacks, and malware, as well as looking at methods to protect ourselves and our networks against these attacks.

Computational thinking
In this unit students understand and apply the fundamental principles of computer science, including logic and algorithms. Students will analyse problems, write programs, and evaluate them using a textual programming language. Programming in Python using variables, inputs and outputs, loops and other features.

Presentation software - Designing a user interface
Students learn how to use Power Point to produce an effective business presentation. This will include designing a user interface, using design principles, the use of text, charts, images, animation and a range of software features including advanced software features.

Algorithms and programming using Python
In this unit pupils understand and apply the fundamental principles of computer science, including logic and algorithms. Students will analyse problems, write programs, and evaluate them using a textual programming language. Programming in Python using variables, inputs and outputs, loops and other features.

Key contact

Mrs C Heaney