IT & Computing Year 7, 8, 9

Within the first unit students wills be shown how to use the ICT network correctly, whilst also being taught how to send e mails in an appropriate manner. Students will also be taught how to use search engines effectively to ensure their search results are accurate

The students will be taught how a computer is networked and the different types of topologies which exist. They will also learn the difference between hardware and software whilst being introduced to how binary work within a computer system.

Students will study a small unit which reminds them the importance of being safe online. This unit focuses on the digital footprint which everyone creates. It also encourages students to actively improve their usage of any online resource by looking at the consequences which could arise from any inappropriate activity.

This unit will follow on from the E Safety unit which demonstrates the important role ICT plays within society. They will study how ICT has effected the world we live in alongside how it has shaped our daily lives.

This module introduces the concept of spreadsheet modelling to student. Within this unit they will look planning for a disco where they will need to consider both incomes and expenditures. Students will continue to develop their Maths skills, and ensure they work within a budget when planning for the disco. They will be taught a wide variety of spreadsheet skills to support their planning.

Students will be taught how to use PowerPoint effectively. They will work to a brief which is to create an information screen for a local cinema. Here they will ensure that their work meets the needs of their audience, whilst also testing the functionality of the whole product.

For our final unit students will look a block coding using scratch. They will be taught how to develop game such as Pong and Duck Shoot. Students will be taught the importance of debugging computer coding

Students will have an opportunity to create their very own website. They will be able to create a website based on a topic of their choice. They will be shown a wide range of skills to not only make their work functional, but also astatically appealing. Students will also have a chance to appreciate life as a web develop by writing their own HTML coding.

Students will take their learning from the Scratch unit in year 7 and apply this to text coding using Python. They will focus on sequence and selection and iteration to further develop their computational thinking skills ready for their GCSE learning.

Within this module students will be taught the importance of databases. They will understand the role they play within different organisations and will also understand how to create one from scratch. Students will be working for a film company and will learn how to input and search for data using queries. They will also ensure that the data is accurate by understanding the importance of validation.

Within this unit, students will experience life as a game console designer. They will research how the gaming industry has developed since it first began in the 1970’s. Students will see how the console has evolved through time and will be asked to create their very own 9th Generation console.

Students will use their creative skills to produce their very own DVD cover. Students will be taught basic design concepts and use their interpretation of the task to create a cover based around a particular theme.

Students will work for a sports centre which requires a logo and an animated banner for their website. Students will again use their initiative to produce a banner which promotes the opening of the new sports centre, incorporating their logo design work.

In this unit students will produce a holiday brochure on a destination of their choice. They will need to refine their research skills they learnt in year 7 and ensure that images are of high quality and the information they find is accurate. Students will continue to develop their creativity by using another piece of software to produce their double-page spread design.

Finally, students will be given an opportunity to edit and produce their very own video. They will be shown varying skills which range in difficult, again all ensuring that their work meets their chosen brief.

Students will study several aspects of basic programming, gaining a sound understanding of text based coding, knowledge they could use to progress onto the GCSE with a smoother transition. They will study:-

• Syntax
• Variables
• Data Types
• Functions
• Selection and IF Statements
• Commenting Code, Indentation and Operators

The use of Modules within Programming Languages

Students will gain a range of knowledge in several key theoretical topics, in this topic they will be looking at how data is used in a computer system and the relationship between hardware components and software. Looking into how integral they both are for a functioning computer system.

Students will develop an understanding of binary in a computer system, how binary relates to switches and those switches being on or off. Students will develop an understanding of binary addition and binary shifts to gain a head start of the GCSE content.

Students will discover how text and images are stored in a file and what metadata goes along with that file. Students will gain an understanding they are not just taking a photo but that photo also stores key information and where they were, file size, resolution. There will also be a focus on what happens to files when the picture contains more colours.

Communication with computers is a worldwide technique and there are many ways this can be accomplished. Students will gain a basic understanding of how and why you would use a network of computers to communicate. They will also gain an understanding to how this is achieved in home and at school.

Students will study binary logic and logic gates, looking into some of the GCSE logic gates and how they function. This will also link to programming and how sometimes you need to utilise true or false scenarios to achieve your outcome.

Algorithms are an everyday part of life, from brushing your teeth to playing a video game. Sorting data into a specific order is a vital skill used in databases, spreadsheets and programming. Students will discover the concept of why you might want to do this, looking into a few sorting algorithms, which one might be best to use for a specific role and why that might be