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Computing & ICT

At St Matthias Academy we believe that our students should have the opportunity to follow an ICT curriculum that prepares them for life in modern Britain and take advantage of the opportunities this can offer them.

Good quality ICT skills enable student to engage positively within the modern work place and to take an active part in the design, development and creation of new technologies to be used in the world in which they live. 

The core to the subject is the understanding of how technology works, can be developed and utilised. We draw and extend understanding from a range of other subjects outside of ICT including Maths, Science and PHSE and embed literacy and numeracy through skills development and problem solving.

We provide a broad range of skills and experiences at KS3 which are then further developed as students enter KS4.

ICT will give our students the opportunity to:

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding and application of the key skills

  • Understand the impacts of digital technology to the individual, wider society, the ethical changes and cultural impacts as well as the positive and negative impacts digital technology has had on the world
  • To equip learners with a range of transferable skills and provide opportunities to develop, refine and evaluate their work
Key Stage 3 Curriculum Intent
  • Ensure students are safe users of computers in terms of online and e-safety and in their general use of ICT
  • Introduce file management skills that they can use for all subjects
  • Develop key numeracy topics
  • Introduce block programming skills (Microbits)
  • Introduce the basic constructs of script based programming (Microsoft visual coding)
  • Develop students awareness of the impact of ICT on society (good and bad)
  • Introduce and basic HTML web development skills
  • Develop basic graphic design skills
  • To be safe and confident users of ICT and Computing resources

Students will work towards Entry Level functional skills qualifications, levels 1-3, with some Year 9 students able to access the higher Level 1 qualification.

Key Stage 4 Curriculum Intent
  • Ensure students are safe users of computers in terms of online and e-safety and in their general use of ICT
  • Introduce file management skills that they can use for all subjects
  • Further develop key numeracy topics
  • Develop students’ awareness of the impact of ICT on society (good and bad)
  • Develop basic graphic design skills
  • To be safe and confident users of ICT and Computing resources
  • Be able to use these to solve exam styled problems

Students will work towards the Edexcel Entry Level functional skills qualifications, levels 2-3 and also the higher Level 1 & 2 Functional skills ICT qualification.

Impact

Cognitive dissonance is a major impediment in a student’s ability to access an age appropriate curriculum. Therefore, when a student is placed at St Matthias Academy, they complete a two-week induction period. During this time, they complete baseline assessments to identify strengths and weaknesses and any gaps in prior learning. Baseline data and SATs scores are used to identify the appropriate progress flightpath and the impact is measured through a six-week cycle of assessment that informs individual planning and differentiation for the start of the next cycle.