THE CURRICULUM
The National Curriculum for ICT has been completely overhauled by government for the start of this academic year. Although as an academy we are not obliged to follow this, we have chosen make changes to our KS3 curriculum to better prepare our students for the new qualifications at
GCSE and A Level in our subject area. Here at St Joseph's College we have recently including
Computer Science on our offerings at GCSE and A Level alongside our already popular ICT course and our changes to KS3 will help to better prepare learners for the choice of either ICT or
Computer Science at GCSE and A Level.
KS3 FROM SEPT 2014
Year 7 will begin the keystage 3 scheme of work as it currently planned. Years 8 and 10 will received a much condensed version of the curriculum to equip them with the skills they need in the time available to them. From 2014/15 KS3 will complete the following units.
YEAR 7
1.
Yr 7 Unit 1 – Office Basics
2.
Yr 7 Unit 2 – Kodu
3.
Yr 7 Unit 3 - Scratch
4.
Yr 7 Unit 4 – Web Awareness HTML CSS
5.
Yr 7 Unit 5 – Python Magic
6.
Yr 7 Unit 6 – What are Computers?
YEAR 8
1.
Yr 8 Unit 1 – APP Inventor
2.
Yr 8 Unit 2 – Database & Boolean
3.
Yr 8 Unit 3 – Animation
4.
Yr 8 Unit 4 – VB.Net & Interface Design
5.
Yr 8 Unit 5 – Media
6.
Yr 8 Unit 6 – Scratch Programming – Flappy Bird
YEAR 9
Year 9 will undertake projects designed to nurture their independent study skills and allow thm to apply what they have learned during Years 7 & 8 in a setting more similar to that in GCSE study.
1.
Term 1 – ICT Project (Music Festival)
2.
Term 2 – Computing Project (Kerbal Space and Interior Design)
3.
Term 3 – Programming Project (VB.Net)

YEAR 8 2014-16
With year 8, they will need to cover many of the basics in order to gain a good grounding knowledge in computing in preparation for the year 9 projects and for potential GCSE.
The current year 8 students haven’t done anything of the computing curriculum and they will complete a lot of the year 7 units in order to build the foundation. They will then in year 9 move on to compete the project based work.
1.
Yr 7 Unit 2 – Kodu
2.
Yr 7 Unit 4 – Web Awareness HTML CSS
3.
Yr 7 Unit 5 – Python Magic
4.
Yr 7 Unit 6 – What are Computers?
5.
Yr 8 Unit 1 – App Inventor
6.
Yr 8 Unit 2 – Databases & Boolean
YEAR 9 2014/15
Year 9 will begin the projects as per the scheme of work. For ICT there will be 1 project on offer, for Computing there will be 2 projects to choose from. There will also be a programming project that this year will be adapted to teach the fundamentals of programming to the students. The students will begin N10 half way through the last term so the Programming project will be shortened to accommodate this.
1.
Term 1 – ICT Project (Music Festival)
2.
Term 2 – Computing Project (Kerbal Space and Interior Design)
3.
Term 3 – Programming Project (VB.Net)
KS4 GCSE
At GCSE we offer two optional programmes of study. We offer Edexcel GCSE ICT and AQA
Computer Science.
ICT GCSE
For the GCSE ICT course, students study two units over a two year period. Unit 1 is an exam based unit where students have theory based lessons to learn the skills required for the exam.
For unit 2, students complete a controlled assessment which they have to complete a series of tasks to meet the requirements of the controlled assessment brief (CAB).
Unit 1: This unit is assessed through a 1 hour 30 minute examination paper set and marked by
Edexcel.
The total number of marks available for the examination paper is 80. In this unit students explore how digital technology impacts on the lives of individuals, organisations and society.
They learn about current and emerging digital technologies and the issues raised by their use in a range of contexts (learning and earning, leisure, shopping and money management, health and wellbeing and on the move). They develop awareness of the risks that are inherent in using ICT and the features of safe, secure and responsible practice.

Students need to have a good understanding of the following topics in preparation for the exam:
1.
Personal digital devices
2.
Connectivity
3.
Operating online
4.
Online goods and services
5.
Online communities
6.
Issues
Unit 2 - Students must complete a controlled assessment task provided by Edexcel which must be completed within 40 hours. The total number of marks available for the controlled assessment task is 80. This is a practical unit. Students broaden and enhance their ICT skills and capability and work with a range of digital tools and techniques to produce effective ICT solutions in a range of contexts. They learn to reflect critically on their own and others’ use of
ICT and to adopt safe, secure and responsible practice.
1.
Common skills enhanced include:
2.
Creating graphics
3.
Spreadsheet modelling
4.
Database development
5.
Using video and sound to create digital products
6.
Evaluating digital products
COMPUTER SCIENCE GCSE
The GCSE Computer Science is a new course for both the college and the exam board. Therefore this is not due for review by the exam board for a number of years yet. This covers both programming and theory. The programming is assessed through coursework and the theory through exam.
Component 1 – Practical programming
Approximately 50 hours of controlled assessment. (2 tasks of 25 hours each). This is worth 60% of the marks. The coursework is marked out of 126 marks (63 marks for each task) which equates to 180 UMS overall. The coursework is internally assessed and externally moderated.
Different tasks will be provided by AQA each year. Each student should complete two tasks from a choice of four. Working independently students demonstrate their ability to code a solution to a given problem. The tasks will be set in engaging and relevant contexts, e.g. gaming, web, mobile phone applications.
Component 2 – Computing fundamentals
This unit is examined through formal exam. This is 1 hour 30 minutes and is worth 40% of the marks. The exam is marked out of 84 marks which equates to 120 UMS. This is externally assessed. All questions will be compulsory and will be taken from across the subject content which includes.
1.
Constants Variables and Data Types
2.
Structures
3.
Program Flow Control
4.
Procedures and Functions
5.
Scope of Variables, Constants, Functions and Procedures
6.
Error Handling
7.
Handling External Data

8.
Computer Structure
9.
Algorithms
10.
Data Representation
11.
Software Development Life Cycle
12.
Application Testing
13.
Networking
14.
External Code Sources
15.
Database Concepts
16.
Computer Technology in Society
KS5 A LEVEL
ICT A LEVEL
ICT A Level is examined through AQA and over two years consists of the following. (Please note there are no examinations in January, this course only examines in summer)
AS
Unit 1 – INFO1 Practical Problem Solving in the Digital World
This is 50% of AS and 25% of the A Level. There is a 1 hour 30 minutes examination which is worth 80 marks. There are 2 sections. Section A: short answer questions and Section B: structured questions. Students complete a short piece of coursework which they take into the exam and refer to in answers to some of the questions. The coursework is then sent with the answer paper.
Topics Info 1
1.
Health and safety in relation to the use of ICT systems
2.
Analysis
3.
Design of solutions
4.
Selection and use of input devices and input media
5.
Selection and use of storage requirements, media and devices
6.
Selection and use of output methods, media and devices
7.
Selection and use of appropriate software
8.
Implementation of ICT-related solutions
9.
Testing of ICT-related solutions
10.
Evaluation of ICT-related solutions
Unit 2 – INFO2 Living in the Digital World
This is 50% of AS, 25% of the A Level. There is a 1 hour 30 minutes examination which is worth
80 marks. There are 2 sections. Section A: short answer questions and Section B: structured questions. There is no coursework with unit 2.
Topics Info 2
1.
An ICT system and its components
2.
Data and information
3.
People and ICT systems
4.
Transfer of data in ICT systems

5.
Safety and security of data in ICT systems
6.
Backup and recovery
7.
What ICT can provide
8.
Factors affecting the use of ICT
9.
The consequences of the use of ICT
Year 13 ICT A Level
Unit 3 – INFO3 The Use of ICT in the Digital World.
This is worth 30% of A Level and is in the form of a 2 hour examination which is worth 100 marks. Section A involves structured questions based on pre-release material and Section B involves questions requiring extended answers
Topics Info 3
1.
Future developments
2.
Information and systems
3.
Managing ICT
4.
ICT strategy
5.
ICT Policies
6.
Legislation and regulations
7.
Developing ICT solutions
8.
Development methods
9.
Techniques and tools for systems development
10.
Introducing large ICT systems into organisations
11.
Training and supporting users
12.
External and internal resources
Unit 4 – INFO4
This is Coursework: Practical Issues Involved in the Use of ICT in the Digital World and is worth
20% of A Level. It is a coursework project report, marked by centre and moderated by AQA. It is worth 70 marks. Students complete a project involving the production of an ICT-related system over an extended period of time
Info 4 Coursework
1.
Background and investigation
2.
Analysis and deliverables
3.
Analysis and deliverables
4.
Testing and documentation of the implementation
5.
Evaluation of the implemented solution
COMPUTING A LEVEL
Computing is examined through AQA and over two years consists of the following. (NOTE: This subject is due for renewal in 2015 and will be known as A Level Computer Science from Sept
2015. In Sept 2015 this will be entirely linear meaning for A Level students they will be assessed in Summer 2017 at the end of the two year course)
COMP1: Problem solving, programming, data representation and practical exerciseExpand3.1.1
Fundamentals of problem solving

This involves a practical programming exam and a selection of theory. This exam is sat at the computer and involves a pre-release material given to the students in March. This is worth 60% of AS, 30% of A2 and involves.
1.
Fundamentals of programming
2.
Fundamentals of data representation
3.
Systems development life cycle
COMP2: Computer components, the stored program concept and the Internet
This is sat through a traditional written exam and covers the majority of theory for the AS Level.
This is worth 40% of the AS and 20% of the A2. This unit covers.
1.
Fundamentals of Computer Systems
2.
Fundamental Hardware Elements of Computers
3.
Machine Level Architecture
4.
Hardware Devices
5.
The Structure of the Internet
6.
Web page design
7.
Consequences of Uses of Computing
COMP3: Problem solving, programming, operating systems, databases and networking
This is sat through a traditional written exam and builds on theory from the AS Level. This is worth 60% of the A2 and 30% of the overall qualification. Topics covered here are.
1.
Problem solving
2.
Programming concepts
3.
Real numbers
4.
Operating systems
5.
Databases
6.
Communication and networking
COMP4: The computing practical project
This practical project is independent study and involves writing a complex program to solve a real world problem. Students typically design games or revision tools for members of staff. This is worth 40% of the A2 and 20% of the entire qualification. It involves the following
1.
Analysis
2.
Systems Development
3.
Systems Maintenance
4.
Design
5.
Testing
6.
User Manual