Control
The QCA Curriculum from
Foundation Stage to Year 6
The importance of information
and communication technology
• Information and communication technology (ICT)
prepares pupils to participate in a rapidly changing world
in which work and other activities are increasingly
transformed by access to varied and developing
technology. Pupils use ICT tools to find, explore,
analyse, exchange and present information responsibly,
creatively and with discrimination. They learn how to
employ ICT to enable rapid access to ideas and
experiences from a wide range of people, communities
and cultures. Increased capability in the use of ICT
promotes initiative and independent learning, with pupils
being able to make informed judgements about when
and where to use ICT to best effect, and to consider its
implications for home and work both now and in the
future.
www.nc.uk.net/nc/contents/ICT-home.htm
‘Most Pupils’ expectations
These are all taken from the ICT
QCA units of work.
Foundation Stage
Find out about and identify the uses of everyday technology and use information and
communication technology and programmable toys to support their learning
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
1F Understanding
instructions and making
things happen
read a set of instructions and
usually predict the correct
outcome; produce an
accurate set of instructions
for others to follow
2D Routes
3D Exploring Simulations
•recognise patterns within
simulations and make and test
predictions
Year 4 Unit 4E Modelling
Year 5
effects on screen
•produce an accurate set of
instructions but will need to
amend them to make them
correct; combine three forward
movements into one by adding
units together; accurately
predict the results of a set of
instructions
5E Controlling devices
•create a ‘flower’ using one •design and create a simple
advertising display which
shape and rotating it; use
produces a combination of
the repeat instruction to
events; write simple procedures
duplicate the shape; change
and be able to link output
the angle of turn
devices together; amend their
procedures to get a desired
outcome
Year 6
Unit 6C Control and
monitoring – What happens
when...?
•produce simple procedures to
turn on lights and sound alarms;
need help with their program
and will need to make
amendments
Vocabulary
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
1F Understanding
instructions and making
things happen
2D Routes
3D Exploring
Simulations
•sequence
•order
•instruction
•floor turtle
•control devices
•instructions
•data
•commands
•program
Year 4
Year 5
Year 6
Unit 4E Modelling
effects on screen
5E Controlling devices
Unit 6C Control and
monitoring – What
happens when...?
•procedure
•repeat
•penup
•pendown
•clear
•switch on
•wait
•switch off
•repeat
•procedures
•simulation
•If...
•then...
•until
Photographs from www.eriding.net
Resources Required?
Foundation Stage
•Talking word processor, talking books , paint program, telephone, CD ROMs, Video, television and
musical tapes
•In the local area - traffic lights, telephones, street lights, barcode scanners
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
1F Understanding
instructions and making
things happen
•tape recorder
•battery-operated toys
•remote-controlled toy (optional)
•cards showing each stage in a
recipe
2D Routes
3D Exploring Simulations
•one, or more, floor turtles which
follows instructions such as
forward 10, right 5
•a large map of an imaginary
treasure island, marked with
treasure spots
•A4 copies of the treasure map for
recording instructions
•a computer simulation which
allows the user to make choices,
enter data, explore consequences,
and to freeze position, eg an
adventure game
Year 4
Year 5
Year 6
4E Modelling effects on screen
•a floor turtle
•a version of LOGO that includes
the commands clear, penup and
pendown and which allows final
results to be printed out
•worksheets of sequences
•graph paper
5E Controlling devices
•control box
•simple switches and output
devices such as buzzers, lights
and small motors
Unit 6C Control and monitoring –
What happens when...?
•control box
•output devices, such as bulbs,
small motors and buzzers
•input devices, such as pressure
pads and light sensors
Attainment target for information and
communication technology capability
There are five aspects of attainment in this attainment target:
1.
2.
3.
4.
finding things out
developing ideas and making things happen
exchanging and sharing information
reviewing, modifying and evaluating work as it
progresses
5. breadth of study
Where does ‘control’ fit?
Level Descriptors
The numbers in brackets within the level descriptions identify these aspects. If
you select one you will trigger a search for pupils' work that illustrates that
aspect from the www.ncaction.org.uk website.
Level 1
Pupils explore information from various sources, showing they know
that information exists in different forms.(1; 5) They use ICT to work
with text, images and sound to help them share their ideas.(3) They
recognise that many everyday devices respond to signals and
instructions.(2) They make choices when using such devices to
produce different outcomes.(2) They talk about their use of ICT.(3; 4)
Level 2
Pupils use ICT to organise and classify information and to present
their findings.(2; 3) They enter, save and retrieve work.(1) They use
ICT to help them generate, amend and record their work and share
their ideas in different forms, including text, tables, images and
sound.(2; 3; 4) They plan and give instructions to make things
happen and describe the effects.(2) They use ICT to explore what
happens in real and imaginary situations.(2) They talk about their
experiences of ICT both inside and outside school.(3; 4; 5)
www.ncaction.org.uk
Level 3
Pupils use ICT to save information and to find and use appropriate stored
information, following straightforward lines of enquiry.(1) They use ICT to
generate, develop, organise and present their work.(2; 3; 4) They share
and exchange their ideas with others.(3) They use sequences of
instructions to control devices and achieve specific outcomes.(2) They
make appropriate choices when using ICT-based models or simulations
to help them find things out and solve problems.(2) They describe their
use of ICT and its use outside school.(3; 4; 5)
Level 4
Pupils understand the need for care in framing questions when collecting,
finding and interrogating information.(1) They interpret their findings,
question plausibility and recognise that poor-quality information leads to
unreliable results.(4) They add to, amend and combine different forms of
information from a variety of sources.(2; 4) They use ICT to present
information in different forms and show they are aware of the intended
audience and the need for quality in their presentations.(3; 4) They
exchange information and ideas with others in a variety of ways, including
using e-mail.(3) They use ICT systems to control events in a
predetermined manner and to sense physical data.(2) They use ICTbased models and simulations to explore patterns and relationships, and
make predictions about the consequences of their decisions.(2) They
compare their use of ICT with other methods and with its use outside
school.(4; 5)
www.ncaction.org.uk
Level 5
Pupils select the information they need for different
purposes, check its accuracy and organise it in a form
suitable for processing.(1; 2) They use ICT to structure,
refine and present information in different forms and styles
for specific purposes and audiences.(2; 3; 4) They
exchange information and ideas with others in a variety of
ways, including using e-mail.(3; 5) They create sequences
of instructions to control events, and understand the need to
be precise when framing and sequencing instructions.(2)
They understand how ICT devices with sensors can be
used to monitor and measure external events.(2) They
explore the effects of changing the variables in an ICTbased model.(2) They discuss their knowledge and
experience of using ICT and their observations of its use
outside school.(3; 4; 5) They assess the use of ICT in their
work and are able to reflect critically in order to make
improvements in subsequent work.(4)
Supporting Resources
• www.standards.dfee.gov.uk
• www.ncaction.org.uk/
• www.nc.uk.net/home.html
• www.eriding.net
• www.bbc.co.uk/schools/
• www.bteducation.bt.com/education/ict/resource_
bank/ict_tools/toolsmenu.cfm
• www.softronix.com/logo.html