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Shenley Brook End School

Shenley Brook End School

Computing and ICT

Intent

Computers are not more intelligent than humans, they have been developed to make our lives easier. Learn how to get the computer to do what YOU want it to do? How do the Microsoft packages help you to organise and display information, for school and in the future? What language does a computer speak, learn how to communicate to create your own programs. How do they make that photograph look like that? What are the positive and negative effects on our health, both mentally and physically? Why do we need to keep our data safe and how, more importantly, how do we keep ourselves safe?   

SBE ICT and Computing team aim to introduce both the practical and thinking skills required to solve problems, use commercially available software and to provide a sound understanding of theory, enabling students to produce effective solutions to realistic problems. Skills and knowledge gained from the study of ICT and Computer Science from KS3 to KS5 will provide transferable skills for use in education and work. All routes provide pupils with the necessary qualifications to study the subject at higher levels.  

Further Information

 
The Team/Facilities

The department consists of 7 dedicated computer rooms furnished with 31 desktop computers per room, allowing for independent and collaborative learning.    

There are 3 full time specialist Computer Science/ICT teachers and 2 part time staff members.  

 
Key Stage 3

All pupils study Computer Studies as a subject, with 1.5 lesson per week in Year 7 and 1 lesson per week in Year 8. Units covered over the two years aim to provide each student with a solid foundation to be able to study their choice of the three option courses in Years 9, 10 and 11. Students will experience units covering the use of Microsoft packages used for word processing, spreadsheets and databases. The use of computer software to create graphics and computer programming will also be covered over the 2-year KS3 course.

 
Key Stage 4

Options available at KS4:  

  • AQA GCSE Computer Science  

  • OCR Creative iMedia.  

  • WJEC Information Technologies  

AQA GCSE Computer Science course is assessed with 2 written examinations. Paper 1 is 2 hours in duration and contributes 50% of the final grade, paper 2 is 1 hour 45 mins, contributing the other 50%. Both papers to be sat at the end of year 11. You will learn some of the theory around computing and how to program using Python.   

The OCR Cambridge National in Creative iMedia course is assessed by one examination to be taken in year 11, and 2 internally assessed coursework units. Units to be studied are ‘Creative Media in the Media Industry’ (externally assessed via examination), ‘Visual Identity and Digital Graphics’ with the optional unit still to be fully decided, to be taken at end of year 10/start of year 11.  

WJEC Level 1 / 2  Vocational Award in ICT   

This course consists of 2 units. Unit 1: IT in Society, contributes 40% of the final grade and is an on screen externally set examination. Unit 2: ICT in Context , a controlled conditions piece of coursework   

Text books:  

GCSE Computer Science:  

GCSE Computer Science for AQA Student Book by  ISBN: 978-1510484306  
For GCSE Computer Science please contact Mrs B Elliott or Mrs Potten   

OCR Creative iMedia:  

Creative iMedia Cambridge National Level 1/Level 2 ISBN: 978-1-3983-5056-4  

For OCR Creative iMedia please contact Mrs Potten or Mrs Johnson  

WJEC Level 1 / 2  Vocational Award in ICT   

No text book available at the moment  

For WJEC Vocational Award in ICT please contact Mrs Elliott  

 
Sixth Form

The department offers A Level Computer Science  

A Level Computing Science (AS and A level) follows the OCR syllabus. This A level qualification course includes an internal assessment task that counts for 20% of the marks, with 80% assessed by two examinations at each level. The AS level is assessed via 2 external examinations only. The course is focussed on computational thinking which is assessed in both the Computer Systems exam and the Algorithms and Programming exam.  

Text books:  

OCR A Level Computer Science by George Rouse, Jason Pitt & Sean O'Byrne, Hodder Education  

ISBN: 978-1-478-39764-4  

For more information on either of these courses please contact Mrs B Elliott