Business, Computing & ICT

The Business, Computing and ICT curriculum aim is to develop student’s digital literacy skills allowing learners to be competent in using technology effectively. Creating an environment of trial-and-error students will be asked to problem solve, think logically, and create various products to meet user requirements.

Covering a range of topics starting with digital literacy skills to develop an understanding and ability to perform well across multiple subjects inside and outside of school. Embedded skills alongside fundamental topics of computing include e-safety, hardware and programming concepts gives students a foundation to build upon. Exposing learners to multiple disciplines is intended to inform decisions later in their academic lives about careers and future study.

Year 9 covers concepts such as security and networking and provides a full KS3 curriculum enabling some learners who may stop their journey in the computing department and opt for other subjects to understand and possibly gain employment in roles requiring digital competence.

Implementing a computer science curriculum which lends itself to developing student’s practical IT skills is the focus for KS3. At KS4 in business the main focus is on the knowledge, understanding and skills required to research, plan, pitch and review an enterprise idea that includes the development of key skills that prove aptitude in planning an enterprise activity, including market research, planning, carrying out financial transactions, communication and problem solving. 

The range of topics which learners’ study and re-cap all contain micro tasks and problem-solving tasks. Intended to develop logical thinking, topical scenarios reinforce trial and error situations for students to develop, manipulate and test their own products. Teaching the curriculum involves tasks such as programming and coding where the intention is to provide freedom of expression. Mistakes are encouraged and dealing with the frustrations the key to the “lightbulb moment”.  Scaffolded with the use of tutorials and walk throughs to help all learners. Delivery of computing topics is PC based with work stored on leaners areas to encourage ownership and gain file management skills to go alongside the necessary computer science knowledge.

We undertake regular assessments throughout the year on all the topics covered. This allows us to compare student performance across the whole cohort. Students will be able to apply their knowledge, ideas and skills in both further education and in the real world. Our aim is to ensure that students will gain positive progress in all subjects and groupings and maximise attainment so that students are able to pursue a further career in this area should they choose to.