ICT & Computer Science
Curriculum intent
To have uncompromising aspirations for every individual and for our school to be an exceptional and inspirational community of lifelong learners.
To ensure all students have the knowledge to critically engage with the conversation of humankind.
Purpose
‘Our computer scientists pursue a course of study enabling them to solve problems using technology. They will become part of an exciting journey that is dynamic and pervades society. Through creativity and innovation computer scientists make a positive difference in the world.’
In the ICT and Computer Science department, we want pupils to use their learning to take a constructive role in society. This includes both the benefits of being able to use IT and programming skills proficiently and confidently and being aware of the risks and downfalls and how to avoid them.
We encourage independent thinking and creativity. The curriculum offers opportunities for challenge, problem solving, investigation and self-reflection. It gives pupils the skills and knowledge to be independent and ambitious programmers and users of IT.
Key features of learning
Our students are taken on a journey which starts in Key Stage 3 with building the skill base they will need to move onto Key Stage 4. In Key Stage 4, students understand and use advanced skills and additional theoretical knowledge of IT systems, programming concepts and computational thinking. This then takes them onto Key Stage 5 where students use the skills independently and can decide which skills/software is optimal in different scenarios. By this stage students will have more depth of theoretical knowledge and more in-depth analysis.
We provide a structured program where students learn about a vast number of different software for use in different scenarios. Students are taught about spreadsheets, databases, using computers safely, building websites, how computers work, user interfaces, data dashboards, building Apps, using social media in business and finally how to code in Kodu, Scratch, Python, html, CSS, JavaScript and OOP in C++ and Defold.
Key concepts that underpin the curriculum
| Concepts | Skills | |
| 1 | Algorithms | Computational thinking |
| 2 | Computer systems – hardware, software and Boolean Logic | |
| 3 | Legal, ethical, cultural and environmental concerns including e-safety and social media use. | |
| 4 | Knowledge and understanding of spreadsheets, databases, presentation software, video editing software and web development software | Creating spreadsheets, databases, presentations, videos, web sites using appropriate software and tools |
| 5 | Knowledge and understanding of programming theory | Use programming languages to solve computational problems. |
| 6 | Analysing user requirements and briefs. Project management. Systems lifecycle. | Creating a product to meet user requirements. Managing a project using project planning tools. Problem-solving and design |
How our curriculum shapes learners
Our students leave us equipped with the knowledge they need to understand, interpret and improve the world. The breadth of study across systems, applications, computational thinking, algorithms, decomposition and pseudocode provides students with superior knowledge of applications required in the workplace, which will help in any career the student decides to pursue.
| End points for Academic Years | |
| Year 7 | Students come into Hayes with a wide range of abilities in ICT and Computer Science, which is why we have created a dynamic curriculum that can engage them all. By the end of Year 7 students will know how to use email efficiently, save and retrieve files and folders from different locations, how to be safe online and the different laws associated with IT. They will be able to populate a database and then manipulate this data creating forms, reports and queries. They will understand spreadsheet formulas and how to use a spreadsheet to make decisions based on outcomes. They will also have embarked on the exciting and creative journey into the world of programming by making a game in Kodu. |
| Year 8 | Year 8 is mostly focussed on Computer Science and by the end of the year students will have been introduced to many exciting new concepts. They will have learned how to count and add in binary, how to use truth tables, what a logic gate is, different types of hardware and software and how these can be connected on different LANs or WANS. They will know what the CPU is and what an operating system does. For the programming in Year 8 they will have created a more complex game planning and working through the systems lifecycle in Scratch and then been innovative by creating their own app. Finally, they learned about how to create a website that is suitable for a business purpose. |
| Year 9 | By the end of Year 9 students will have learned to code in Python, created a flowchart system in Flowol, designed and created a budget for a Dragons Den style project and then linked this to a website they have created. Finally, they will have completed an exciting video editing project showing their editing and |
| Computer Scientists | IT Specialists | |
| Year 10 | By the end of Year 10 students have been introduced to the central processing unit (CPU), computer memory and storage, data representation, wired and wireless networks, network topologies, system security and system software. They have considered ethical, legal, cultural and environmental concerns associated with computer science. Students start to apply knowledge and understanding and develop skills in programming techniques. | By the end of Year 10, students will have a clear understanding of project planning tools and how these can effectively be used to design a product for a client. They will be able to discuss and use appropriate design principals, effectively meeting user and legal requirements. Students will be able to follow and iterative design process to create a user interface that is fully tested and evaluated. |
| Year 11 | By the end of Year 11 students' can apply knowledge and understanding in computational thinking: algorithms, programming techniques, producing robust programs, computational logic and translators, and can design, write, test and refine programs using a high-level programming language. | By the end of Year 11 students will have learned the different data manipulation tools that can be used to change the way that data is presented. They will be able to provide clear summaries of data and present them in a dashboard that will allow organisations to make effective decisions and draw conclusions, Students will also have explored the digital systems available to organisations and how their features have an impact on the way organisations operate. They will explore how developments in technology have led to more inclusive and flexible working environments, and how regulation and ethical and security concerns influence the way in which organisations operate. |
| Year 12 | By the end of year 12 Computer Scientists will know the internal workings of the CPU, data exchange, software development, the different methods of computational thinking and programming techniques. They will have also started their programming project in the language of their choice. | Students will be able to confidently define the structure of data and its origins, and how an efficient data design follows through to an effective and useful database. They will also know how the systems lifecycle plays a role in development – testing and evaluating of any product. Students will be able to comprehend the ways in which different social media websites can be used and the potential pitfalls when using them for business purposes and use this in practice and how to statistically analyse the successfulness of this. |
| Year 13 | When students complete their Computer Science studies at Hayes, they will have covered datatypes, data structures and some key mathematical and logical concepts as well as and legal and ethical issues. They will be able to use computational thinking and algorithms to solve problems. Students will understand the systems life cycle to solve a problem - analyse, design, develop and test and evaluate and document a program. This will enable them to create a working solution to a problem with the program written in a suitable programming language. | When students complete their Information Technology studies at Hayes, they will be able to distinguish the relationships between the hardware and software that form an IT system, and the way that systems work individually and together, as well as the relationship between the user and the system, always considering legal and ethical issues that may arise. Finally, students know the fundamentals of the decision-making process and how data modelling provides the computational ability to compare consequences and determine a preferred course of action. They will have the skills and techniques to create complex spreadsheets to produce accurate information that informs decision making. |
Click here to visualise the ICT learner journey from Year 7
Click here to visualise the Computer Science learner journey from Year 10 to Year 13
Click here to visualise the BTEC ICT learner journey
What will you see in ICT and Computer Science Lessons?
- Clear objectives
- Key vocabulary being used and explained
- Creativity and innovation
- Problem solving
- Critical thinking
- Individuality
- Students being able to use a range of software skills including but not exhaustive – Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Suite, a range of programming languages from block-based coding to text-based coding.
What will you see in ICT and Computer Science books?
As a department we try our best to be environmentally friendly so discourage printing and wasting paper and ink cartridges. Therefore, all students work is saved electronically as far as possible.
In KS3 students will all have access to their own OneNote folder. For KS4 and 5 students all have access to a local drive as well as their own section on the One Drive.
What formative assessment will you see in ICT and Computer Science?
In KS3 students are either given a formal assessment at the end of each unit or will have produced a practical element that reaches assessment standards.
In KS4 and 5 students complete formal assessments at the end of each unit of work. They will also be given opportunities to complete past paper exam questions.
In all key stages students are also assessed using these methods:
- Targeted and specific individual verbal feedback and peer feedback.
- Questioning that is carefully scaffolded and targeted to support pupil progress
- Opportunities for discussion
- Differentiation by outcome
What is the department currently reading and why?
- Computational Fairy Tales – Jeremy Kubica. Introduces principles of computational thinking, illustrating high-level computer science concepts, the motivation behind them, and their application in a non-computer-fairy tale-domain.
- Brown Dogs and Barbers: What's Computer Science All About? – Karl Beecher. Discover just what makes the machines tick, learn why computers work the way they do and meet the cast of characters responsible for it all
- Technology pages of The Guardian. Always interesting to be on the lookout for innovation and top trends.
Click here to access the ICT and Computer Science curriculum map.
