The aim of the ICT Department is to equip pupils with the skills they need in order to be confident and competent users of ICT. ICT lessons encourage children to be selective in their use of ICT and to justify their choices as they develop their knowledge of software. There is a focus on scenario-based learning which forces pupils to think about their use of ICT and to apply the required skill needed to solve a specific task. This ability to choose, apply and justify will make them autonomous users of ICT, ready for the computer-rich world in which we live.In Reception and Year 1 the children are taught by class teachers to acquire a general technological awareness. In Years 2 and 3 the children are taught by a specialist teacher who deepens the children’s understanding of computer systems and develops their keyboard and typing skills. Many of the Lower School lessons are cross-curricular and encourage the children to have fun with technology.
From Year 4 upwards the children are taught by the Head of Department. In Years 4 and 5 they learn how to organise, name, move and delete files and folders in a way that keeps their user area structured. The skills that are developed in these years include Word Processing, Desktop Publishing, Spreadsheets, Databases and Presentation. These skills form the core of the ICT work they will be asked to do across the other subjects that they will study.
From Year 6 they are introduced to more discrete skills like web design, computer graphics and controlling devices. The children are encouraged to continue learning beyond the classroom and to apply their learnt skills across the curriculum. This helps to consolidate their skills and embed ICT into their everyday life at school. In the final two years the children work independently or in groups to complete ‘Enterprise’ style projects.
