Information Technology

What is our overarching curriculum intent and what do we intend students leave Bridgemary School with?

We intend that our curriculum supports our Trust ambition of ‘achieving more together’.  We do this by providing a range of topics and activities relating to progression into creative iMedia or computer science for future specialism.  For students who would not be looking to continue their studies into Key Stage 4, the course provides opportunities to improve their skills in ICT which would be required in any future courses / professions.

The curriculum is built around a spiral model, meaning that topics and core knowledge will be revisited year on year between different topics and subjects showing the students the value and applications of their learning.  From year 8 upwards students are introduced to vocational style activities and long projects to help them see how skills are applied in the workplace.

What is the structural intent of the subject curriculum, & how is it sequenced so that students know and remember more?

The curriculum across all subjects is carefully sequenced so that prior core declarative and procedural knowledge is built upon, with continual opportunities for core knowledge to be interleaved throughout both key stages so that students know more, remember more and can apply that knowledge in a range of contexts.  Facilitating knowledge adds important local, national, and global context to core knowledge, and our curriculum intends to provide a richness and diversity that enables our students to experience learning in real life contexts.

How do any school values and focuses influence or feed through the curriculum?

The school curriculum is built on 4 aims to ensure our students receive and are able to access it fully, those being:

• Reading and comprehension that aims to ensure all students leave with a reading age at least equivalent to their chronological age
• Our school ethos of Be Kind, Work Hard, Be the Best Version of Yourself
• A deepening understanding of core and facilitating knowledge that enables students to know and remember more
• A wide appreciation of the world that we live in, and the celebration of the diversity this brings

In Digital we support these aims by using the spiralling curriculum to improve on skills learned previously and taking them to a higher level than previously attained year on year. We also create links to other subjects where possible to help promote the understanding of transferable skills and create knowledge links to assist across the curriculum in other subjects.  Students who wish to progress in specific subjects outside of school have access to teach-yourself materials in a range of bespoke software packages promoting independent learning though teachers will assist with during extra-curricular opportunities if required.

What is our intent to assess how well students access the curriculum and how the school intends to adapt the curriculum to close gaps in knowledge?

To ensure any gaps in prior or new knowledge are quickly identified, we check progress frequently through a range of assessment opportunities, from lesson-by-lesson declarative knowledge tests, end of topic tests that assess knowledge retention and application, to more cumulative common assessments that assess students’ ability to remember and apply knowledge in a range of contexts.  The information from these assessments are used to adapt the curriculums intending to quickly close gaps in knowledge and keep students on track to achieve at our ambitious academic flightpaths.

The curriculum we intend to deliver to students at each Key Stage:

At KS3 the emphasis is on building skills in ICT which can be used across the curriculum whilst also developing their understanding of the principles of computing, programming, how digital systems work and using ICT in a safe and responsible way.  By studying this range of topics, students are able to make an informed decision in their option choices, where they can choose to study iMedia or Computer Science.

Year 7 is focused on building a familiarity with computers within each topic.  Students will become ‘computer literate’ in everyday computer use which will feature in their future workplace as well as creating the framework of thinking required to progress to the more intricate elements of computer science.

Year 8 is designed to re-visit and build further on topics covered in year 7 with more attention to detail.  Knowledge of algorithms and computational thinking will progress from theory to application and problem solving and their creative thinking skill set from digital art applications will be expanded with understanding of psychology to creating purposeful designs of ‘maximum impact’.

Year 9 continues to spiral upwards as students begin to tackle GCSE material in a vocational ‘client brief scenario’ as skills are honed for those moving away from ICT subjects in their options to finish preparing them for the future, while students looking to stay in the subject will start to see everything come together in a true-to-life scenario.

At KS4 The Creative iMedia (OCR Cambridge Nationals) course will continue on building vocational and transferable skills in computer use and planning.  Students will learn at least 3 new types of bespoke, industry standard software and will demonstrate and evidence their ability to adapt to and utilise new technologies to a high standard in digital media creation.  

Professional skills are also a strong focus in this course as students will be expected to create professional level research presentations and documented proposals using the Google Office suite.  Students will then create digital art, websites and other media to a high standard.

The Computer Science GCSE (OCR J277) will allow students to practice both the ‘physical’ and theoretical aspects of modern Computer Science.  Students will again revisit topics from their KS3 curriculum but in significant detail.  With this, new topics will also be introduced to show students the massive array of specialisms available within the industry moving forward.  

Students will also progress to practice their problems solving skills and computational thinking approaches to creating complex programs designed to prepare students for learning new languages and programming literacy whatever their next steps may be.

How does the co-curriculum enhance the curriculum?

Where possible, Digital will cross over with other subjects (Such as Maths and History) to connect learning between those subjects.  Where computer science and game programming is deeply rested within Mathematics and coordinates, links are created to the production of graphics.  E-Safety lessons are also built in connection with PSHE and citizenship to ensure the safeguarding of students outside of school.