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Blackfen School for Girls

Blackfen School for Girls

Raising aspirations - releasing potential

Computing & ICT

Welcome to the Computing and ICT Department, part of the Vocational Faculty.

Being able to access knowledge about the computing world is essential both at home and in the modern work environment.

Our computing and ICT curriculum has been redesigned to engage students with the Computer Science National Curriculum so that the content is accessible, interesting and relevant to their day-to-day experiences.   It also aims to teach students some of the key ICT skills that modern day organisations look for in their employees, in particular with regard to digital literacy and design.

 

Key Stage 3

In September 2022, we are introducing a brand new KS3 curriculum throughout KS3.  In the first year, there will be some overlap of units between each year group as we would like all our students to cover the necessary core principles before they move on to KS4.

 

Year 7

Term Unit of Work

Autumn Term 1

Introduction to computing at Blackfen.

Autumn Term 2

Impact of technology:  Collaborating online respectfully and understanding your target audience.

Spring Term 1

 

Understanding networks, the Internet and the World Wide Web.

Spring Term 2

Introduction to spreadsheets using Microsoft Excel.

Summer Term 1

Introduction to block-based programming with Scratch.

Summer Term 1 & 2

Using Media for a cause: using appropriate images, assessing the credibility of sources, planning and researching, promoting your cause.

Year 8

Term Unit of Work
Autumn Term 1 Creating and manipulating vector graphics using Adobe Illustrator.
Autumn Term 2 Computing systems.
Spring Term 1 Data representation.
Spring Term 2 Developing for the Web.
Summer Term 1 Introduction to Python programming.
Summer Term 2 Augmented Reality skills using Adobe Aero.

Year 9

Term Unit of Work
Autumn Term 1 Spreadsheet skills.
Autumn Term 2 Python Programming.
Spring Term 1 Cybersecurity.
Spring Term 2 Data Science.
Summer Term 1 Media animations and 3D objects.
Summer Term 2 Creating and manipulating computer graphics – using Adobe Photoshop.

 

Key Stage 4

Year 10 ICT
OCR Level 2 Cambridge National Certificate in IT, J836 from teaching in September 2022

https://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/cambridge-nationals/it-level-1-2-j836/

There are 3 examination components to this new specification:

  • Unit R050: IT in the digital world (external examination in the summer of Y11)
  • Unit R060: Data manipulation using spreadsheets (internal coursework examination in the spring/summer term of Y10)
  • Unit R070: Using augmented Reality to present information (Internal coursework examination in the Autumn/Spring term of Y11)
Term Unit of work

Year 10:
 Autumn 1

R050: TA1 - Design tools (1.1 Types of design tools) including practical skills.
R050: TA2 - Human Computer Interface in everyday life (2.1 Purpose, importance and use of HCI in application areas, 2.2 Hardware considerations, 2.3 Software consideration, 2.4 User interaction methods).

Year 10:
 Autumn 2

 

R050: TA3 - Data & Testing (3.1 Information & data, 3.2 Data use.

R060: TA2 Creating a spreadsheet solution (2.1.1 Data handling & manipulation, 2.1.2 Techniques to generate the outputs, 2.1.3 User interface).
R060: TA1 - Planning and designing a spreadsheet solution (1.1 Design tools)
R060: TA1.2 HCI design conventions and principles (1.2.1Functionality, 1.2.2Types of outputs,1.2.3 HCI navigation).

Year 10:

Spring 1

 

R060: TA3 - Testing the spreadsheet solution (3.1 Test the user interface and technical aspects of the spreadsheet solution).  TA4 - Evaluating the spreadsheet solution (4.1 Methods used to evaluate).
R060: Coursework internal assessment starts.

Year 10:

Spring 2

R060: Coursework internal assessment ends.

R070: TA1 - Augmented Reality (AR) (1.1 Purpose and uses of AR, 1.2 Types of AR and user interaction, 1.3 Devices used with AR).

Year 10

Summer 1

R070: TA3 - Creating an AR model prototype (3.1 AR model prototype, 3.2 Triggers, 3.3 Layers/ user interaction, 3.4 Information output)
R070 TA2 - Designing an AR model prototype (2.1 Planning and design consideration, 2.2 Design tools) including practical skills.

Year 10

Summer 2

R050: TA6 - Internet of Everything (IoE) (6.1 Use of IoE, 6.2 Application areas in everyday life)
 

R070: TA3 - Creating and AR model prototype (continued)

R070 TA4 – Testing and Reviewing

 

Year 11: ICT  

Year 11 started the OCR Level 2 Cambridge National Certificate in IT, J836 in September 2022.  They are following a different curriculum path from the new Year 10 cohort .

Term Unit of Work

Year 11:
Autumn 1

 

 

 

 

 

Autumn 2

R060  Coursework internal assessment ends
 

R070: TA1 - Augmented Reality (AR) (1.1 Purpose and uses of AR, 1.2 Types of AR and user interaction, 1.3 Devices used with AR).
R050 TA4 Cybersecurity and legislation

 

R070: TA3 - Creating and AR model prototype (3.1 AR model prototype, 3.2 Triggers, 3.3 Layers/ user interaction, 3.4 Information output)
R070 TA2 - Designing an AR model prototype (2.1 Planning and design consideration, 2.2 Design tools)
R050 TA5 Digital communications

R050: TA6 - Internet of Everything (IoE) (6.1 Use of IoE, 6.2 Application areas in everyday life)

Year 11:

Spring Term

 

 

 

Summer Term

R070: TA3 - Creating and AR model prototype (continued)

R070 TA4 – Testing and Reviewing

R060: Coursework internal assessment

 

 

R050  Revision & exam practice