This new GCSE course builds on young people’s love of digital devices. It explores how technology impacts on every aspect of our daily lives: learning and earning, leisure, shopping and money management, health and well being and on the move. It will teach students to be ‘savvy IT users’, who understand the risks as well as the benefits, and use ICT safely and responsibly.

Unit 1 Living in a digital world – students will learn about current and emerging technologies and how they impact on our lives (e.g. e-safety, social networking, online shopping).

Unit 2 Using digital tools – students will put into practice what they learn in Unit 1, working with a range of digital tools and techniques. Students will be required to work to deadlines. They will be expected to complete research tasks and gather information from outside sources. The teaching is student-centred and students are expected to be able to work independently and in various sized and structured groups. Some tasks will require students to search and discover, or question, select and apply information, then make decisions. The teacher will provide guidance, support and motivation.

The nature of the Controlled Assessment, with its emphasis on ‘doing’ rather than ‘writing about’ helps develop important transferable skills including problem solving, creative thinking and collaborative working. Unit 1 is assessed by a written exam of 90 minutes and contributes 40% of the final grade. Unit 2 is assessed by a Controlled Assessment Brief (CAB) and contributes 60% of the final grade.

Further information can be obtained from www.edexcel.com follow links through qualifications and subjects or by contacting Mrs Newstead, Head of ICT

This specification is designed to encourage students to consider the practical application of business and economic concepts

This unit introduces candidates to the issues concerning the setting up and operation of a business. It explores the activities of business and the reasons for success and failure. It encourages candidates to appreciate that businesses must operate within society and that this involves businesses dealing with many different individuals and organisations which will hold different perspectives.

Content areas : Starting a Business / Marketing / Finance / Human Resources / Operations.

This unit builds upon the content of Unit 1, allowing candidates to study businesses as they grow and the issues that expansion raises

Content areas : Business Organisation / Marketing / Finance / Human Resources / Operations.

Students will be required to work to deadlines. They will be expected to complete research tasks and gather information from outside sources. The teaching is student-centred and students are expected to be able to work independently and in various sized and structured groups. Some tasks will require students to search and discover, or question, select and apply information, then make decisions. The teacher will provide guidance, support and motivation.

Written Exam 1hr contributes 40% towards the final grade

Written Exam 1hr contributes 35% towards the final grade

Controlled assessment contributes 25% towards the final grade

More information is available at www.aqa.org.uk or contact Mrs Newstead, Business Studies.

This specification is designed to encourage students to consider the practical application of business and economic concepts. The three units allow students the opportunity to explore the theories and concepts in the context of events in the business and economic world.

This unit introduces candidates to the importance of business and communication systems which contribute to the success of a business in achieving its objectives. In particular, candidates will consider how ICT systems affect the way people work and how they can potentially improve communication both internally and externally. Candidates will be encouraged to consider not only the benefits of ICT in the workplace, but also the potential risks relating to the health and safety of staff and the security of data. Content area: Administration/Human Resources/Communication/Health and Safety at work.

This unit introduces a range of software applications used to support each function of a business. It helps the candidates understand how a business can use software to capture, store, retrieve and analyse data to meet its objectives. Students will be required to work to deadlines. They will be expected to complete research tasks and gather information from outside sources. The teaching is student-centred and students are expected to be able to work independently and in various sized and structured groups. Some tasks will require students to search and discover, or question, select and apply information, then make decisions. The teacher will provide guidance, support and motivation.

This controlled assessment assesses the subject content of Unit 9.

ICT Systems in Business – assessed by a written exam of 60 minutes contributes 40% towards final grade. Using ICT in Business – assessed by a practical exam of 90 minutes contributes 35% towards final grade. Investigating ICT in Business – assessed by a controlled assessment and contributes 35% towards final grade.

Further information can be obtained from www.aqa,org.uk or Mrs Newstead, Head of ICT.

During Key Stage 3 we begin by consolidating knowledge and skills students already have and move on to introduce new skills aiming to make students independent learners and users of ICT.

We use a wide variety of software, some familiar to students when they join us, some may be new to them.

Students have one hour of subject ICT per week and will use it across their other subjects.

The learning is divided into modules.  In year 7 modules are usually 5 or 6 lessons, in year 8 they last 7 or 8 lessons and in year 9 they average at 12 lessons.  As students progress through the key stage modules become less task led and more based on independent student work.

Year 7 modules cover eSafety, efficient use of the Internet, graphics, modelling, data collection and storage, control and sequencing and presenting for audience.

Year 8 modules cover business communications, modelling an environmental calculator, data handling, computer games (scratch), digital publishing and

Year 9 modules bring together multiple elements of ICT for example in the cinema evacuation module students use a combination of graphics, manipulating text and modelling in solving a problem linked to a cinema.

Module 1 eSafety / efficient searching

Module 2 Word processing / DTP

Module 3 Spreadsheet basics

Module 4 Bitmap / vector maps

Module 5 Database basics

Module 6 Presentations – the do’s and don’ts

Module 7 Superheroes

Module 8 Modelling

Module 9 Presenting in different forms

Module 10 Controlling devices

Module 11 Business Communications

Module 12 Environmental Calculator

Module 13 Digital posters

Module 14 Using Databases

Module 15 Tell me a story

Module 16 Cinema Evacuation

Module 17 Discovery Board

Module 18 Web Design

Module 19 A Grand Day Out

Module 20 Check It Out