ICT and Computing

Intent – What are we aiming to achieve through our curriculum?

To become digitally literate with the ability to express and develop ideas through information and communication technology.
To become responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology.
To become active participants in a digital world.
To develop personal learning and thinking skills to enable students to enter further education / work and adult life as confident and capable individuals
To develop computational thinking and creativity in the use of new or unfamiliar technologies.
To develop analytical skills in problem solving using computational terms.
To understand a range of ways to use technology safely, respectfully, responsibly and securely, including protecting their online identity and privacy.
Be able to recognise inappropriate content, contact and conduct and know how to report concerns.
To engage in the practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve problems.
To understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computing, including abstraction, logic, algorithms and data representation.
To ensure all students have the opportunity to leave The Valley School with a computing / IT related qualification which reflects the best of their ability.

Implementation – How are we delivering our curriculum?

Students have full access to the Computing National Curriculum which is adapted to meet students’ learning needs and styles.
The Computing curriculum is designed to be challenging but appropriate to each student’s stage of development.
The Computing Curriculum offers opportunities for cross-curricular learning, to ensure students make significant personal development.
The Computing curriculum is designed to build and expand on previous skills and subject knowledge, over a 5-year period. It also plans for opportunities for repetition to embed knowledge, increasing the chance of information recall and to integrate new knowledge into larger ideas.

Impact – What difference is the curriculum making to our students?

In Computing, the vast majority of students meet or exceed their expected progress, based on their starting points.
Functional skills and life-skills are embedded in the Computing curriculum and are personalised for each student.
The very large majority of students are on track to meet or exceed their expected outcomes in Year 11.
Students are well-prepared for the next stage of their education

Key Stage 3 Learning Journey

Key Stage 4 Learning Journey