Curriculum Intent

The Digital Technology curriculum at St Thomas’s Centre is designed for young people to gain experience and qualifications in current technologies using a personalised learning plan.  Pupils learn the importance of online safety and information security alongside practical skills. They are encouraged to be independent uses of digital technology to prepare them for the next stage of their lives in the belief that every career has a digital aspect.  They will transition into confident young people ready for the digital age as this confidence is of benefit to the young person, further training providers, employers and the economy.

Key Stage 3 overview

Digital Technology at Key Stage 3 supports pupils to be confident online, promoting privacy and information security values.   Pupils are encouraged to use, express themselves and develop their ideas through, information and communication technology ready to be active participants in a digital world.  Pupils also explore principles and concepts of computer science including coding, new or unfamiliar technologies.

Key Stage 4 overview

St Thomas’s Centre provides an optional personalised learning program at Key Stage 4 dependent on the three distinct strands within computing, each of which is complementary to the others: Digital Literacy (DL), Information Technology (IT) and Computer Science (CS).

Digital Literacy (DL)

Pupils are encouraged to gain a BCS qualification to help get them digitally fit for the workplace, ICDL is recognised by employers and has been taken by over 15 million people from around the globe and a recognised benchmark of digital workplace skills.   Pupils gain a good foundation of widely used office-based skills knowledge using word, spreadsheets, and presentation skills.

St Thomas’s deliver ICDL (previously ECDL) at Level 1 Award and Level 2 Certificate:

BCS Level 1 ICDL Award in IT User Skills (601/0633/5)

Each unit is a 45-minute practical online assessment with a Pass at 75%

Presentation Software (K/502/4621)

Spreadsheet Software (A/502/4624)

Word Processing Software (L/502/4627)

BCS Level 2 Certificate in IT User Skills (ICDL Extra) (ITQ) (500/6242/6)

Each unit is a 45-minute practical online assessment with a Pass at 75%

Presentation Software (M/502/4622)

Spreadsheet Software (F/502/4625)

Word Processing Software (R/502/4628)

Improving Productivity using IT (J/502/4156)   This unit is a 60-minute practical online assessment with a Pass at 75% 

Course Specification link: https://www.bcs.org/deliver-and-teach-qualifications/training-providers-and-adult-education-centres/deliver-our-digital-literacy-qualifications/deliver-icdl-previously-ecdl/icdl-syllabi/

Information Technology (IT)

Pupils can opt to follow the Pearson Edxecel iGCSE ICT course (ICT) (4IT1).  The aims and objectives of this qualification are to enable pupils to:

• explore how digital technology impacts on the lives of individuals, organisations and society
• learn about current and emerging digital technologies and the issues raised by their use in a range of contexts by individuals and organisations
• develop awareness of the risks that are inherent in using ICT and the features of safe, secure and responsible practice
• broaden and enhance their ICT skills and capability
• work with a range of digital tools and techniques to produce effective ICT solutions in a range of contexts
• learn how to reflect critically on their own and others’ use of ICT and how to adopt safe, secure and responsible practice.

The GCSE is graded 1 -9 (with 9 being the highest).   The GCSE consists of two exams:

Paper 1 Written Exam 90 mins 50% of total GCSE

Paper 2 Practical Exam 180 mins (3 hrs) 50% of total GCSE

Paper 1 Topic 1 Digital Devices Topic 2 Connectivity Topic 3 Operating Online Topic 4 Online Goods and Services

Paper 2 Topic 5 Applying Information and Technology Topic 6 Software Skills 6.1 Word Processing 6.2 Database Management 6.3 Spreadsheets 6.4 Presentations 6.5 Graphics

Pupils are entered for their final examinations according to prior individual progress and attainment.

Course Specification link: https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-international-gcses/international-gcse-information-and-communication-technology-2017.html

Computer Science (CS)

OCR Computer Science GCSE course (J277) is available for pupils who attend St Thomas’s Centre at discretion and prior arrangement with the Digital Technology Subject Leader.

Pupils are entered for their final examinations according to prior individual progress and attainment. 

The GCSE is graded 1 -9 (with 9 being the highest). The GCSE consists of two external exams:

Paper 1: J277/01: Computer systems

Written paper: 90 minutes 50% of total GCSE

Paper 2: J277/02: Computational thinking, algorithms and programming

Written paper: 90 minutes 50% of total GCSE

Course Specification link: GCSE - Computer Science (9-1) - J277 (from 2020) - OCR