ICT

Intent

At Grange Academy we want our students to be confident users of technology. We want to model and educate our pupils on how to use technology positively, responsibly and safely. Our broad curriculum encompasses aspects of computer science, information technology and digital literacy in order to teach our pupils that there is always a choice when using technology. As a school we utilise technology (inclusive of social media) to model positive use. We recognise that the best prevention for a lot of issues we currently see with technology/social media is through education. Building knowledge in this subject will allow pupils to effectively demonstrate their learning through creative use of technology and support our pupils in taking control of devices to support modern day life.

Technology allows our pupils to share their learning in creative ways. We encourage staff to embed computing across the curriculum to make learning both creative and accessible. We want pupils at Grange Academy to be fluent with a range of tools and have the independence and confidence to choose the best tool to fulfil the tasks and challenges set by teachers.

Implementation

At Grange Academy we have created a comprehensive programme in order to best embed and cover elements of the computer curriculum. The knowledge/skill statements build in order to deepen and challenge our learners. Internet safety is as the heart of all ICT lessons. Pupils will explore computer systems and networks, data handling and work on creative projects with a focus on using ICT in the real world. Pupils are taught through practical real-life tasks that prepare them for ICT use in the future. We also include national theme days for example, Safer Internet Day and Online Safety Day at different time of the year to ensure that pupils are regularly exposed to content and have many opportunities to explore and discuss themes.

Impact

At Grange Academy we encourage pupils to enjoy and value the curriculum delivered in ICT. We want our pupils to discuss, reflect and appreciate the impact that computing has on their learning, development and wellbeing.

Teaching our pupils to find the right balance with technology and keep themselves safe online is key to an effective education and healthy lifestyle, when evaluating progress, we take this into account. Pupil progress is measured through developing an understanding of the software packages used within school, successful use of, and, the ability to present work using a variety of the programs in Microsoft Office Suite, use of the internet to research and support learning. All progression is mapped using the ICT Grange Steps. Where appropriate pupils may work towards functional skills awards at entry levels 1-3.  They may then progress to completing Functional Skills level 1 and level 2.