ICT at the Bridge

Aims and Objectives

ICT lessons at The Bridge are underpinned by the Bridge ethos of Hope and a Future, aiming to equip our students to confidently embrace the ever- changing technological and connected world we live in and support their continued learning Post-16.

Students will gain the following skills:

• Touch Typing – Via an online course delivered by Typingclub.com
• Staying safe on-line – How to use the internet safely, responsibly and positively
• Knowledge of infrastructure – Gaining an understanding of physical and virtual technologies
• Office productivity applications – Competency in using spreadsheets, word documents and presentation software
• Research and communication applications – search engines, email, respect and tolerance, rule of law, personal responsibility and digital footprint

Teaching and Learning Styles

We use a range of teaching and learning styles depending on student ability. Students are encouraged to use and develop their full range of Personal Learning and Thinking Skills in order to achieve lesson objectives. These will enable students to become:

Independent Enquirers – Students will be able to process and evaluate information in their investigations, planning what to do and how to go about it. They take informed and well-reasoned decisions, recognising that others have different beliefs and attitudes.

Creative Thinkers – Students will be able to think creatively by generating and exploring ideas, making original connections. They try different ways to tackle a problem, working with others to find imaginative solutions and outcomes that are of value.

Reflective Learners – Students will be able to evaluate their strengths and limitations, setting themselves realistic goals with criteria for success. They monitor their own performance and progress, inviting feedback from others and making changes to further their learning.

Teamworkers – Students will be able to work confidently with others, adapting to different contexts and taking responsibility for their own part. They listen to and take account of different views. They form collaborative relationships, resolving issues to reach agreed outcomes.

Effective Participators – Students will be able to organise themselves, showing personal responsibility, initiative, creativity and enterprise with a commitment to learning and self-improvement. They actively embrace change, responding positively to new priorities, coping with challenges and looking for opportunities.

Self-Managers – Young people actively engage with issues that affect them and those around them. They play a full part in the life of their school, college, workplace or wider community by taking responsible action to bring improvements for others as well as themselves.

ICT Planning

ICT is delivered at The Bridge with two x one hour lessons delivered to all year groups. Classes have a maximum of eight students to encourage full participation and learning and enable differentiated delivery of content. Breaking news stories are examined to highlight subject content. We celebrate world and national events for example World Book Day, Safer Internet Day, Black History Month, LGBTQIA+ History Month and Anti-Cyberbullying week in which British Values are promoted as part of the students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

ICT at The Bridge presents itself with many opportunities for cross curricular links and is often used to support the core subjects of Maths (e.g. spreadsheets, graphs and numeracy), English (e.g. Touch-Typing and extended writing), Science (e.g. research and evaluation), Art (e.g. research and posters) and PSHE (e.g.; staying safe, respect, consent and careers).

Curriculum planning also takes into account the school’s Unique Me principles for each half term.

Starting in Year 10 students also have the option of commencing a scheme of work resulting in an assessment in Year 11 to achieve an ICT Functional Skills Entry Level 3 qualification.

Teaching ICT to students with special needs

ICT is taught at The Bridge to all students, regardless of ability or previous learning. Lessons are tailored to suit the individual student’s needs whether or not they are gifted, talented or have learning difficulties. When planning and delivering ICT and providing feedback to students, any EHCPs (Educational, Health and Care Plan) IEPs (Individual Educational Plan) and SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) are taken into account.

Assessment and recording
Assessment needs to value and recognise what students have done or completed successfully, thereby raising their self-esteem. Therefore, a variety of approaches to the assessment of individual achievement is used in ICT. After introducing a topic, theory is taught through a variety of activities. At the end of each module, each student will complete a challenge based on the module content. This may be completed individually or in pairs/groups. The challenge is then assessed against student identified success criteria using a green What Went Well (WWW) and Even Better If (EBI) sheet and time allocated to making improvements. Assessment may be self/peer or teacher based. Other lessons are marked in accordance with The Bridge’s marking policy and feedback given to students either written or verbal. Student progression in Touch Typing lessons are supported using the RAG system (Red, Amber Green) with feedback to students via individual activity summaries. Achievements of pupils in ICT are reported to parents twice yearly.

Resources
The Peasrson Edexcel assessment for ICT Functional Skills Entry level 3 course uses functional skills workbooks produced by CPG along with tutor created worksheets and online resources from recognised providers. In the classroom students have access to desktop PCs and monitors and HSE compliant chairs. In addition a number of chromebooks are available to support students when away from the ICT classroom. Both chromebooks and PCs are loaded with appropriate applications to enable achievement of lesson objectives. Other resources are available or can be purchased to support students with identified needs or topics being covered. All students have their own ICT folder where hard copies of their work are stored for monitoring, evaluation and review.

Monitoring and review
Maria Jackson (Head of School) is responsible for monitoring the standard of student work and the quality of teaching. Karen Jupp is responsible for the development and delivery of the ICT curriculum. The development of the ICT curriculum is reviewed annually by the Head of School and professional development needs are identified.