Information Technology

IT in school is taught as a subject in its own right but is also used by every other subject as a learning resource.

Our aim is to use lessons in the lower school to equip every pupil with a set of skills that they can use in other subject areas and everyday life.

As well as teaching to pupils in the lower school IT is also offered as an 'A' level where pupils improve their practical skills and also learn about how IT has changed and shaped the modern world.

IT Staff

Peter Rankin

Peter enjoys using IT in his spare time and tries to pass on IT skills to pupils that will benefit them not only in the school environment but also as part of the life long learning process. He enjoys digital photography and manipulating images with Photoshop in his spare time and is becoming an amateur film maker.

IT Resources

There are two dedicated IT suites in the school each with modern PCs capable of holding a class so that each pupil has their own terminal. As well as IT lessons the rooms are in constant use with other subjects often booking lessons in them.

There are also other computers and laptops around the school in class rooms, laboratories and the library for pupil use.

In all there are over 200 computers in the school, with various subject areas having their own IT resources. Many departments have PCs and laptops for student use and every department has at least one data projector and interactive white board.

The school has a number of networked colour laser printers around the school site for student use which print A4 and A3, we also have a large format printer which the art students often use capable of printing A0.

The school has its own intranet for learning with many departments having online resources for their pupils. All pupils and staff have their own e-mail account that can be accessed any where in the world. Students have access to IT resources outside of lesson time for completing prep and for our boarders to keep in contact with friends and family back home. The school has a wireless enabled network which allows pupils with their own laptops to access the internet and other school IT resources. The internet connection the school provides has a content filter and won't allow any inappropriate material to be displayed.

IT Curriculum

The school room curriculum is designed to give students a 'toolbox' of IT skills for use in other lessons and as a life skill.

Lower Schoolroom (Year7)

Word Processing / Desktop Publishing

Pupils learn how to create large documents which will help them with coursework. We look at automating many processes such as contents pages. They think about audience style and appropriateness.

Presentation Software

Again thinking about style and audience student learn how to produce effective presentations. Skills which are used by many departments, such as geography when implementing mini projects.

Mind Mapping Software

As part of the thinking skills curriculum students learn how to mind map and transfer these skills to a computer.

PhotoShop

Digital art is blossoming in the art department and students learn the rudimentary skills of working with layers.

Digital Film Making

With the growth of internet video sites such as YouTube, creating your own digital films is becoming a much more common event. Students take these skills and often use them in their own time or create short films in other subjects.

Middle Schoolroom (Year 8)

Spreadsheet Software

As pupils move through the school and start to get stuck into their GCSE and A level coursework they often need the statistical and chart making skills they learn.

CAD Software

CAD is taught with reference to the Design and Technology department who use it for design work and for manufacture with their CAD/CAM machinery.

Advanced PhotoShop

Research Techniques

We teach pupils to use the internet as a real research tool pointing out its benefits and pitfalls. Too often people copy and paste vast quantities of inappropriate text, we are trying to encourage our pupils to be more discerning scholars.

Using Social Networking Sites

Many of our pupils use these sites such as Bebo and Facebook in their own time. If used properly and with care they are great fun and an excellent way of keeping in touch. However there are many pitfalls as well, we teach pupils to be safe and look at how the technology can be used for things such as blogging.

AS Level

Unit 1 Information and Systems

Topics covered in this unit: data, information, knowledge and processing; software and hardware components of an information system; characteristics of standard applications software and application areas; spreadsheet concepts; relational database concepts; applications software used for presentation and communication of data; the role and impact of IT - legal, moral and social issues.

Unit 2 Coursework Tasks

Candidates have the opportunity to explore design, software development, testing and documentation.

A Level

Unit 3 Applications and Implementation

In this unit candidates gain an understanding of the systems cycle; designing computer-based information systems; networks and communication; applications of IT; implementing computer-based information systems and implications of IT.

Unit 4 IT Project

Candidates explore definition, investigation and analysis; design; software development, testing and implementation; documentation and evaluation through a client-driven project.