ICT
ICT is everywhere. Use of ICT is moving at such a fast pace, that people without relevant skills are being left behind. Every industry will use ICT in some capacity and employers are looking for highly trained young professionals who have relevant ICT skills.
The ICT department at Macmillan Academy consists of ten highly trained professionals with a range of specialities from technical programming to creative and arts. The ICT department is housed within eight modern computer suites giving a total of 174 available machines. Other facilities include helpdesk which is a dedicated suite of 34 computers which is available at break, lunches and after-school.
At Macmillan Academy we believe that every student should have the opportunity to gain a recognised qualification in ICT. Therefore, from year 8 onwards, students will complete the OCR Nationals qualification which will give students the opportunity to achieve a GCSE at the end of year 9. Should students wish to continue their education in ICT, they can opt for a single or double option in Key Stage 4 in which they will gain further qualifications and learn new disciplines within the broad context of ICT.
The department has endeavoured to improve ties with local industry to give students a real vocational experience. This is best reflected in our developing relationship with the University of Teesside and local Design Agency Calm Asylum who contribute to our CAVE (Cultural and Vocational Experiences) week.
Department Staff
| Name | Position |
| Mr M Stephenson | Director of ICT |
| Mr C Bede | ICT Development Manager / CMIS manager |
| Mr. A King | Head of ICT |
| Mrs. J Yates | Assistant Head of ICT |
| Mr. I Robley | Teacher of ICT / Assistant Principal |
| Mr N Middleton | Teacher of ICT |
| Mr M Soochit | Teacher of ICT |
| Mr M Nicholson | Teacher of ICT / Web Development / CMIS |
| Mrs. K Barlow | P / T Teacher of ICT |
| Mrs. T Stewart | P / T Teacher of ICT (currently on maternity) |
Support Staff |
|
| Miss L Wilson | Classroom Support |
| Mr G Seaman | ICT Manager |
| Mr C Buxton | I.T. Technician |
| Mr I Hussain | I.T. Technician |
| Mr D Robinson | I.T. Technician |
Syllabus
Key Stage 3
Year 7
In year 7 students will be introduced to the concept of using ICT for different purposes. Students will be asked to solve a range of problems and create products suitable for a particular audience and purpose. The year is split into 3 major projects which will each have a different theme.
Unit 1 – Eco-Council Challenge
Students will be asked to conduct a survey to find out opinions regarding the environment from staff, students and parents of Macmillan Academy. From this, they will then be asked to create an advertisement campaign for the eco-council that serves to educate students in environmental issues as well as promoting the work of the Eco-council.
Unit 2 – Theme Park
This unit will require students to use modelling software to financially forecast the set up of a new theme park. They will be required to create an advertisement campaign for their new park and will use professional simulator software to design their very own rollercoaster ride to be the star attraction in their new theme park.
Unit 3 – Working for the BBC
This unit is focussed around the very important issue of e-safety. Students will take the role of a design team working for the BBC and will be asked to create a range of promotional material to advertise the importance of e-safety as well as providing practical and sensible tips to help young children.
Year 8 & 9
In year 8 and 9 students are given the opportunity to work towards a recognised GCSE qualification awarded by OCR. The OCR Nationals course requires students to complete one full unit and one half unit. After passing both units, students will gain a GCSE equivalent qualification in ICT.
Unit 1 (Year 8)
Students will complete unit 1 throughout year 8. The ICT Skills for Business unit will teach students a range of skills from Spreadsheets and Databases through to Internet searching and using e-mail.
Unit 21 (Year 9)
This half unit is titled Graphics for the Web. Students will work for the fictitious company Recycle GB and will be required to create a range of web graphics such as navigation blocks and advertisement banners.
Key stage 4
Students choosing to pick ICT at Key Stage 4 have the option of single or double ICT. The units on offer at Key stage 4 are described below:
Unit 2 – Website Creation
In this unit students take on the role of a web designer. They will design and create a website for their favourite band or artist for a client with very specific requirements. They will create templates, rollover buttons and hyperlinks and include video, sound, images and text to their site.
Unit 4 – Multimedia Products
Students will create a multimedia product on a topic of their choosing. They will include animations, video and sound to enhance their presentation.
Unit 5 – Desktop Publishing (Double only)
In this unit students will develop a thorough knowledge and understanding of the process of planning, drafting, developing and creating a DTP document to meet the needs of a
target audience. Candidates will develop their graphics manipulation skills to edit and develop a series of images for inclusion in their DTP document, as well as create a simple graphic using the graphic tools available in DTP packages.
Unit 6 – Spreadsheets (Double only)
Students will create an advanced spreadsheet for a specific client’s needs. They will include advanced formulae such as VLOOKUP’s, IF statements and COUNTIF’s. They will understand how to prepare a spreadsheet that is suited to its purpose and clients needs and that is also user friendly.
Unit 22 – Creating sound using ICT
This is a half unit. Students will develop a knowledge and understanding of how to design, produce and test a short audio clip of their choosing which is suitable for a particular audience and purpose.
Unit 23 – Creating video
This is a half unit. By completing this unit students will develop a knowledge and understanding of how to design, produce and review a short video clip of their choosing which is suitable for a particular audience and purpose.
Post 16
At post 16, students have the following options.
