Case studies

Creating our future; a quest for excellence

Smithills School, Bolton have recently developed their ICT provision and extended the teaching from Year 8 to across Key Stage 3. They explain how they used ICT sample teaching units to do so.

The School has actively introduced the Key Stage 3 Strategy. The school has recently developed the provision for ICT in the school and it is now taught in Years 7, 8 and 9. (previously it was only taught in Year 8).

The schemes of work that existed in the school prior to the KS3 Strategy launch were primarily skills based.  They started with a brief introduction to the keyboard and typing skills.  They then progressed onto Word Processing, Desk Top Publishing, Spreadsheets, Databases, Presentations and Web Design.  In Year 8 the students revisited these topics and did different projects that built on their existing skills.  In Year 9 the students did a project based on a school ski trip.  This was based on the work that they would be doing if they opted for the GCSE ICT course in KS4.  In Year 7 and 8 although the students enjoyed the ICT course it was very skills based.  Not enough emphasis was placed on the design, refining and evaluation of their work.