ICT

GCSE students follow the AQA Specification A syllabus. This involves two coursework projects: one is pre-set by the examination board during which students will set up systems based on a specific brief; the other is a personal project of the student’s choice where a student will use their practical skills to design and create a series of solutions for a business or organisation. There is also a final examination which tests the girls’ broad ICT understanding of hardware devices, the use of software, the Data Protection Act, flowcharts, communication methods and other topics.

The ICT A level course follows the AQA ICT syllabus. The course is split into two parts, each comprising two units. The first two units make up an AS level qualification and are studied during the first year of the course.

The first unit, "Practical Problem Solving in the Digital World", gives students the opportunity to develop their knowledge and understanding of ICT systems by using a range of applications in a structured way. They will use a range of hardware, software and communication technology manipulating text, images, numbers and sound.

For the second unit, "Living in the Digital World", students will look at the wider picture of the use of ICT. Not only will they look at the immediate effect that ICT has on each of them, they will delve into the longer term effects on society and the world in general.

The third unit, "The Use of ICT in the Digital World", looks at the ever changing developments in ICT and system capabilities. In particular, the unit studies small and large organisations, how they use ICT and how it influences their culture and operations.

The fourth unit is coursework. Students have the opportunity to complete a substantial project involving the production of an ICT-related system over an extended period of time. The system should be for a real or realistic organisation such as a local company, a school, a charity or for a one-off event.