INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

The role of ICT in education is perhaps more prominent than it has ever been. In this fast changing world there is an ever-increasing demand to ensure that students leave school equipped with IT skills. Employers and further and higher education all place considerable weight on useful, relevant experience of ICT.

The Gregg School is committed to providing the very best ICT software and systems for its pupils. Two specialist rooms house a newly installed Thin Client network, which consists of thirty-five terminals. The network also extends throughout the school so that pupils have access to, and make use of, computing facilities across the whole curriculum.

The network is supported by a wide range of software including word processing, spreadsheets, desktop publishing, databases, graphics packages, internet access and various CD ROMS and multi media resources.

We have a broadband Internet link that is accessible from all stations on the network across the whole school.

The School's policy is to ensure that every pupil is correctly taught the fundamental skills of keyboarding and display. The emphasis throughout is hands-on, practical work and sound preparation for examinations and the workplace.

In Year 7 pupils learn basic keyboarding skills in conjunction with a Framework ICT course and this pattern is developed in Year 8 and Year 9.

As pupils progress up the school they work toward a range of Royal Society of Art (RSA) examinations.   Our aim is to teach good keyboarding skills, which can be used in all curriculum areas and prepare pupils for life outside school.

Pupils have the option of taking a GCSE in either Business and Communications Systems or Information and Communication Technology.

The Optional GCSE course in Information and Communication Technology offered in Years 10 and 11 aims to introduce the pupils in the widest possible sense to the use of computers in society, to familiarise them with the widest possible range of their use and to make them feel at ease and confident when they encounter computers in the workplace. The pupils experience an extensive variety of software ranging from Database Management Systems, Spreadsheet, the Internet to Computer Aided Design and Robotics. In addition they are introduced to important theoretical concepts such as the Data Protection Act, viruses, systems analysis and how to choose the right hardware for any particular configuration or application.

To reinforce the techniques and ideas learnt on the course the pupils are regularly taken on field trips to places such as IBM, and the Ship's Bridge simulation facility at Transas, where they have the opportunity to interact with IT professionals and see in action what they have learnt about in the classroom.