iNFORMATION tECHNOLOGY
As well as being taught as a discrete subject from Reception up to Year 6, ICT is woven into just about every curriculum area. The school has an ever-expanding computer network (currently around 70 computers) which includes a bank of wirelessly enabled laptops and a dedicated ICT suite.
All teaching classrooms have at least one computer and an interactive electronic whiteboard and staff regularly attend IT training sessions to ensure they make the best possible use of the IT resources available to them.
Although our ICT lessons loosely follow the National Curriculum, our aim is to go beyond teaching pure ICT skills and we expect pupils to acquire the ability to think how and when Information technology can be used effectively in different situations.
In the Lower School, children start by honing their mouse control skills using simple games and drawing software and move on to use increasingly sophisticated applications while becoming familiar with the keyboard and basic computer functions. By the time pupils have reached the top of the school, they are able to use Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Publisher, work with digital cameras and photo editing software, use databases, create graphs and even design websites. We teach effective Internet research skills which pupils find invaluable when working on their own projects and we subscribe to an online touch typing program which is available to all upper school pupils.
The ICT department makes every effort to work synergistically with other curriculum areas and strives to keep abreast of technological developments and innovations.
