ICT Department Homepage

Welcome to the Magherafelt High School ICT department homepage.

ICT is taught at Key Stage 3 (Years 8-9) and is also offered at GCSE and A Level (Applied ICT).

All ICT learning resources are now provided through our school Virtual Learning Environment, LearningNI. LearningNI offers our students a safe, secure and easy-to-use portal to deliver eLearning to all ICT students.

Courses have been tailor-made for each Key Stage to ensure students have access to the latest digital learning resources and to encourage students to become more independent learners.

Key Stage 3
The curriculum for Key Stage 3 is set out in nine Areas of Learning comprised of subject strands. Each subject strand is defined as a minimum requirement and is structured to facilitate more collaborative learning. Although subject strands are organised within specified Areas of Learning this does not preclude connections being made with other Areas of Learning or subject strands.

Information and Communications Technology, across the curriculum, has the potential to transform and enrich pupils’ learning experiences and environments. It can empower pupils, develop self-esteem and promote positive attitudes to learning. Additionally, the creative use of ICT has the potential to improve pupils’ thinking skills, providing them with opportunities to become independent, self-motivated and flexible learners.

Pupils are encouraged to develop the skills of Using ICT by engaging in meaningful research and purposeful activities set in relevant contexts. They should use ICT to handle and communicate information, solve problems, pose questions and take risks. They should process, present and exchange their ideas and translate their thinking into creative outcomes that show an awareness of audience and purpose. They should also use ICT to collaborate within and beyond the classroom, to share and exchange their work and to exhibit and showcase their learning.

Across the curriculum, at a level appropriate to their ability, pupils are encouraged to develop skills to:

Explore

Pupils are encouraged to:

• access and manage data and information;
• research, select, process and interpret information;
• investigate, make predictions and solve problems through interaction with electronic tools;

• understand how to keep safe and display acceptable online behaviour.

Express

Pupils are encouraged to:

• create, develop, present and publish ideas and information using a range of digital media;
• manipulate information and multimedia products using a range of assets.

Exchange

Pupils are encouraged to:

• communicate using a range of contemporary methods and tools;
• share, collaborate, exchange and develop ideas digitally.

Evaluate

Pupils are encouraged to:

• talk about, review and make improvements to work, reflecting on the process and outcome;
• consider the sources and resources used;

Exhibit

Pupils are encouragedn to:

• manage and present their stored work;
• showcase their learning across the curriculum.