The Department aims to ensure that every pupil at CRGS will leave the school competent and confident in ICT and familiar with a range of commonly used applications.

Resources include four computer suites consisting of 118 computers together with interactive whiteboards, projectors, digital cameras, camcorders, PDAs etc.

Teaching Staff:

Mr M Heaton BSc MSc (Head of Department)

Mr G Holttum BSc

Mr C Reed BSc

Mr D Hardy BSc

Programme of Study:

Students in Years 7, 8 and 9 have a one hour ICT lesson every week, covering all aspects of the National Curriculum by the end of Key Stage 3. At Key Stage 4 students choose between:

GCSE Computing – through the study of programming, this course will help learners develop critical thinking, analysis and problem solving skills. For many, it will be a fun and interesting way to develop these skills, which can be transferred to other subjects and even applied in day-to-day life.

Link to the GCSE Computing Specification

IGCSE ICT - this will provide learners with opportunities to work with a variety of technologies. The course has been designed so that learners will be digitally literate, with an up-to-date understanding of the digital world around them.

Link to the IGCSE ICT Specification

Students can continue with their interests by opting for AQA Computing at A-Level. Here students learn to program the computer, using Visual Basic, and study more advanced technical aspects of the computer – for example internal devices and networking.

Enrichment

The facilities are available at lunch-times and after school, open to all students. Students from CRGS have had considerable success in ThinkQuest (an international ICT competition), coming second nationally in 2008.