Our Aims
Oak Bank School Computing Department endeavours to help maintain the school’s ‘outstanding’ and leading-edge approach in the education of pupils with social, emotional, and mental health needs through the delivery of a fun, engaging, challenging and accessible curriculum that suits the needs of all pupils. The Computing Department endeavour to facilitate the school’s digital vision, which is;
“To encourage lifelong, resilient, competent, confident, and safe users of technology who are equipped with the skills to effectively adapt to the ever-changing digital world and who are enabled to work collaboratively with others and feel empowered to apply a growth mindset philosophy to continued learning.”
This vision has been created based upon a number of underlying core values that help drive standards forward for all stakeholders involved in using technology. These values include;
Development: – all users to be provided with support and training to enable competent and confident users.
Accessibility: – all users will be able to access relevant information and programs using appropriate technology suitable for their needs.
Collaborative working: – all users will be able to work with others to achieve the best possible outcomes for themselves, the pupils, staff, and the school.
Communication: – all users will have easy access to the most current and relevant information.
Adaptability: – all users will be encouraged to apply a growth mindset approach with a resilient attitude towards the use of technology and any issues faced.
Security: – all users will be able to access, share, store, and use a range of information using technology safely and securely following current legislation and governance.
At Oak Bank School we seek to prepare our pupils to participate actively and confidently with information technology and computing. In doing so, we hope to build resilience and prepare our young people for positive future engagement, sustenance and growth within a continually changing area of expertise. With the exponential growth of IT solutions in the modern workplace, we will be preparing pupils for a future with technologies that may not yet exist or currently be available for common use. We aim to provide essential computing and IT skills suitable for everyday life, independent learning and employment opportunities. We aim to challenge pupils to use IT and technology to become independent enquirers, creative thinkers and efficient problem solvers to real world problems.
Subject Content
The computing curriculum within Oak Bank School has been designed to enable all pupils to access and be successful in using computer technology in today’s ever-changing society. The activities delivered throughout the computing curriculum cover all three distinct computing strands – computer science, information technology and digital literacy.
There is a strong focus on all users remaining safe and using technology appropriately, particularly when accessing online platforms and communication. A comprehensive coverage of E-safety topics is included in the curriculum and mapped accordingly to the correlating ages and development of the pupils.
Pupils in KS2 and KS3 will have access to a varied and bespoke computing curriculum that best meets their needs and capabilities. A wide range of computing topics are delivered that aim to develop their confidence and competence levels and will include progressive tasks that incorporate creative, theoretical, practical and computer science-based activities. The curriculum pathways available within computing enable and prepare pupils to progress into KS4 and participate in suitable qualifications according to their needs and capabilities.
Resources
The Computing department has one dedicated and well-resourced computer suite. The devices here cater for the use of Adobe Creative Suite software as well as other high-end software packages. Each classroom around the school has dedicated computing resources and devices to facilitate pupils’ access and engagement in cross-curricular IT based activities. The school has newly purchased numerous Chromebooks for pupils to use and continue to develop their IT skills not just around school but also outside of the classroom.
The range of resources available to develop and enhance the learning of the pupils are regularly reviewed and updated where possible to suit the ever-changing developments within the industry.
Accreditation
The curriculum pathways available within computing enable and prepare pupils to progress into KS4 and participate in suitable qualifications according to their needs and capabilities. The pathway options available for KS4 pupils include BTEC Tech Award in Creative Media Production, Functional Skills in ICT, Entry Level or AQA Unit Awards.
Enrichment Opportunities
For pupils wanting to get involved in computing outside of the classroom, we offer a wide range of further learning opportunities during enrichment activities at the end of each day. Pupils are provided with the opportunity to access a range of computing devices and media equipment during their enrichment activities to continue to develop their skills in this area.
