ICT

Department Overview

Welcome to the ICT department! ICT at Whitcliffe Mount has seen massive expansion in the last few years. New staff, new computer rooms, new courses and excellent examination results have made ICT the most popular options choice for students entering year 10! Over the last three years , students in ICT at GCSE level have obtained a pass rate on or above 85%! In addition to this many students also achieved the prestigious ECDL qualification which is sought after by many employers.

ICT in the sixth form has also been a popular and successful choice for students at Whitcliffe Mount. In the Summer 2009 results the ICT department of Whitcliffe Mount obtained an ALPS rating of 3 for both AS and A2 ,which puts us in the top 15% of providers across the country. This rating is calculated by looking at the grades students are targetted to achieve and comparing this to what they actually got at the end of year 13.

ICT Courses at Whitcliffe Mount

OCR nationals (Years 10 and 11)

This exciting new course has been in place since September 2006 and is proving incredibly popular with pupils, over 2000 schools nationwide are already teaching OCR nationals with more changing to it all the time.

Students have the opportunity to obtain two GCSE's in ICT following this course by completing coursework assignments that involve real business scenarios and teach pupils the skills they need to continue with further study or enter the workplace.

Applied GCE A Level in ICT (Years 12 and 13)

Students complete three units during year 12 and three further units during year 13 to obtain this qualification. Results at A level have been spectacular over the past few years and this trend is looking to be maintained. Students can expect to learn and apply a wide range of ICT skills and competencies whilst following this course.

A Level Computing (Years 12 and 13)

Starting this year, students are able to take an A level in computing at Whitcliffe Mount. This course is aimed at those wanting to specifically go into the ICT industry, and covers topics such as computer programming, looking at computer hardware/software and the systems design life cycle. This course is not available at many colleges due to the highly technical nature of the content and specialism required to teach it.

ECDL (European Computer Driving Licence)

Whitcliffe Mount is an approved centre for the delivery of ECDL. This industry standard ICT qualification is offered in addition to the taught ICT courses available at Whitcliffe Mount. ECDL is an option for all students following ICT, but is available to any student who is interested by contacting Mr Mullins.

ECDL consists of passing 7 online examinations, with the possibility of going on to pass a further examination to upgrade the certificate to one worth a grade B GCSE!

ICT Staffing

Mr Mullins - Head of Department
Mr O'Halloran - 2nd in ICT
Mr Lally - Business and Enterprise Specialist Status Co-ordinator
Mrs Jassal - Teacher of ICT
Miss Choudhry - Teacher of ICT