Technology

The Tech pathway is the perfect introduction to learning about how we can use and, more importantly, create modern technology to provide users with products and services that will solve problems, and that they will love to use. This pathway is all about starting your journey into programming and software development, and getting used to how users interact with technology and how it operates along the way.

what will i learn?

In the Tech pathway, you will learn one of the most important fundamental skills of a student who is going to be successful in the technology industry…Problem solving! Once you know how to focus on the important parts of a problem and break it up into manageable chunks, you’ll then learn how to go about creating solutions to each of those problems in order to write your own code and create a piece of software.

What topics?

You’ll learn all about how the computer functions, and how people interact with and use computers in their everyday lives for both business and social purposes.

How is it assessed?

Your learning will be assessed in a way that will prepare you for the assessments you will face if you decide to move onto the technical pathway when you choose your Year 10 options. This will involve some theory tests to make sure you have the correct base knowledge in each key topic area, but the assessment for this pathway will be heavily weighted towards your practical projects and the outcomes from your investigations into software, as well as the final piece of software you will work on creating throughout the year.

How will this prepare me?

This pathway will give you the essential skills and knowledge to move into further study in the area of computer science and covers all of the necessary underpinning concepts to prepare you for either GCSE Computer Science, or the Level 2 BTEC in Digital Information Technology. At it’s heart, the studio has always been a hub for creative digital and technical students, and the Tech Pathway is at the core of using creative problem solving to develop technology solutions that can improve people’s lives. This pathway will introduce you to the theory and the practical coding elements that form the basis of the technical options at KS4.

KS4 Options

  • GCSE Computer Science

  • BTEC Level 2 Digital Information Technology

KS5 Options

  • A-Level Computer Science

  • Level 3 Diploma in Application/ Software Development

Future Careers

  • Application analyst

  • Applications developer

  • Cyber security analyst

  • Data analyst

  • Database administrator

  • Forensic computer analyst

  • Game designer

  • Games developer

  • Information systems manager

  • IT consultant

  • Software engineer

  • Systems analyst

  • UX designer

  • Web designer

  • Web developer

  • IT sales professional

  • IT trainer

  • Nanotechnologist

  • Network engineer

  • Supply chain manager

  • Telecommunications researcher