Digital Information Technology (ICT)

This subject is taught by our Computing and ICT teachers
Student who chose this option will take the qualification Pearson BTEC Tech Awards Digital Information Technology

[What is a BTEC Tech Award? See page 4 of this parent and student guide]

Course Description

We offer an engaging and creative Digital Information Technology (ICT) vocational level 2 qualification, which is equivalent to 1 full GCSE. It provides the first glimpse into a professional sector, assessing students through scenario-based assessments rather than traditional exam formats. It gives a hands-on taste of the digital sector and the skills and confidence needed to take the next steps.

The digital sector is a major source of employment in the UK. Despite a turbulent economy in 2020 the Digital sector in the UK advertised 90,000 jobs per week during. Digital skills span all industries, and almost all jobs in the UK today require employees to have a good level of digital literacy. The UK Tech industry as a whole employs over 2.93 million people and has seen 40% growth between 2017-2019. The UK has positioned itself to be the ‘Digital capital of Europe’ as it continues to invest billions every year in digital skills and commerce. The modern world expects digital skills to be as important as English and maths.

The course is made up of 3 components, two that are internally assessed and one that’s externally assessed. The three block structure, explore, develop and apply has been developed to allow students to build on and embed their knowledge. This allows them to grow in confidence and then put into practice what they have learned.

During component 1, you will:

Explore user interfaces and designs (digital devices)
Investigate how to use project planning techniques to plan a digital product
Discover how to develop and review a digital user interface

During component 2, you will:

Explore how data impacts on individuals and organisations
Draw conclusions and make recommendations on data intelligence
Develop a data dashboard

During component 3, you will:

Explore how modern technology is evolving
Consider legal and ethical issues in data and information sharing
Understand what cyber security is and how to safeguard against it

Who would this course be suitable for?

To achieve in this course, you must be enthusiastic and passionate about ICT and confident in your ability. ICT will qualify you to operate confidently in today's digital world. It doesn't teach you how computers work or how to program them, but it does show you how to use ICT effectively and safely. It's like the difference between a good driver and a mechanic - you don't need to know all about what's under the bonnet to be a good driver. ICT is a useful, real-world qualification, whether you see your future including university, training or going out into the modern day workplace.

Pupils choosing this option should be ready to take on new challenges. Pupils will need an open mind, in order to generate ideas and will also need to be able to conduct research tasks to find materials required for the tasks and coursework. Basic computer skills will also be required (word processing, internet). Graphical programs will also be used on this course (Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Fireworks, Paint), so a little experience in these would be useful, but you will be shown how to use these throughout the course.

Potential career paths

Once you have completed the qualification, you will have developed a practical understanding of the digital sector. You will have built useful skills, which are not generally covered in GCSE courses, and you will have developed a good understanding of whether the IT sector is for you, and if so, which part of it you might want to study further.

If you decide to go on to further study of the IT sector, the best option for you will depend on the grades you have achieved in this and the other qualifications you have taken, and what you enjoy doing. You could progress to a Level 2 Technical Certificate or to a Level 3 programme, such as A Levels, a T Level or a BTEC National, either on its own or in combination with A levels.

Alternatively, you may want to progress to an apprenticeship, for example at Level 3 in Digital Marketer, Infrastructure Technician or Software Development Technician.

This qualification could also link to jobs within the industry and is supported by CompTIA and BT.

To investigate ICT careers further please visit: https://icould.com/explore/subject/computing

What do students say about this course?

"I like the fact that we do stuff that is actually challenging”

"I like that we learn about things such as staying safe online which we can use in every day life”

"I like learning about ICT because when it comes to getting a job it is always good to have a qualification in ICT”.

"I like ICT as it gives me the knowledge I need for future personal projects. We have had the opportunity to make a range of digital products such as animations, apps and websites”

"I like our lessons they are very nice, I feel very comfortable in ICT lessons as the teachers are very nice”.

Examples of students' work

Pupils build on their skills and knowledge by studying a range of topics including:

Digital Devices
Designing and Creating Websites
The Online World
Data Handling
Digital Products
User Interfaces

See some of the websites below made by our student's.

In component 1 you have to make an app. This year pupils have made an app to be used in a football ground. Below are some examples of pupils work.

In component 2 you will learn and use your spreadsheet skills to model different scenarios. This year pupils have had to make a dashboard based on different data sets.

In component 3 there are 4 main topics you will study.

Part A: The Cloud & Modern Technologies
Part B: Cyber Security
Part C: Digital Systems
Part D: Planning and Communication

Below shows an overview of topics:

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