ICT Advice for Norfolk High Schools - KS4 Accreditation Routes

There are a number of changes impacting on the delivery of ICT at KS4. We have compiled the following advice to support our ICT Departments.

Changes and issues affecting ICT at KS4:

• GNVQ Qualifications in ICT have been withdrawn


• new vocational qualifications have been introduced (EdExcel DIDA, OCR Nationals, OCR iMedia)


• new A-Level qualifications are going to be introduced from 2008 (AS)


• Functional Skills to be delivered from 2010


• new KS3 Curriculum from 2008 (Year 7)


• new KS4 Curriculum from 2011 (Year 10, possible to start Year 10 from 2010)


• new GCSEs from 2010


• Personalised Learning Agenda - offering the right curriculum choices for your students


• Norfolk data shows good contextual value added for most vocational courses


• Norfolk data shows below average contextual value added attainment for GCSE full and short courses

KS4 ICT in your school

• There is a statutory requirement to deliver the Programmes of Study (PoS) for ICT to all pupils at KS4.


• The school has to be able to demonstrate how pupils cover the PoS, with an emphasis on the 'received curriculum' as well as the 'planned curriculum'.


• This is most easily achieved through a dedicated ICT Qualification, such as a GCSE rather than through ICT across the curriculum.



*	There are a number of other qualifications, such as 'DIDA' or 'Office Technology' covering significant parts of the PoS. It will be necessary to offer a range of courses to offer all students a personalised curriculum in relation to ICT and all students should be offered the opportunity to study for an ICT Qualification.
*	Ofsted found that only a very small percentage of cross-curricular ICT schools achieved success. Only in schools where an ICT coordination team was in place and its action plan fully implemented was this success seen.

• Each qualification equivalent to a GCSE requires the same amount of curricular time (10%) which would be allocated to any other GCSE course in the curriculum.


• Changing the qualifications you offer to students or making additional accreditation routes available requires careful consideration.


• Some schools are considering to start KS4 qualifications early. In general Year 9 and Year 10 candidates entered at level 2 did not achieve the higher grades. This is also true for Norfolk. Students completing a GCSE or equivalent qualification in Years 9 and 10 find it difficult to achieve higher grades and CVA is often below average.


• Some pupils have successfully started their KS4 qualification in Year 9, where there has been additional curriculum time throughout KS3. (e.g. 2 hours/week for ICT in Years 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)


• Results for Norfolk indicate that it is clearly possible to be successful with ICT GCSE full course, GCSE short course, Applied ICT GCSE or vocational courses such as DIDA. However, average results for the county and national results show that pupils achieve lower results for the ICT GCSE short course (in Norfolk ~20% lower than GCSE ICT) and the Applied ICT GCSE (in Norfolk ~10% lower than GCSE ICT). There are early indications that the AIDA/CIDA/DIDA Course has a pass rate very similar to that of the GNVQ, which has been 89% (A*-C equivalent). A number of schools are completing the OCR Nationals, it is too early to judge the success of this course.


• Although there is considerable success with GCSE ICT in a range of schools, the contextual value added measure for Norfolk is below the national average.


• Norfolk's most successful departments show the following characteristics:

- stable staffing
- appropriate amount of curriculum time for ICT
- long term commitment to a course
- carefully planned curriculum
- consideration and careful planning of change

Summary

1.	KS4 ICT PoS have to be received by all pupils aged 14-16
2.	All pupils should be offered an ICT qualification at KS4
3.	A GCSE in ICT or an equivalent qualification requires 10% of curriculum time throughout KS4. Delivering a KS4 course in Year 9 and 10 makes it significantly more difficult for pupils to access higher grades
4.	Changing courses or adding accreditation options to the ICT offer at KS4 requires careful planning and appropriate resources. There is no requirement to change. The next introduction of new KS4 courses is planned for 2010
5.	Data suggests that preference might be given to vocational options such as EdExcel DIDA or OCR Nationals over the Applied ICT GCSE or the GCSE ICT Short Course