Students at Patana use Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as a tool to enrich and extend their learning across the whole curriculum. Most classrooms at Patana have Internet connection and projectors operated from the teacher’s computer console. Many of the classrooms also have interactive whiteboards and certain areas of the school are wirelessly networked. The school also has 11 computer rooms for student use.

All teachers have the facilities to integrate the use of ICT in all areas of the curriculum. In addition, ICT is taught as a discreet subject.

MISSION STATEMENT

Information and Communication Technology is an essential skill for life, a tool for teaching and learning and an academic discipline in its own right. We endeavour to help students and staff make the most of IT.

KEY STAGES 1 and 2
The aims and purposes of ICT in the Elementary Division are to ensure that all children get the opportunity to:

• develop IT capability, including their knowledge and understanding of the importance of information and of how to select and prepare it;

• develop their skills in using hardware and software to manipulate information in their processes of problem solving, recording and expressive work;

• develop their ability to apply their IT capability and ICT to support their use of language and communication, and their learning in other areas;

• explore their attitudes towards ICT, its value for themselves, others and society, and their awareness of its advantages and limitations.

The ICT curriculum closely follows the QCA’s Scheme of work set out by the UK's Department for Education and Skills, with minor modifications to keep in line with the ever changing advancements of technology and the exceptional facilities available to the children and teachers.

All Classrooms throughout the Elementary Division have their own stand-alone, networked systems with projectors. In addition, all teachers in Year 1 have a Networked Tablet PC and digital camera, furthermore, upper KS2 classrooms are equipped with SMART boards, all to help facilitate the cross curricular teaching of ICT.

The ICT scheme of work is taught in the 3 fully networked ICT suites, equipped with 2 printers, a scanner and SMART boards. All rooms operate on an on-line booking system enabling teachers to further enrich the children’s curriculum with ICT.

KEY STAGE 3
During Key Stage 3 students will become increasingly independent users of ICT tools and information sources. They have a better understanding of how ICT can help their work in other subjects and develop their ability to judge when and how to use ICT and where it has its limitations. Each student in Key Stage 3 has one 80 minute Information and Communication Technology lesson each week with an ICT specialist. There will be opportunities throughout the key stage for integration with other subject areas such as Art and English. Integration opportunities may be included in the units and as ‘mini’ joint projects when required.

KEY STAGE 4
We offer two IGCSE courses at this level – Information Technology and Computer Studies.

IGCSE Computer Studies is for students who have a genuine interest in how things work, enjoy problem solving, creating solutions and want to develop computer programming skills.

IGCSE Information Technology is for students who want to improve their IT skills and learn more about the use and applications of computers.

SENIOR STUDIES
At Senior Studies level, we offer two IB courses at IB level. IB Information Technology in a Global Society (ITGS) and IB Computer Science.

IB Higher and Standard Level Information Technology in Global Society (ITGS) is an exciting course which examines the social and ethic issues that arise with the use of information technology. We encourage students who enjoy discussion, debate and extended reading of current affairs and are interested in the latest IT developments.

The IB Computer Science course examines the principles of computer science where students learn to program in Java. We encourage students who have good Mathematical skills and enjoy complex problem solving.