Information Technology (Levels 1 & 2)

What is the course about?

The Diploma is a new qualification that is a mix of class work and hands on experience that prepares young people for further study at school or college, a job, university, or an Apprenticeship.

What is the course content?

Business - learning the basics of how to manage projects, eg planning and scheduling all the tasks involved (using a tool called critical path analysis) , writing project plans and learning about Gantt charts (another tool to help you manage and resource project tasks).

People - learning to write proposals focusing on particular challenges or opportunities within a business, using creative, investigative, interpersonal and numerical reasoning skills, setting up and running a minicompany in a team where you have a specific role to write business documents and run business meetings.

Technology - learning how to make prototypes and testing your product to make sure it meets its specific purpose and audience needs, researching a presentation on how two online businesses run profitably by filling particular consumer niches.

Cross-platform: multimedia - gaining the technical knowledge and skills to design and develop your own multimedia product for a specific audience and purpose.

How will it be taught?

The Diploma is a mix of classroom and work based learning with plenty of practical activities using computers in the classroom and audio visual equipment in the workplace and on visits to employers.

How will I be assessed?

To achieve a Diploma, all the required Diploma components must be passed including the Project, Personal Learning and Thinking Skills and the three Functional Skills in English, Maths and ICT. The final grade will be calculated by combining the grades for the principal learning and the project.

What can I do when I have completed the course?

Depending on your achievement you can:

• Progress to an appropriate qualification at a local college
• Progress to a post 16 Apprenticeship with a local training provider
• Go into 6th form