In September 2006 we introduced the Award in Digital Applications to all students, which they study in Years 10 and 11. This GCSE qualification has been designed to:

• develop students’ ability to select and use digital applications appropriately and produce high quality outcomes
• promote the use of digital applications for achieving a goal, rather than for their own sake
• enhance creativity and communication
• equip students with some of the skills that they will need in the workplace or in further education or training
• develop project management skills
• free students’ work from paper, making it organised, searchable, dynamic and transportable and
• encourage students to reflect critically on their own and others’ use of digital applications.

Students who are enthusiastic and motivated in the use of ICT have the option to take additional GCSE’s in ICT. The Digital Applications suite allows students to take advantage of 2 (Certificate in Digital Applications), 3 or 4 (Diploma in Digital Applications) GCSE’s. These are paperless qualifications from Edexcel that focus on practical applications in technology which are so relevant to the world of work around them and the technology/software used in colleges, universities and industry.

Whatever qualification you choose is designed to stimulate your creativity and develop real-world, practical skills that will motivate learning across a wide range of subjects. Each unit is assessed via a summative project in which you bring together the knowledge, skills and understanding you have acquired throughout the unit into one substantial piece of work. This is marked by your teacher and externally moderated.

What's in it for me?

Digital media now plays an increasingly important part in our everyday lives and in the world of work. Most of us are consumers of this media in one way or another. We use mobile phones and send texts. We browse websites, download music files and send e-mails. We take digital photos, listen to CDs, play computer games and may even keep an electronic diary. For an increasing number of people, producing digital applications is the way they make a living. People serve whole industries by using their skill and expertise in this growing sector.

If you want to take the whole Diploma, which is equivalent to four GCSEs, you need to be able to work independently, enjoy the challenges that ICT brings, and be very motivated and confident to undertake a heavy work load both in school and at home. Whatever path you take, you’ll learn how to manage and present your work in an eportfolio, ensuring that this really is a paper-free set of courses.

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