Creative iMedia 

Technology has changed the way we live our lives. The development of SMART phones, gaming consoles and other devices has led to increasing our intake of online media: images, games, videos, music and websites; all dominating our daily lives and, with this increase, companies are always on the look-out for the most exciting ideas which are not only easy to use but great to look at.

 At Oakbank, we believe that all our students should be given an opportunity to learn about how to use computers creatively, effectively and safely. Alongside this we want to give them the opportunity and freedom to design and implement their own solutions to problems, and to question those products that are so readily available to them. iMedia is the study of how to create online media that meets the challenge of a client brief  as well as meet the needs of its target customers.

We are proud to offer the OCR Cambridge National Certificate in Creative iMedia. This is a GCSE equivalent qualification where 25% of the marks are assessed in a 75 minute exam and the remaining 75% of marks are awarded through 3 controlled assessments, carried out in class. It is a course for students who prefer practical learning and have an interest in creating digital media such as graphics, websites and audio on a computer and who can work independently with passion and commitment on an idea from its inception right through to evaluation at the end.

Computer Science

“Coding is today's language of creativity. All our children deserve a chance to become creators instead consumers of computer science” Maria Klawe.

Computing and technology has changed the way we live our lives. The development of SMART phones, gaming consoles and other devices has led to increasingly high rates of device addition, nomophobia (fear of being disconnected from your device), lack of sleep as well as poor mental and physical health. We aim to enable students to become the “masters” of computing devices rather than becoming the “slaves” of other people’s algorithms.

Despite the time spent using computing devices, such as phones and gaming consoles, it is surprising how little many students know about how they actually work, the dangers and what to actually look for when buying a device. People all too often fall victim to clever branding, marketing and peer pressure rather than buying the devices that suits their needs.

We aim to provide all students with a broad and balanced Computer Science curriculum with the opportunity to learn how to use computers creatively, effectively and safely. We hope to prepare students for the real world by preparing students for on-line dangers such a scams, phishing, hacking, sexting, and malware as well as intellectual property and data protection law.

It is our intent to adhere to, or go beyond, the National Curriculum to ensure greater depth and breadth in learning through practical exercises & challenges. Provide students with engaging lessons taught by highly skilled expert teachers with opportunities for experiences beyond the classroom.

We hope to enable all students to build and learn new knowledge and skills on their prior knowledge; thus allowing students to develop deep learning of knowledge and skills.

Students should be allowed to learn from mistakes, using assessment at the most appropriate time to identify and address gaps in knowledge.

Not surprisingly, many students take learning Computer Science into GCSE level where they go on to learn to program competently in languages such as python and get into more depth on how hardware works, security, Boolean logic, networks, connections, protocols, software and the Ethical, legal, cultural and environmental impacts of digital technology. As students take their passion for IT into GCSE, we aim to achieve the highest possible results in national tests.

Many students find Computer Science useful as it helps to prepare them for the next phase of their education or employment and life in modern Britain. We aim to ensure diversity is celebrated to ensure all students feel welcomed, supported and valued in the school community.