Entering Year Seven at Walton - What's in Store?

Mr Salter is a specialist computer teacher and leads computing at Walton High school; he has let us know about computing in Year Seven and beyond to help you to get a feel for what is ahead. The photos are of their dedicated computer suites.  

In Year Seven, the focus is on IT, Digital Literacy and Computational Thinking. This is designed to help prepare you for the computer science courses ahead. Don't worry if some of this sounds unfamiliar: you'll soon become familiar.

The induction day where you go up to Walton, will help you to gain a fuller understanding of computing at Walton.

Did you know?

• Students receive one fifty minute lesson per week in one of two dedicated Computing Suites.
• Their KS3 programme covers year 7/8. After this, you can take: 
  • GCSE Computer Science
  • A level Computer Science
  • Level 2 Certificate in Creative iMedia
• Computer rooms are a bookable resource and used by other departments when not being used by the department (so you may use the computer room for another subject, such as history). 
• The computing department comprises of Mr Salter and his colleague Mrs Fryer.  They also ‘borrow’ two other staff for KS3 learning.
• Students can access a code club on Thursdays with Mrs Fryer during lunchtime and Mr Salter opens his room during most lunchtimes for student use. 

What do you learn in Year Seven? 

• Induction – Office 365 / Email Skills /One Drive cloud Management / Introduction to TEAMs
• Computer Architecture / Software  – Anatomy of a PC, finishing with a final project where students pitch specifications tailored to specified users in the form of a Christmas Computer Magazine Advert
• Spreadsheet Anatomy / Modelling – Students learn about the function and anatomy of spreadsheets, students produce a complex financial model based around a theme park ride scenario
• Introduction to Algorithms – Students explore the notion of algorithms and basic programming concepts. Module culminates in a project where students design a game and implement using a blockley approach [Make Code:  MS]
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Do not worry: the teachers spend time learning what you already know and helping you to find out more. Exciting times ahead!