The starting point for ICT in Key Stage 3 is the knowledge, skills and understanding that pupils developed in Key Stage 2.
In practice, it can be difficult for you as an ICT teacher to know what levels of attainment pupils bring with them to Year 7. Pupils acquire ICT skills and understanding through contact with technology at school, at home and during leisure time, and from its portrayal in the news and media. Some pupils will have had extensive experience with ICT, while for others their use of ICT will have been limited.
There are at present no standard test results or teacher assessments to indicate ICT attainment on transfer from Key Stage 2. Visits to primary schools to observe lessons, and local meetings to discuss samples of pupils' work, can help to improve continuity of learning between Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3. Expectations defined at the end of Key Stage 2 provide a good starting point for Key Stage 3, and the document From Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 3 (197.54 KB) outlines what most Year 6 pupils should have learned in ICT.
The challenge is to plan and teach units of work in Year 7 that check and build directly on the concepts and skills pupils have already acquired, and that stimulate interest and learning in both experienced and less experienced ICT users. The aim is to ensure that more experienced ICT users do not lose motivation through lack of recognition of their skills, and less experienced ICT users are brought quickly up to speed.
