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Maths and ICT Specialism Co-ordinator: Mr R Hylton

APRIL 2011

Trip to the BBC

On Wednesday 23 of the year 12s went on a visit to the BBC in White City to participate in a Digital Animation workshop. This was a great opportunity as it ties in with BTEC National requirements and will help pupils to complete their year 13 coursework.

 

 

E-Safety Day

8 February 2011 was Safer Internet Day. Safer Internet Day is organised each year to promote safer and more responsible use of online technology and mobile phones, especially amongst children and young people across the world.

 

The topic for 2011 was "Our Virtual Lives" around the slogan "It's more than a game, it's your life".

The whole of the lower school partook in the day during their Skills for Life lesson. Pupils were given the task of designing posters and story board about what they like to do online and how they stay safe!

The day was very successful with excellent pieces of work being produced and pupils showing excellent knowledge about how to stay safe online.

 

6th Form Visitors

 

The ICT BTEC National course has been very successful and resulted in various pupils progressing on to ICT related training. As a department, we are looking to give pupils a full understanding of working within the industry in addition to academic success.

 

IT Support Technician visits Clack

 

This term some of the year 12 students we lucky enough to have a visit from Steve Adams. Steve is an IT Technician at Egmont Publishing. He has worked there for several years and specialises in Apple Mac support.  He took time out of his busy schedule to visit the school and speak to the class about his career in ICT and share the secret of his success. Afterward he ran a workshop with the class and showed them how to set up a network, share files and set up a chat client.

 

An excellent time was had by all. Steve will be returning to the school to talk to the rest of the year group.

 

Zenos visitor

 

The IT sector is different to many others as it has its own industry specific vocational qualifications. These are normally very expensive to study and have additional exam fees.

Earlier in the term the year 13s were visited by Zenos, an IT Apprenticeship training provider specialising in post 16 education. Zenos run a free 5 month intensive training programme where students sit Microsoft and CompTIA exams and complete a short paid placement in the IT department of a local company. In addition to this after completing the programme students are offered extensive help in apply for jobs.

 

This is a unique opportunity for any pupils looking to work in the IT field. For more information please visit  www.zenos.com

My Maths

 

During their study leave year 11s should remember that My Maths is available to help with revision. My Maths takes pupils’ learning beyond the class room and encourages them to independently partake in maths activities and games. Pupils have been supplied with an individual logon which enables them to access homework and other resources in and out of lessons. My Maths offers personalised learning with exercises dedicated to targeting specific topics, specific levels and tests with automated marking and feedback.

Pupils can log in to My Maths by visiting www.mymaths.co.uk and logging in with the following details:

Username: clack

Password: prime

 

If you would like your individual user name and password please see Mr Saleem.

 

 

 

Over the past 2 years Robert Clack has provided ICT and Maths lessons for parents. This has proved to very successful with over 30 parents and members of the community passing their courses and receiving recognised qualifications. If you are interested in enrolling on a short course, please contact Mr Hylton via the upper school main office.

 

E-Safety

 

Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP)

 

Learn how to protect your child online…

 

The online world is integral to how children stay in touch with their friends, and access to the internet is now available like never before. However, there are inherent risks associated with new technologies and it is essential for young people and their parents / carers to understand how to reduce these risks.

 

The Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre is the UK’s national child protection agency (visit www.ceop.police.uk for more information). At CEOP, we believe the start of the new school year is the perfect time to speak to your child about how they use the internet and how they can stay safe online.

Through the ClickCEOP advice and help centre, members of the public can access guidance on a broad range of topics to help protect their children, or alternatively report a concern directly to CEOP.

 

CEOP’s Children and Young People’s programme; Thinkuknow, is used in schools nationwide to educate young people about how to stay safe online. As parents, you can play a fundamental role in this aspect of their education. To stay up to date with further information and advice, please visit www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents to find information on:

 

- What are the risks posed to your child online?

- What can you do to protect your child?

- Where can you go if you are concerned?

We want to help you and your family stay safe online, there are some simple steps below that you can follow to achieve this.

 

CEOP has been working with social networking sites such as Facebook, BEBO, MSN and other major providers to put internet safety advice at the fingertips of your child, through the ClickCEOP application.

 

Facebook Users

Visit www.facebook.com/clickceop to add the ‘ClickCEOP’ app to your profile and ask your children to do the same. The app is free and easy to use, and gives you immediate access to internet safety advice as well as being able to report any suspicions to us. If you become a ‘friend’ of the page, we will invite you to our free online safety surgeries and send you updates. By clicking on ‘Add the App’ on the left hand side of our Facebook page you can add the ‘ClickCEOP’ button to your profile.

 

MSN & BEBO Users

Look for the ClickCEOP icon on the side of every profile page. It is a default setting and provides immediate access to internet safety advice and allows you to report any suspicions.

 

Web Browsers

If you use Firefox, Internet Explorer 8 or Google Chrome, you can customize your browser, enabling users to see the ClickCEOP button, regardless of which website you’re on.

By following the guidance above, you can help protect your child to ensure they are enjoying the internet safely.

 

 

This year Robert Clack will be entering the ‘Jaguar Cars in Motion Maths Challenge. ‘
The Challenge involves students working together in small teams to build Formula One cars on the computer and then race them against each other in an effort to win a Grand Prix type race and become U.K. Champions. Students will have to design and customise their car for different real life Formula One tracks such as Silverstone and the Bahrain International Circuit.
This activity involves using a wide variety of basic mathematical skills ranging from the measurement of angles and scale to the use of percentages and higher level key skills.
For more information speak to Mr Saleem

 

 

 

 

 

 

latest news: july 2010 Home Access Grants  Home Access is a government programme that  helps eligible low-income families to buy a computer and internet access to support learning at home. So far 37 computers have been awarded!   To apply for a Home Access Grant, you must be a parent or guardian responsible for and living with a child who: ... is in school years 3 to 9 (normally aged 7–14) ... has never had a computer from Computers For Pupils or the Home Access     programme ... is eligible for Free School Meals, and ... is named on your Child Benefit award letter.   To get a grant application pack, you need to contact the Home Access Grant Helpline: 0333 200 1004 (Monday to Friday 8am–8pm, Saturday 9am–1pm)   Computer  and Numeracy courses Congratulations to all of the everyone who enrolled on the Numeracy and Computer courses this year. You will be receiving your certificates as soon as they arrive from the exam board. Congratulations! Primary School Lessons This term the school has been engaging with primary schools and making weekly trips to two of our feeder schools Graton Junior School and William Bellamy Junior School. Robert Clack have been teaching the year 6s Maths and ICT in to prepare them for secondary school by familiarising pupils with staff and school expectations.

 

may 2010:

 

Computer Literacy

Congratulations to all of the parents who successfully completed the Computer Literacy course, earning themselves a Level 1 qualification. Your hard work and commitment has paid off!

Primary School Lessons

After half term Maths and ICT teachers will be making weekly trips to two of our feeder schools Graton Junior School and William Bellamy Junior School. They will be teacher the year 6s in preparation and prepare them for secondary school by familiarising pupils with staff and school expectations.

My Maths

During their study leave year 11s should remember that My Maths is available to help with revision. My Maths takes pupils’ learning beyond the class room and encourages them to independently partake in maths activities and games. Pupils have been supplied with an individual logon which enables them to access homework and other resources in and out of lessons. My Maths offers personalised learning with exercises dedicated to targeting specific topics, specific levels and tests with automated marking and feedback.

 

R Hylton

 

 

march 2010

 

Maths trip to Institute of Education

 

This term two year 11 classes and went on a maths trip to The Institute of Education, London, alongside many other schools from all around England. I found the trip very insightful as well as an enjoyable experience as throughout the day there were professional mathematicians who gave lectures on how maths is related to every day life, presenting maths in a way which we don’t learn at school. Not only did we listen but we also participated in the lectures. Each lecture focused on an area of maths relevant to our everyday lives, and expressed it to us in interesting ways, such as the odds in gambling where the entire lecture theatre threw coins to see how many heads they could get in a row, the maths in games, and even the maths in magic. Although I found the entire day an enthralling experience, my favourite parts of the day were two particular lectures, the first of which was on cubed and squared number sequences, which presented the sequences by explaining using pizza slices and cutting these up, as well as sound waves using a guitar. As such the maths behind the demonstrations was explained to us in ways that were very interesting and engaging. As well as the final mathematician whom talked about the mathematical jokes that are found in some programs, such as the Simpsons, and explained the maths of these to us so we could get the jokes too.

 

 Overall I think that it was a very positive experience which I was able to gain an insight into how mathematics is applied to our everyday lives, and its importance there, but also very interesting as they presented the maths in places that I wouldn’t expect, for example the Simpsons has lots of maths in it, as a large amount of the writers for the Simpsons have mathematic related degrees. 

Agne Trimakaite, Year 11

 

 

Jaguar Maths in Motion 

 

Thank you to all the students of 8Archimedies who participated in the after school maths Challenge especially Joel, Lovia, Jaeden, David, Katie, Charlotte, Oliver, Mathew, Ausman and others who attended regularly.  With the efforts of the many attending Robert Clack has managed to once again come out on top of the district competition and are through to the semi-finals. 

Our race is not as restricted as the actual formula one this season with mid race refuelling banned.  However the competitors have to know what their car is capable of and design the race strategy around the weather, worn out tyres and when the fuel will finish.  Every corner and straight must be analysed, and the car must be designed to race that particular course. 

With the next race being set up for the Germany NURBURGRING track it looks like the most efficient will only win.  There is no room for miscalculations as the track looks very difficult.  Good luck to all participating.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mr I Saleem

 

DECEMBER 2009:

Last year saw the launch of Robert Clack Computer Literacy class for parents. This was an exciting, fully funded, tutor lead venture attended by several parents.

 

As a result of this success, in addition to a Computer Literacy course a Level 1 Numeracy adult numeracy class has began. This is a recognised qualification that can be used to develop and evidence every day numeracy skills and can be done as a precursor to a Maths GCSE. It is a very flexible tutor lead course which will be completed in sessions. Classes take place after school once a week at Robert Clack.

For more information on either course please contact Mr Hylton via the school office.

 

Essex University Trip

This month a handful of Year 12 BTEC ICT pupils visited The University of Essex in Colchester. This was an excellent opportunity for pupils to get a taste of ICT in Higher Education.

It was a very interesting day. The day began with a tour of the university and the Computer Science Department; pupils were given the opportunity to meet Rex the Robot, an interactive PhD robotic project; then attended a lecture about Natural Language where they were shown websites where  you can have conversations with the computer. The day was finished off with an exciting programming and hardware lab where everyone (including teachers) was set the challenge of controlling various cartoon characters and wiring a logic board to control the lights. An exciting time was had by all!

 

Jaguar Cars in Motion Maths Challenge

This year Robert Clack will be entering the ‘Jaguar Cars in Motion Maths Challenge. ‘

The Challenge involves students working together in small teams to build Formula One cars on the computer and then race them against each other in an effort to win a Grand Prix type race and become U.K. Champions. Students will have to design and customise their car for different real life Formula One tracks such as Silverstone and the Bahrain International Circuit.

This activity involves using a wide variety of basic mathematical skills ranging from the measurement of angles and scale to the use of percentages and higher level key skills.

For more information speak to Mr Saleem.

University of East London

Next term will see several Year 12 BTEC ICT Pupils completing a short course, called Compact, at the University of East London. This course aims to develop skills needed for university, such as developing active listening skills, preparing for higher education interviews and planning your career. In some cases completion of Compact can result in additional UCAS points. Not only will pupils be acquiring valuable skills, but it can also be credited towards their BTEC ICT coursework.

Finance Day

In the near future we are looking to provide a Finance Day for Year 8. The day will feature guest speakers and teach pupils useful life long skills such as budgeting, how to handle their money and the value of banks. This will be an exciting and constructive day.

 

 

INFORMATION ON OUR MATHS AND ICT SPECIALISM

As a result of our excellent achievement in Maths and ICT Robert Clack has received a specialism in Maths and Computing. Our vision is for Maths and ICT will be embedded within the curriculum. Pupils will not only benefit from enhanced classroom teaching, but should also develop a wider understanding of the application of the subjects in real life. The school aims to develop a culture of high achievement and a strong interest in the subjects at key stages 4 and 5. The specialism will not only benefit the pupils, but also the wider community. This will be achieved through extra curricular after school and lunch clubs.

 

Computer Literacy Courses

 

In January Robert Clack began delivering a Computer Literacy (CLaIT) course after school with members of staff. The course is being delivered by Mr Hylton and a voluntary sector training organisation called LifeLine. LifeLine have had vast amount of experience delivering IT courses and have a high success rate. CLaIT is a recognised OCR Level 1 course covering file management, word processing, spreadsheets and database management.

We are in the process of expanding this course and offering it to parents. This will enable the community to develop their ICT skills and become more efficient in the work place and their everyday lives. It is ideal for parents looking to acquire a qualification to evidence their skills and also for those looking to improve their confidence with computers.

 

Maths and ICT Pupil of the week

 

Each week the titles of Mathematician and ICT Pupil of The Week have been awarded to pupils in each year group. This has been done to raise the profile of the subjects and to celebrate the achievements of the pupils in a public setting.

 

Weather Station

 

In September a weather station was installed on the lower site. This provides real time data on current weather trends such as rainfall, temperature and air pressure. The data is in the process of being developed in to a format that will be available for staff and students, in all subjects, via the school intranet. This will have a direct impact on the Geography and ICT syllabi as data will be localised and more flexible.

 

My Maths 

 

The Maths department has recently joined an internet portal called MyMaths.co.uk. This is to extend pupil’s learning beyond the class room and encourage them to independently partake in maths activities and games. Pupils have been supplied with an individual logon which enables them to access homework and other resources in and out of lessons. My Maths offers personalised learning with exercises dedicated to targeting specific topics, specific levels and tests with automated marking and feedback.

 

Easy Link

 

Easy Link is a method used to enable pupils to access their user space via the internet. This enables pupils and staff to work from home, at times that suit them, rather than being limited to school opening hours and teacher availability.

 

Lunch Clubs

 

Every lunch time pupils are given access to ICT facilities, on both sites. This is excellent opportunity for pupils to complete additional class work and work on coursework. Every lunch time the rooms are filled with pupils working and using the computers to further their understanding in various subjects.

 

Support Staff

 

A new member of staff, with an ICT background, has recently joined the support staff to specifically assist with ICT lessons. Having a teaching assistant with an ICT specialism has proved to be an immense benefit to pupils as the support they receive is not limited by the teaching assistants subject knowledge.

 

 

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