ICT

The internet is 50 years old, the web not even 30 — yet the impact of both is evident in so many aspects of our lives.

ICT is taught formally in the Fourth Form. At its heart lies our commitment to help our pupils live in a world driven by rapid technological change.

The internet is 50 years old, the web not even 30 — yet the impact of both is evident in so many aspects of our lives.

As computers become all but ubiquitous, teenagers, who have known no other world, need to be quick to adapt to new tools, skilled in understanding how to deploy these and agile in moving between them.

All too soon, adults can feel left behind, but we believe that the “digital native” is a myth. Merely being born into a world dominated by digital technologies does not in itself make our pupils expert in understanding how best to use today’s hardware and software. For one thing, the pitfalls and trade-offs involved in giving both attention and personal information to the galaxy of web services now available need careful consideration. The role of teachers here is very important: working with our pupils, we aim to create an ethos of mutual support where all can learn about and benefit from the applications that are shaping our world. Pupils have a lot to teach us, but we, too, have much to contribute.

Co-curricular

ICT is part of the PSCHE curriculum in the Fifth Form and emerges again in the Lower Eighth in courses about science-fiction, cities and the history of technology.

We are also developing new ideas about the ways in which ICT can work with the arts and the sciences, allowing pupils to explore new ways of bringing seemingly disparate disciplines and practices together. We are very fortunate to be in London where we can draw on links with RCA graduates, leading design agencies, entrepreneurs and academics — many of whom have given generously of their time in visiting and talking at St Paul’s.