Why study IT?

The qualification will give you the knowledge, understanding and competency needed when considering entering employment in the IT sector. You will gain grounding in the essential skills and broad fundamentals crucial to this area of study, giving you the opportunity to build on these afterwards in Higher Education, or to enter into your first job within the sector.

What will I study over the two years?

At Oriel you will study the “Application Developer” pathway. Once you have completed your grounding in the fundamentals of IT and the use of information globally, this focuses on the development of a range of applications across platforms and sectors. You will gain the right combination of knowledge, understanding and skills required for the 21st century, enabling you to demonstrate the skills of writing specifications, and the design, build, testing and implementation of applications.

What makes a good IT student?

A good IT student is inquisitive and tenacious in their desire to extend their horizons in an ever changing landscape. IT professionals embrace change and are lifelong learners as a result of the constant and rapid developments in the sector. As knowledge, skills and understanding are acquired through both teaching and research, IT students synthesise ideas quickly and abstract them towards the development of creative solutions to the problems they are faced with, regardless of whether these are ‘real world’, theoretical or exam based.

Where could IT take me?

IT professionals are adaptable and flexible. The reality is that many of the careers IT practitioners adopt and move through do not have a set path as their expertise is constantly changing and developing. Many of the career paths now open to them did not exist a decade ago and emerging technologies mean that there are always new paths to explore.

What are the entrance requirements?

• Level 2 Pass or higher in BTEC DiT if studied
• Grade 4 or above in Computing if studied
• 5 or more grades 4-9; including equivalents across at least 4 subjects
• Maths and English Language Grade 4 or above
• Average GCSE GRADE of at least 3.5 (average of ALL GCSE full courses taken)

If you have any questions about our IT course please email Mr Cleaveley bcleaveley@oriel.w-sussex.sch.uk, who would be very happy to answer any questions.