Edexcel International GCSE ICT: what's in the Seneca course

Seneca's Edexcel International GCSE ICT course has 218 sections covering the whole specification, and you can set any of them as homework. Here's how to use it alongside the two papers, and how to set it for your class.

Planning around the two papers

The Edexcel specification assesses its six topics across two papers, each worth 50% of the qualification.

• Paper 1 is a 1 hour 30 minute written exam, worth 100 marks. It covers Topics 1 to 4: Digital Devices, Connectivity, Operating Online, and Online Goods and Services.
• Paper 2 is a 3 hour practical exam, worth 100 marks. It covers Topics 5 and 6, Applying ICT and Software Skills, through scenario-based tasks.

Where the marks are

The specification weights the exams across three assessment objectives. These figures come from the "Assessment Objectives and weightings" table on page 28 of the Pearson specification (Issue 2, May 2018):

• AO1, knowledge and understanding of ICT: 25% to 27%
• AO2, applying knowledge, understanding and skills to produce ICT-based solutions: 46% to 52%
• AO3, analysing, evaluating and making reasoned judgements: 24% to 26%

Applying knowledge carries the most marks, and Paper 2 is practical, so plan hands-on time in class alongside any homework you set. Homework can then cover the knowledge side, so lesson time goes on the practical tasks.

A 10-week plan

This plan assumes two lessons a week, one theory and one practical, with homework set from that week's theory sections. It's a suggested order, not part of the specification. Practical work starts in week 1 because Topic 6, Software Skills, is the biggest part of the course (77 of the 218 sections) and Paper 2 is a 3 hour practical exam. Section numbers below are the ones in the Seneca course.

Week 1: devices and file handling

• Theory: 1.1.1 Mainframe Computers, 1.1.2 Desktop Computer, 1.1.3 Laptop & Single-board Computers, 1.1.4 Mobile Phones, 1.1.5 Tablet & Phablet Computers.
• Practical: 6.7.1 Locating Stored Files, 6.7.3 Saving Files.
• Why here: Devices are familiar, so students get early wins and meet the vocabulary Paper 1 uses throughout. File handling comes first in the practical because every later Paper 2 task starts with finding, opening and saving files.

Week 2: software and word processing basics

• Theory: 1.3.1 System & Application Software, 1.3.2 Operating Systems.
• Practical: 6.1.4 Create, Open & Edit Documents, 6.1.3 Text Enhancement.
• Why here: Software follows devices because students now know what it runs on. Word processing is the most familiar application, so it's a gentle way into the practical work.

Week 3: input and output, and page layout

• Theory: 1.4.1 Input & Output Devices, 1.4.2 Keyboard & Numeric Pad, 1.4.3 Pointing Devices, 1.4.12 Monitors, 1.4.14 Printers.
• Practical: 6.1.12 Headings & Subheadings, 6.1.13 Page Size & Orientation, 6.1.15 The Purpose of Headers & Footers.
• Why here: Input and output devices complete the hardware picture from week 1. Headings, page setup and headers and footers are quick to learn and make documents look finished.

Week 4: storage, memory and tables

• Theory: 1.5.1 Storage Devices, Media & Units, 1.5.2 Backing Storage vs Internal Memory, 1.6.1 Internal Memory: ROM & RAM, 1.7.1 Central Processing Unit (CPU).
• Practical: 6.1.8 Create & Edit Tables, 6.1.10 Adjust Tables Size & Alignment.
• Why here: Storage and memory finish the core hardware before networks build on it. Four of the 19 word-processing sections are about tables, so they get a lesson to themselves.

Week 5: networks and a complete document

• Theory: 2.1.2 Networks: LAN, WAN & PAN, 2.1.3 Network Architecture, 2.3.4 Components of Network Systems.
• Practical: 6.1.18 Document Types & Standard Conventions, 6.1.19 Mail Merge.
• Why here: Networks come after devices because students now know what is being connected. 6.1.18 is the longest of the word-processing sections, and it asks students to apply conventions for different document types, so it works as the end-of-unit task.

Week 6: wireless and the first spreadsheets

• Theory: 2.1.4 3G, 4G & Infra-red, 2.1.6 Bluetooth, 2.1.7 Wi-Fi, 2.2.2 Bandwidth & Latency.
• Practical: 6.3.1 Introduction to Data Models, 6.3.2 Arithmetic in Spreadsheets, 6.3.3 Cell Referencing & Multiple Worksheets.
• Why here: Wireless builds directly on the network types from week 5. Spreadsheets start here because the later sections, such as formulae, functions and lookups, depend on arithmetic and cell referencing.

Week 7: network security and spreadsheet functions

• Theory: 2.5.1 Securing Data on Networks, 2.5.3 VPN, 2.5.4 Encryption, 2.5.5 Firewalls.
• Practical: 6.3.6 Formulae & Functions, 6.3.8 Filter & Sort Data.
• Why here: Security comes once students know how networks are put together. Functions and filtering are the next step after basic arithmetic and cell referencing.

Week 8: online risks and charts

• Theory: 3.1.1 Risks to Data & Information, 3.1.2 Phishing, 3.1.3 Pharming, 3.1.8 Malware & Viruses.
• Practical: 6.3.13 Chart Types, 6.3.14 Create and Label a Chart.
• Why here: The risks in Topic 3 are what the week 7 defences, such as encryption and firewalls, protect against, so students see why those mattered. Charts use the data students have now learned to filter and sort.

Week 9: protecting accounts and data, and harder spreadsheets

• Theory: 3.1.4 Log-ins & Passwords, 3.1.5 Two-Factor Authentication, 3.8.1 Data Protection, 3.8.2 Personal Data.
• Practical: 6.3.7 Lookups & External Data Sources, 6.3.10 Enhance Spreadsheets.
• Why here: Passwords and two-factor authentication are the defences against the week 8 risks, and data protection moves the topic from technical to legal. Lookups and spreadsheet formatting finish the spreadsheet unit.

Week 10: checkpoint and databases

• Theory: set a mixed assignment from the theory sections in weeks 1 to 7 instead of new content.
• Practical: 6.2.1 Introduction to Databases, 6.2.2 Create Databases.
• Why here: Ten weeks is a natural point to bring back earlier topics, so the mixed assignment revisits Topics 1 and 2. Databases start here because they're a new application and benefit from a fresh unit after spreadsheets.

How to set it for a class

1. Open the Edexcel International GCSE ICT course in the Resource Hub.
2. Tick the sections you want to set.
3. Add them to an assignment, then choose your class and due date.

You can combine sections from this course with topics, exam questions and quizzes from other courses in the same assignment. For an example of weekly set homework in an international school, read how weekly, structured homework transformed exam outcomes at Durham School Dubai.