The Faculty of Business and Computing seeks to provide a nurturing, engaging and inspiring environment where all pupils achieve their full potential in the wide range of Business and Computing subjects. The following pages will provide you with a flavour of life in the Faculty.

You will find information on the wide range of subjects offered by the Faculty as well as the teaching staff working in the faculty.

For the latest news on the faculty, please follow the school twitter feed @dunoongrammar1

Staff

Stacy Sommerville – Teacher of Business Education / Principal Teacher (Mon-Wed)

Colin Spark – Teacher of Business Education / Principal Teacher (Thurs-Fri)

Graham Stoddart – Teacher of Computing Science

Colin Deans – Teacher of Computing Science

Sam Murdoch – Teacher of Computing Science

Lorne McDonald – Teacher of Business Education

Kirsty Campbell – Teacher of Computing Science and Depute Head Teacher

Alex Johnson – Teacher of Computing Science and Depute Head Teacher

Vision Statement

The Faculty seeks to provide a nurturing, engaging and inspiring environment where all learners achieve their full potential in a wide range of Business & Computing subjects.

As a Faculty we are committed to:

• Offering the highest quality learning and teaching in a safe and stimulating environment
• Facilitate learning experiences that are within the spirit of Curriculum for Excellence and include co-operative, active and experiential learning in real and relevant contexts
• Ensure learners are fully prepared for national examinations
• Encourage self-reliance and self-discipline in learners
• Provide a range of learning opportunities out with the classroom to deepen understanding and further develop skills and knowledge
• Provide support mechanisms to enable each pupil to achieve his/her potential
• Acknowledge pupils’ achievements, celebrate their success and showcase talents
• Nurture a close working partnership with parents and the wider community
• Foster a mutual respect of individuals
• Develop in pupils the disposition of skills which will enable them to respond to their current responsibilities while preparing them for the challenges of adult life
• Engage staff, student and parents in the decision making process
• Forge closer working relationships with partner primaries and other Business & Computing departments within the authority
• Be committed to quality assurance, self-evaluation and strategies for continuous improvement
• Offer a wide portfolio of Business & Computing courses for pupils of varying academic abilities and practical skills

The Faculty’s overarching vision, values and aims are embodied in our aspirational motto ‘Dedicated to excellence’.

Course Information

S1 and S2 Business & Computing

The Business & Computing course in S1 and S2 is fast paced, creative, fun and life-enhancing! Learners will experience a wide range of rich learning experiences that will augment key skills for learning, life and work. Learners will have opportunities to lead learning experiences within creative forums.

Learning experiences will include the Youth Philanthropy Initiative, Tennar Challenge, coding – including the BBC Micro:bit, computer generated imagery – 3D and animation, podcasting and screencasting, social media, computer systems, word processing, spreadsheets, databases, presentation and desktop publishing software!

S3 Business & Computing
In S3, learners have the opportunity to specialise in a range of courses – Administration & IT, Business Management and Computing Science.

Administration & IT
Rockness, The Edinburgh Festival and Dunoon’s very own Cowal games. Just a few world class events that take place in Scotland every year.

Want to develop the skills and knowledge that makes these and other events a success? Then Administration and IT is for you!

With a very strong focus on practical skills development, Administration & IT will allow pupils to plan and run a range of events – including working with partners such as the Dunoon Film Festival.  Pupils will also develop essential Information Technology (IT) skills essential to future study and the world of work, including word processing, spreadsheets, databases, presentation, desk-top-publishing and e-communication.

Pupils will develop extensive skills in the use of business software – skills that are essential in every workplace.

Pupils will work regularly under their own initiative, but also in teams to run successful events.

Did you know that almost all University and College courses now require students to word process assignments, analyse information in spreadsheets and databases and communicate using presentation software. Administration & IT will develop in pupils these essential skills that are also essential in many jobs in modern society.

Business Management
Are you the next Richard Branson, Alan Sugar, Michelle Mone or Sam Coley?

Business Management offers budding entrepreneurs and business leaders an insight into how modern businesses are set-up and managed successfully. It is the perfect introduction for those who wish to start their own business or work in a business setting.

Pupils will explore how a business attracts customers and keep them happy, while also looking at how to look after the money side of the business. Pupils will also examine how to hire and look after staff and how businesses can make products to offer to customers.

With a wealth of real world examples to help learn about business, pupils will be regularly working on projects to investigate real business practice as well as initiatives to develop and action their own business ideas. A key part of the course is participation on the Coca-Cola Real Business Challenge, where pupils will work in teams to create a new brand for Coca-Cola Enterprises.

Business Management makes a significant contribution to skills essential for future employment.

Skills in the handling an use of information, including finding, evaluating and presenting as well as key thinking skills such as understanding, remembering and applying will also be developed.

Pupils will also regularly work under their own initiative as well as part of teams.

Did you know Business Management in the most popular course of study for pupils moving on to University/College? We will all hopefully end up working in a business – either our own or that of some else. Business Management will give you a flavour of the different areas of business that you might wish to then forge a successful career in.

Computing Science
What will the PlayStation 7, the Xbox 1440 or the iphone 20 have in store for us? Who really knows – but it might actually be you who develops the computing technology of the future!

Computing Science will help get you started!

Computing Science will give learners a fantastic insight into the world of computing technology as well as developing pupils’ skills in areas such as programming and systems maintenance and support.

A fast paced, practical course, pupils will work regularly on projects exploring emerging computing hardware and software as well as opportunities to design and develop their own software and solutions. A key part of the S3 Computing Science course is Apps for Good – where pupils will work in teams to create and develop ideas for new apps that will make a positive impact on our world.

Pupils will develop extensive skills in the use of modern computer hardware and software – skills that are essential in the modern world of work.

Did you know that Scotland leads the way in the cutting edge development and use of computing technology? Many software programmes – including games – made in Scotland are sold all over the world.

Employment in the Computing industry in Scotland is expected to grow nine times faster than the Scottish average. In the next five years alone 40,000 new Computing graduates will be needed to fill Computing jobs in Scotland.

Senior Phase information

Learners can progress to a wide range of certificated Business & Computing courses in S4 to S6.

Administration & IT – National 4, 5 and Higher

Three units – converging theoretical knowledge and practical IT skills.

Administrative Theory and Practice
Administration in the work place and related aspects
Effective teams and time and task management
Features of good customer care

IT Solutions for Administrators
Skills in using word processing, spreadsheets, databases
Skills in analysing, processing and managing information in order to create and edit
range of business documents

Communication in Administration
Use advanced skills in using IT to communicate information with others
Learn about the  barriers to communicate and ways of overcoming them
Learn how to maintain the security and confidentiality of information

Business Management – National 4, 5 and Higher

Three units of study in Business Management:

Understanding Business
Explore the different businesses in our contemporary society and their activities
Investigate what influences business activity

Marketing and Operations
Explore how businesses identify and meet customer needs and wants through market research and the marketing mix
Examine how business provide products to meet needs and wants effectively

Finance and Human Resources
Examine how to manage the money side of the business
Explore how businesses gain new staff and get the best out of them

Computing Science

Two units of study in Computing Science:

Software Design and Development
Explain how programs work, drawing on an understanding of concepts in software development and computer architecture
Create programs using one or more software development environments
Explore the impact of contemporary computing technologies

Information System Design and Development
Create information systems using appropriate development tools
Consider the factors involved in the design and implementation of an information system

Business & Computing pupils will be supplied with a wide range of resources and support to ensure they maximise their potential with us. This includes text books, electronic resources and opportunities for supported study. These resources are regularly updated and will be shared with students at the onset of courses.

Important Deadlines

Deadlines for each subject and level will be shared with pupils and parents via a range of media – including direct texts and email.

Any other information

Please follow the Dunoon Grammar twitter feed @dunoongrammar1 for the latest news from Business & Computing.