Digital & Enterprise Award makes a geat iDEA as inspiring awards programme is launched

The race is on to get the Silver Award in the Inspiring Digital Enterprise Awards (iDEA).

These awards aspire to be the digital and enterprise equivalent of the Duke of Edinburgh but, while those are more physically demanding, the iDEAs are about computer skills.

iDEA’s different learning categories – Citizen, Worker, Maker, Entrepreneur and Games – cover topics such as cyber security, cloud computing, e-safety, AI, web development and more as pupils develop digital, enterprise and employability skills.

Pupils do the modules as independent learning and they get points for each module with 250 points qualifying them for a Bronze Award.

Year 11 Umar, who is studying GCSE Computer Science, was the first Priory pupil to secure the Bronze Award but Year 9 Naeem was hot on his heels and now both are chasing the Silver Award.

Umar said: “It’s meant to take around a month but I did it in a week! It’s little courses in your own time and it’s interesting.

“They cover all kinds of things from e-safety, to social media in business, to e-commerce and more so it’s varied.

“It goes alongside my GCSE as what I learn in lessons I can take into this.”

Naeem said: “It’s interesting and you use a lot of different skills and you learn about the jobs you can go into.

“There are so many elements but they are all linked to each other. I am trying to get the Silver Award before Umar!"

Year 9 Reese said: “I like iDEA as it uses fun games to teach you about being safe online, how to have a secure password and more. It’s life lessons really.”

ICT and Computer Science teacher, Miss Gregson, is leading the programme and the department has started to roll it out to Key Stage 3 pupils in their Computing lessons. 
Miss Gregson said, "iDEA has been such a fantastic opportunity for students to explore the digital skills needed when they leave school. The fact that most of the badges have been created by industry experts gives students a real insight into jobs they may progress on to in the future.

We are supporting our Key Stage 3 students to log into iDEA at school so we can demonstrate how to select one of the badges. I can provide logins for our Key Stage 4 students if they would also like to work towards this award. They just need to either come and see me or message me on MS Teams."

Pupils can also work on their award at Computing Club in HEX 2 every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday lunchtimes, and outside of school time should they wish. Key Stage 4 students in Year 10 and Year 11 who would like to complete the programme outside of lesson time are also welcome at Computing Club and should see Miss Gregson to register.