What do you want to know Freddiecat?
I teach secondary ICT. Currently teaching it at KS3, GCSE and also the ECDL. Have done some limited A Level stuff in the past, and until this year GNVQ (Intermediate and Foundation; not done advanced).
Firstly there is a huge shortage of ICT teachers so you would be a great asset. Schools really struggle to get hold of, and to keep, their ICT staff and many schools are understaffed in the departments - having to use non specialists (which is not inline with the Government guidelines).
ICt is now a core subject at both KS3 and KS4, so all pupils have to study the subject in some form throughout the secondary education. In about 2 or 3 years online testing for KS3 ICT comes online. It is currently being trialed. According to my LEA Advisor for ICt this is likely to become compulsary testing at KS3 in a few years.
KS3 National Strategy
This site gives you all the info about KS3 ICT and what we are expected to teach and pupils to learn. The 3 years now have Units written especially for them. There are six in Year 7, five in Y8 and three in Y9. The idea is to progress and build up to independent use of ICT. This is still quite new. Many schools are not yet using the Y9 work; some are starting this year. Whilst this is not actually a compulsary syllabus all the training for ICt is based on it, and OFSTED kind of expect you to be using it! We differentiate it a lot.
KS3 ICT focuses on using software - spreadsheets, databases, PowerPoint, word processing, publishing, using the Internet, control, etc.
GCSE
There are lots of ICT syllabuses. Many of the newer ones are the Applied ICT courses, some of which are worth 2 GCSE qualifications. Not many places do Computer Studes anymore; just ICT. Looks again at using the computers. Mainly software based, but at a highler (sometimes!) level that KS3, and more independent use. Most courses are heavily based on coursework (around 60%) with smaller exams. Some syllabuses use
online testing for the exams; others paper based.
We are doing the EDXCEL Applied ICT course. But there are loads!
ECDL
This is the European Computer Driving License. It is an online competency ICT course. I've only just started teaching this to Y10 and to Y12. It's only around Level 1 for the main. But it can go up to Level 2 (GCSE standard) by pupils doing an extra unit at the end.
GNVQ (Foundation & Intermediate)
Very similar to the Applied GCSEs. Very much based on independent work and coursework projects. Although there are a couple of externally assessed units, which have short exams.
I don't know much about the highler level stuff. At A Level you can have courses in both ICT and in Cpmputing/Computer Studies. ICt is more about using pre-existing software on computers, and using them to achieve given applications, etc. Computing is more indepth of using computers with programming, etc. involved.