1 - Introduction ~5 mins
Welcome
Today you check whether your budget spreadsheet actually calculates useful answers for your real task, and you write down what is missing. That audit is for ICT2 Key Assignment 1 (KA1). Honest gap-finding now means the next two lessons can close the right gaps instead of polishing the wrong sheet.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Map your current project budget against ICT2 KA1 SEC criteria
- Identify gaps in formula use, task relevance and presentation
- Plan concrete improvements that make formulas do real work
- Complete the KA1 Gap Check ({{code:05_ka1_gap_check}})
Warm-up
Open {{code:05_project_budget}} with the class if you have it. Click one total or summary cell together and look at the formula bar. Then answer honestly: do you already have several formula cells, one, or none? That baseline is useful information for today's audit, not a test score.
If your file is missing or empty, you still complete the gap check today. Many Gap marks are expected and useful: they become your build list for the next workshops.
2 - Key Concepts ~5 mins
ICT2 KA1 (verbatim from the SEC descriptor) asks you to:
Select your best spreadsheet that demonstrates your use of formulas to perform calculations for a task you are involved in.
Below is our class KA1 checklist that breaks that descriptor into marks you can evidence. Use these eight rows in {{code:05_ka1_gap_check}}. Best does not mean prettiest. It means the sheet where formulas answer real questions about a task you are actually doing. You will mark each row Met, Partial, or Gap.
Three rules of thumb:
- Real task — the sheet must serve work you are actually doing (Something Real project, Work Experience, enterprise, club, Practical Achievement).
- Formula bar truth — cells that start with {{code:=}} calculate from other cells; typed totals only store a number.
- Formulas that answer a question — each formula should help a real decision (total cost, overspend flag, share of budget), not sit unused.
Model: Jamie's class checklist (cake side hustle)
Jamie is building a first-month budget for a custom-cake side hustle aimed at local birthday orders. Your teacher will project this filled checklist. You will use the same eight rows next; you do not need to re-read every cell now.
| Class KA1 checklist | Met? | Evidence on the sheet / gap to close |
|---|---|---|
| Sheet is for a task I am involved in | Met | Title and items are real planned cake costs (flour, boxes, Instagram promo boost) |
| Numeric and character data entered | Met | 14 item rows with categories and euro costs |
| At least one aggregate formula (e.g. SUM / AVERAGE) | Met | {{formula:=SUM(...)}} total; {{formula:=AVERAGE(...)}} average item cost |
| MIN / MAX or COUNT-style formula | Gap | No highest/lowest cost cells yet → add MAX and MIN |
| Formula that uses a cell reference across rows (autofill or %) | Gap | No % of total column → add column with absolute reference to the total cell |
| Logical formula (IF) that flags a decision | Gap | Nothing flags pricey items → add Flag column with IF over €25 |
| Currency / date / readable formatting | Partial | Costs are € formatted; heading row still plain → shade heading row |
| Formulas answer a real project question | Partial | Total is useful; still cannot see which category dominates spend |
Jamie's action list for the next workshop: MAX/MIN, % of total with an absolute reference, IF flag, clearer heading row. That is what a useful gap check produces: a short, concrete build list.
3 - Step-by-step Task ~22 mins
Open the starter {{code:05_ka1_gap_check}} in your {{code:05_budget}} folder (the eight class checklist rows are already listed). Then open your live {{code:05_project_budget}} beside it, inspect formulas in the formula bar, and mark each criterion Met, Partial, or Gap with one line of evidence or a concrete fix. You are collecting evidence and gaps, not rewriting the whole budget yet.
Your teacher will model side-by-side tabs (or split-screen) once, then fill one evidence cell live on the projector in Jamie's short shape (for example: "Partial — total is SUM but no IF flag") and leave that model visible. If dual tabs feel awkward on your device, mark on the printed worksheet beside the spreadsheet and type up in independent practice.
When the audit starts, use the Common Issues card as a side reference (especially missing file and typed total).
4 - Common Issues ~3 mins
Common Issues
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| I cannot find {{code:05_project_budget}} | Open your cloud drive and check the {{code:05_budget}} folder inside your Project Portfolio. Use the search box at the top of OneDrive or Google Drive and type {{code:05_project_budget}}. If it is still missing, tell your teacher and complete the gap check from what you remember, marking formula rows as Gap and listing what the sheet should contain for your real task. |
| My total looks right but the formula bar only shows a number | That total was typed, not calculated. Mark "aggregate formula" as a Gap. In the next workshop you will replace it with a real {{formula:=SUM(...)}} so it updates when costs change. |
| My project data still feels fake or unfinished | That is a real KA1 gap (task involvement). Rewrite item names and costs so they match Work Experience, your enterprise idea, a club or community task, or your Practical Achievement log. Honest planned figures beat polished nonsense. |
| I only have one formula and everything else is decoration | Record it honestly on the gap check. Plan two more formulas that answer questions (highest cost, over-limit flag, % of total). Decoration can wait until formulas do work. |
| I am not sure how to write an evidence line | Copy the shape from Jamie: short and concrete. Example: "Partial — total is SUM but no IF flag" or "Gap — no MAX/MIN yet; add highest and lowest cost cells". |
| I cannot find the starter {{code:05_ka1_gap_check}} | Check {{code:05_budget}} and any shared class folder your teacher named. Ask for the link again, or use the printed worksheet now and type the digital file up in independent practice. |
5 - Independent Practice ~15 mins
Independent Practice
- {{code:05_ka1_gap_check}} is saved inside your {{code:05_budget}} portfolio folder and still opens cleanly
- Every one of the eight class KA1 checklist rows is marked Met, Partial, or Gap with a one-line evidence or fix note
- The check clearly links the spreadsheet to your Something Real task (not a generic sample)
- A final action list names three concrete improvements in priority order
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