Computing
| Subject: | Computer Science |
| Contact: | Mr G Griffiths |
Overview
All students study Computing at Key Stage 3, which consists of Computer Science, Digital Literacy and Information Technology. At Key Stage 4 students can opt to do Edexcel GCSE Computer Science or OCR Creative iMedia. At Key Stage 5 students can study AQA A-Level Computer Science. Throughout each Key Stage students develop their computational thinking skills, their knowledge of how computer systems work, how to be confident users of technology and develop skills in using software. Units of work are sequenced to embed and build on knowledge from previous years and to cover all aspects of the National Curriculum in Computing, which includes both technical and creative aspects of the subject.
Key stage 3
Overview
Across Years 7 to 9, students develop their Computing skills in all three areas of the curriculum (Computer Science, Digital Literacy and Information Technology). Units are focused around elements of one of these strands with equal time being given to each over the year. Students start with work that is focused on building the foundations of knowledge needed for future years, for example: students will learn how to program using Scratch in Year 7, this progresses into an Introduction to Python Programming and App Development in Year 8, then into Working with Data in Python and Physical Computing using Python in Year 9.
Curriculum content
| Year |
Autumn Term |
Spring Term |
Summer Term |
|---|---|---|---|
|
7 |
Collaborating Online Respectfully (Identifying how to use online collaboration tools respectfully) Logic and History of Computing (Create a video about the ideas of the great computer pioneers) |
Programming Essentials in Scratch (Sequence. Selection, Iteration) Using Media: Gaining Support for a Cause (Creating a digital product for a real-world cause) |
Modelling Data: Spreadsheets (Sorting and filtering data and using formulas and functions in spreadsheet software). Computers and Employment (The career opportunities in ICT and Computer Science) |
|
8 |
Developing for Web (HTML and CSS) Representations: From Clay to Silicon (Numbers and text in binary) |
Mobile App Development (Programming an app) Media: Vector Graphics (Creating vector graphics using objects, layering and path manipulation) |
Computing Systems (Fundamental elements of computer systems) Introduction to Python Programming (Sequence, Selection, Iteration) |
|
9 |
Animation (Making vector-based animations) Networks: From Semaphores to the Internet (Recognising hardware and how they are used for communication) |
Python Programming with Sequences of Data Cybersecurity Identifying how users and organisations can protect themselves from cyberattacks) |
Representations: Going Audiovisual (Representing images and sound using binary) Physical Computing (Sensing and controlling with the Microbit using Python) |
Assessment Criteria
Please find below the assessment benchmarks for Computing. A child progresses across the grid (from A-I) when they demonstrate a deeper knowledge and wider range of skills in each assessment carried out.
Key stage 4
Overview
At GCSE students can opt to do Computer Science. We follow the EdExcel syllabus for Computer Science two exam papers: the first on The Principles of Computer Science and the other on the Application of Computational thinking. The first paper covers five topics numbered 1 – 5. These are: Computational Thinking, Data, Computers, Networks and Security and Impacts of Technology. Paper 2 is a practical programming paper, where the students are given 6 skeleton programs in Python and have to answer questions on each – either editing the code or writing new code in order to solve the problems posed in the questions. Students are taught for 5 hours a fortnight for each subject. Lessons in Computer Science are split roughly 50-50 between ‘theory’ lessons and ‘practical’ programming lessons.
Exam board and course
GCSE Computer Science – Edexcel
Curriculum Content
|
Year |
Autumn Term |
Spring Term |
Summer Term |
|---|---|---|---|
|
10 |
Topic 6 – Programming: Sequencing & Selection Topic 3 - Computers |
Topic 6 – Programming: Iteration & Subroutines Topic 2 – Data (Binary/Hexadecimal) Topic 1 - Algorithms
|
Topic 6 – Programming: Strings and Lists Topic 3 – Computers (Logic Gates) Topic 1 – Algorithms (Sorting and Searching Algorithms) Topic 2 – Data Representations (Images and Sound) |
|
11 |
Topic 6 – Programming: Dictionaries and Data Files Topic 5 – Impacts of Technology Topic 4 - Networks |
Topic 6 – Programming: Dictionaries and Data Files Topic 4 – Network Security Programming Practice Revision on previous topics |
Programming Practice Revision on previous topics |
Enrichment opportunities
Computer Science catch-up sessions every Monday at lunchtime and Tuesdays after school.
