Computer Science at RPA

At Richmond Park Academy, we believe that our students should have the opportunity to follow a computing curriculum that prepares them for life in modern Britain and take advantage of opportunities that this can offer them in both Britain and the wider world.

Good quality IT skills enable students to engage positively within the modern workplace, while Computer Science skills enable students to take an active part in the design, development and creation of new technologies to be used in the world in which they live. 

The core to the subject is the understanding of how technology works, can be developed and utilised, and we draw and extend understanding from a range of other subjects outside of computing including DT, graphics, maths, science and PHSE and embed clear and high quality literacy and numeracy skills through software development, problem solving and evaluation skills.

We provide a broad range of skills and experiences at KS3 which are then further developed as students enter KS4 and then extended to KS5

At KS3 all students are given the opportunity to choose Computer Science at GCSE as an option where they will go on to develop key problem solving skills useful in a range of disciplines as well as the coding and software development skills that will give them an opportunity to work or for further study in the developing area seen to be key in the modern world.

The Computing department at Richmond Park academy has the responsibility of ensuring that all students gain essential skills in how computers work and are programmed as well as how computer software can be used effectively. It is an intensely creative subject that involves invention and excitement. Our Computer Science courses value computational thinking, helping learners to develop the skills to solve problems and design systems that do so.

What we do when

At KS3, pupils will study Computer Science on a carousel basis. They will rotate throughout the year and complete a 9-weeks topic in each subject area. We are a paperless department at KS3, hence pupils need to collaborate and communicate via Google classroom where all work is uploaded and marked with feedback. All students have one lesson per week to ensure that they master the basic skills needed to use technology effectively in the subject as well as other subjects taught in the school. The following units are covered in KS3.

Year 7

• Using Computers Safely, Effectively and Responsibly.

• Protecting their online identity, privacy and recognising inappropriate content, contact and conduct.

• Identify the various components that make up a computer and understand their function. 

• Understand how the devices work together (the CPU, RAM, Hard Drive, and IO Devices) and what factors affect the performance.

• Data representation – Learn how data/information can be stored inside the computer in binary format.

Year 8

• Know how to use abstraction and decomposition to design a solution to a problem.

• Learn how to produce an algorithm using a flowchart.

• Demonstrate the use of pseudo code to solve a problem.

• Understand why sorting algorithms and searching algorithms are needed.

• Programming using Python- In this unit students are introduced to text-based programming with Python. Students will start with simple programs involving input and output, and gradually move to arithmetic operations, selection, and iteration. 

Year 9

• Understanding what web pages are and what they are used for.

• Understand how to create text styles and add content, including text and graphics on a webpage. 

• Learn how to create navigation links to link multiple pages on their website as well as to external websites.

• Adding CSS to enhance their webpages.

• Adding HTML form controls to a web page.

• Explaining the role of JavaScript inside web pages.

• Understand and follow JavaScript syntax.

Computer Science is compulsory at KS3 and students opt to take the subject for their GCSE/A-Level.  Students who do not opt for Computing at GCSE continue to develop their skills through the CAPD time programmed and within other specific parts of the KS4 courses.

Key Stage 4

Students follow the OCR Computing GCSE (J277):

Component 1: Computer Systems (50% GCSE) (Exam Unit)

Topics covered:

1. Central processing unit (CPU)

2. Computer memory and storage 

3. Data representation

4. Wired and wireless networks

5. Network topologies

6. System security and system software 

7. Ethical, legal, cultural and environmental issues

Component 02: Computational thinking, algorithms and programming (50% GCSE) (Exam Unit)

Topics covered:

1. Computational thinking

2. Algorithms

3. Programming techniques

4. Producing robust programs

5. Computational logic and translators

Practical programming - Design, write, test and refine programs using a high-level programming language which will be assessed in Component 02.

Skills you will gain:

• Develop your understanding of current and emerging technologies

• Understand how they work and apply this knowledge and understanding in a range of contexts. 

•  Acquire and apply knowledge, technical skills and an understanding of the use of algorithms in computer programs to solve problems using programming.

Key Stage 5

Students follow the OCR A-Level qualification (H446)

Component 1: Computer Systems (Written exam 40%, 140 marks, 2 hours and 30 minutes)

Topics covered:

1. Computer Systems 

2. Data Representation

3. Databases

4. Networks

5. Problem solving approaches

Component 2: Algorithms & Programming (Written exam 40%, 140 marks, 2 hours and 30 minutes)

Topics covered:

1. Writing algorithms and computational methods

2. Programming and programming techniques

3. Problem solving

Component 3: Computing Project (20%, 70 marks)

The non-exam assessment assesses a practical problem. The programming project will be submitted in the form of a report that will contain the solution to a problem, selected by the learner or centre and written in a suitable programming language.

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