Computer Science

Developing Moral Capital

Our Moral capital in Computer Science allows students to have the opportunity to understand how Computer Science can influence Ethical, legal, cultural and environmental concerns in the world. In Computer Science we highlight the key moral questions that technology brings to the world. Both in KS4 and 5 we look in depth at different laws that are involved in keeping information and people safe with technology.

Developing Social Capital

In Computer Science we aim to inspire the students, develop self-confidence and an ability to recognise their own potential. Students learn a lot about themselves when exposed to challenging situations, such as peer programming opportunities, and through self and peer assessment in their tests. 

All ability ranges of students are taught together through Computer Science and students learn to respect different people’s needs and values.  This has been supported by the development of the inclusion of SEND in lessons. We also have been able to run trips to BT Martlesham Heath in the past, which has allowed students to grow their network and see how real industry works. Some students have also taken part in virtual Work Experience with Cisco, again, allowing them to grow their network. We hope to be able to re-establish these links when Covid restrictions allow. We have also recently linked with the Media Department to invite “Signals Media Arts Centre” in for a game creation workshop for students, allowing them to network with not only the organisers, but also the students in the other classes.

Developing Cultural Capital

Students are given the opportunity to attend clubs regularly after school, where they are able to engage with extra content outside of the exam, such as higher level programming and game-making, looking at Raspberry Pis and what can be achieved with these. We have also run trips to Disneyland Computing LIVE! Events and the trips to BT and Thorpe Park to help to engage them with the outside world. When Covid restrictions allow, we will look to do this again with the students. At KS5, We have also recently linked with the Media Department to invite “Signals Media Arts Centre” into school for a game creation workshop for students as an extracurricular activity to help them to discover what's possible outside of the classroom. 

Developing Knowledge Capital

Our academically challenging  Computer Science curriculum inspires all students to succeed and excel in both the theory and practical elements of the course.  There are always extension activities provided for the most able and all students are encouraged to perform at their best.  The units link with one another to give students a wide and varied range of topics that will be helpful and relevant to their further studies, and allow them to think critically and logically in order to problem solve, making it relevant even if Computer Science doesn’t end up being their future option. They are taught by a subject specialist, with good subject knowledge and good resources. 

Developing Community Capital

At KS5 Computer Science we encourage students to be understanding of the ability of others and the need to be supportive rather than critical when looking at our programming projects and giving each other feedback to ensure everyone is engaged well in their work, and doing the best that they can together.  At KS4, we look at peer assessment for a lot of our tests, which allows students to critically evaluate each other's work, and challenge one another where appropriate on the answers to questions. We work as a team within the class to try to ensure that everyone is on the same page, and getting on the best that they can. 

The Key Stage 3 curriculum for Computer Science  not explicitly taught as a subject in its own right, but is instead taught through some modules in ICT lessons at Thorpe Campus. It has been designed to provide the students with a base understanding of the key concepts and skills that they will need at Key Stage 4 and beyond. The units have been designed to help students build skills in programming and computational thinking, as well as understanding the key components of the computer itself.

Written exams for Component 01 and Component 02 are completed to be awarded the OCR GCSE (9–1) in Computer Science. Both exams are 80 marks, last 1 hour and 30 minutes with (no calculators allowed). All students are also given the opportunity to undertake programming tasks to solve a problem, during their course of study. Students may draw on some of the content in both components when engaged in Practical Programming.

J277/02: Computational thinking, algorithms and programming

Written paper: 1 hour and 30 minutes

50% of total GCSE (80 marks)

This is a non-calculator paper. This paper has two sections: Section A and Section B.

Students must answer both sections. All questions are mandatory. In Section B, questions are assessing students’ ability to write or refine algorithms.

•  2.1 Algorithms

•  2.2 Programming fundamentals

•  2.3 Producing robust programs

•  2.4 Boolean logic

•  2.5 Programming languages and Integrated Development Environments

The KS5 Computer Science course focuses more on programming techniques and building on GCSE Computer Science knowledge. It emphasizes on the importance of computational thinking as a discipline. There is an expanded maths focus and computational thinking is at the core, helping to develop the skills to solve problems, design systems and understand human and machine intelligence.

Topics covered include: 

• The characteristics of contemporary processors, input, output and storage devices 

• Software and software development 

• Exchanging data

• Data types, data structures and algorithms 

• Legal, moral, cultural and ethical issues 

• Elements of computational thinking 

• Problem solving and programming 

• Algorithms to solve problems and standard algorithms

Assessment is through terminal examinations after two years of study. There are two exams, worth 40% each, and one programming project worth 20%.