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Length of Course : The first year of the three year Key Stage 3 Computer Science course
Course description and aims
Computer systems and the people who build and maintain them play a very important role in our lives. This course helps build the foundations for our students to be not only users of technology but to begin to understand programming so that they could be future designers of computer applications to improve the quality of our lives.
In key stage 3 computing our students follow the national curriculum. Students are equipped to use information technology to create programs, systems and a range of content. We teach our students to be digitally literate, responsible, creative and organised. This work builds on work done in the key stage 2 computing curriculum and prepares students for work in year 8 and beyond. Students have 3 lessons every two weeks.
Main concepts and topics covered
Digital Literacy
Programming (Small Basic)
Presentation
Programming (Python)
Graphics
Web design (HTML & CSS)
Flowcharts
Database
Animation
Contents
Term 1
Digital Literacy (File management, e-safety, cyber bullying, social networking sites and searching the web)
Introduction to programming - Small Basic (sequences, conditional statements, repetition, logical operators and variables)
Presentation (using the master slide, add notes, different ways to print presentations, how to prepare an effective presentation for your audience)
Term 2
Introduction to programming - Python (sequences, conditional statements, repetition, logical operators and variables)
Graphics (create own images from shapes, editing images, combining images and file types)
Web design (text hyperlinks, image links and links to external pages and to design websites incorporating a variety of media developed in other applications)
Flowcharts(assignment, sequencing, conditional statements, repetition, logical operators)
Term 3
Databases (Data types, creating tables, using queries with one or more criteria, using AND, OR and NOT and <, <=, >, >= in searches)
Animation (Frame by frame animation, onion skinning, tweening, incorporating edited sounds and images)
Course outcomes
The course empowers our students to
use technology competently and responsibly
be creative users of technology
have experience of writing computer programs and begin to understand how to solve problems with programs
be independent and inquisitive users of technology
Types of assessment
Formative assessment is carried out by the teacher and involves marking of teacher set tasks, observation, questioning and self and peer assessment for each taught unit. In addition to this there is a summative assessment at the end of each unit of work and an end of year examination covering all the topics taught for the year.
Methodology
A variety of techniques and teaching styles are used to cater for the diverse learning styles of our students. They include individual and group activities, research and investigation, and project work to encourage independence and creativity.
Text and materials
We encourage students to work through activities on the following websites to support their learning.
Grading policy
All formative assessments and summative assessments will be assessed using our Key stage 3 progress maps. Learning objectives will be shared for all lessons in each unit and unit summative assessments will be based on this. Students will be encouraged to set aspirational targets and also self-assess their work before the unit summative assessment.
Teachers will produce a report about student progress once each term to parents.
Additional expectations
Homework is provided once each week lasting about 30 minutes. We set homework tasks which may or may not require the use of a computer. Where computers are not available for students to use at home, they are encouraged to attend one of the lunch time homework clubs in the ICT suite to complete the homework.
Encourage your child to practice touch typing using software or an online typing tutor.
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