Computer Science

In January to February 2020 96% of households in Great Britain had internet access, 76% of adults used internet banking and 87% of adults shopped online. These are just three examples of how computers, phones and tablets are used in everyday life, a GCSE in Computer Science will provide you with an introduction to the world behind these statistics as well as a range of skills and knowledge that would be useful in a variety of other subjects and career paths. Click here to see examples of where Computer Science could take you.

GCSE Computer Science

Contact Information: Mr J Hubbard, Head of Computer Science

Course Content

The GCSE Computer Science course encourages students to develop both their theoretical and practical knowledge of technology. By creating programs regularly that relate to real-world applications, and developing this knowledge further by completing a programming project, students will be prepared to take their programming knowledge further after completing the GCSE course. In the theoretical component, students will develop an understanding of computer systems and networked devices, as well as how they function by going into the specific details within technology. For any students who are interested in technology or wish to work in the industry in the future, this subject will be ideal and provides many opportunities for further students and employment. 

Skills Developed

The Computer Science course provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate a wide range of skills, including:

• An understanding of computer components and their operations within computer systems;

• How data can be represented through binary;

• Explaining how data is transmitted across the Internet and kept secure;

• How software and hardware can work together to complete tasks;

• Investigating the advantages and disadvantages of technology on areas such as the environment;

• How to develop computational thinking skills including algorithmic thinking, abstraction and decomposition;

• Creating programs using the Python programming language. 

Assessment

The course follows the OCR J277 (9-1) Computer Specification and is assessed through two components.

COMP1 Computer Systems

This is a compulsory component worth 50% of the course. It covers the theoretical side of the course and is assessed through a written examination worth 80 marks over 90 minutes.

COMP2 Algorithms & Programming

This is a compulsory component worth 50% of the course. It covers the practical side of the course and is assessed through a written examination worth 80 marks over 90 minutes.

Progression Routes

Academic

A-Level Computer Science

BTEC Level 3 ICT

Employment

There is a wide range of employment opportunities in Computer Science, including:

• Application Development

• Cyber Security

• Data Analyst

• UX Design

• Machine Learning

• Games Development

• Database Management

• Robotics and Physical Computing

• Web Development

• And many, many more!