Computing
About the Department
Head of Department: Ms M King
Other Teachers: Also teaching KS3 are Mr N Draper and Mrs I Creaser.
What you will study:
At Key Stage 3, as a department we encourage the girls to learn independently and to solve problems for themselves. They will also share their knowledge and skills with their peers which encourages team building. Computational thinking is a valuable skill for understanding the world of technology and the curriculum allows them to link what they do in lessons to the world around them.
Course Content:
Topic list
There are several opportunities for our students to use various applications. They will often use more than one piece of software and students will develop the skills to be able to choose suitable software, based on the problem or task assigned.
Year 7
Computational Thinking
Programming with the Micro:bit
Using Computers Safely, Effectively and Responsibly
Introduction to Spreadsheets
Graphics
Year 8
Computer Crime and Cyber Security
App design
Spreadsheet Modelling
AI and machine learning
Introduction to Python Programming
Year 9
Algorithms and Computational Thinking
AI and Wearable Technology
Binary
Python programming
Animation project
Assessment:
The work completed by the students will be assessed in a number of ways; teacher, self and peer assessed. The work given is also linked to a set of transferable skills that the students can apply to other subject areas and aspects of life.
Key Stage 4 Computer Science
What you will study:
At Key Stage 4 we offer GCSE Computer Science from the AQA exam board, this course is designed to develop computational thinking skills and apply them to practical scenarios.
Course Content:
- Fundamentals of algorithms
- Programming
- Fundamentals of data representation
- Computer systems
- Fundamentals of computer networks
- Cyber security
- Relational databases and structured query language (SQL)
- Ethical, legal and environmental impacts of digital technology on wider society, including issues of privacy
Assessment:
Paper 1
Computational thinking and programming skills
What’s assessed:
Computational thinking, code tracing, problem solving, programming concepts including the design of effective algorithms and the designing, writing, testing and refining of code.
It is a 2 hour written exam.
Paper 2
Computing concepts
Theoretical knowledge from subject content 3–8 above. It is a 1 hour 45 minutes written exam.
There is a mix of multiple choice, short answer, longer answer and extended response questions assessing SQL programming skills and theoretical knowledge.
