GCSE Computer Science

A high-quality Computing education equips pupils to use computational thinking and creativity to prepare them for their future life. Students will become skilled and safe users of computer systems and will develop a deeper understanding of how they work. Computing is a STEM subject and has links with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

All students in years in Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9) have Computing each week, including Digital Literacy, ICT and Computer Science. At the end of Year 9, students can select to follow GCSE Computer Science.

For more information please contact our Director of ICT and Digital Learning, Christine Harvey

Course Delivered

  • AQA Computer Science

 

Term by Term Subject Content

Year 7 Units
  • Getting Started (logging in, strong passwords, text formatting, adding graphics, use of office.com [OneDrive and Word], folder management, saving/opening work, printing, evaluating)
  • Coding (problem-solving, algorithms, programming, PRIMM, testing)
  • Data Representation (binary/decimal/hexadecimal conversions, storage units, ASCII)
  • Computer Systems (hardware, software, processor, peripherals, memory)
  • Spreadsheets (cell references, formulae, graphs)
  • Cybersecurity (encryption, malware, phishing, etc)
  • WWW/Internet (HTML, WWW, internet, URL, IoT, etc)

Year 8 Units
  • Getting Started (logging in, strong passwords, text formatting, adding graphics, use of office.com [OneDrive and Word], folder management, saving/opening work, printing, evaluating)
  • Coding (problem-solving, algorithms, programming, PRIMM, testing)
  • Data Representation (binary/decimal/hexadecimal conversions, storage units, ASCII)
  • Computer Systems (hardware, software, processor, peripherals, memory)
  • Spreadsheets (cell references, formulae, graphs)
  • Cybersecurity (encryption, malware, phishing, etc)
  • WWW/Internet (HTML, WWW, internet, URL, IoT, etc)

 

Year 9 Units
  • Getting Started (logging in, strong passwords, text formatting, adding graphics, use of office.com [OneDrive and Word], folder management, saving/opening work, printing, evaluating)
  • Coding (problem-solving, algorithms, programming, PRIMM, testing)
  • Data Representation (binary/decimal/hexadecimal conversions, storage units, ASCII)
  • Computer Systems (hardware, software, processor, peripherals, memory)
  • Spreadsheets (cell references, formulae, graphs)
  • Cybersecurity (encryption, malware, phishing, etc)
  • WWW/Internet (HTML, WWW, internet, URL, IoT, etc)

Year 10 Units

GCSE Computer Science
  • Programming (variables, data types, input/output, sequence, selection using IF)
  • Data representation (units, binary/decimal/hex conversions, ASCII and Unicode, images, sounds)
  • Programming (selection using IF ELSE, iteration using FOR, iteration using WHILE)
  • Computer Systems (hardware/software, storage, logic gates)
  • Programming (recap iteration, 1D arrays, ?subroutines)
  • Cybersecurity

Year 11 Units

OCR iMedia
  • RO82 Creating a digital graphic

 

For further information on the curriculum offered please contact the Academy F.A.O Christine Harvey (Subject Leader for GCSE Computer Science)