Computing
Ethos and Aims
A high-quality computing education equips students to use computational thinking and creativity to understand and change the world. Computing has deep links with mathematics, science and design and technology, and provides insights into both natural and artificial systems. The core of computing is computer science, in which students are taught the principles of information and computation, how digital systems work and how to put this knowledge to use through programming. Building on this knowledge and understanding, students are equipped to use information technology to create programs, systems and a range of content.
KS3 Curriculum Content
Year 7
Autumn term
Using Computers Safely – E-safety and computer use
Games development – Introduction to programming through Kodu
Spring term
Programming – First steps in Small Basic
Digital literacy skills – Using a range of office tools to create documents for a target audience
Summer term
Interactive storytelling – Using creative skills to generate interactive stories
Year 8
Autumn term
Cyber crime – Hacking, data protecting and the law
Graphics – Discovering bitmap and vector graphics
Spring term
Spreadsheet modelling – Developing and testing a new business model using Excel
Digital literacy skills – Using a range of office tools to create documents for a target audience
Summer term
Programming – Programming in Small Basic and modelling real world problems
Year 9 IT
Autumn term
Ethical issues of IT – Impacts of digital technology
Spring term
Animation – Using industry products to create animations for a target audience
Summer term
Careers – CV and cover letter creation
Year 9 Computing
Autumn term
Programming – Learning to program with confidence using Python
Understanding Computers – Discover how computers work (hardware and software)
Spring term
Computer networks – Exploring how devices communicate and share data
Problem solving – Computational thinking and logic
Summer term
Programming extended – Solving practical problems in Python
KS4 Curriculum Content
GCSE AQA Computer Science
Students will develop and apply computational thinking skills to analyse problems and design solutions across a range of contexts whilst gaining practical experience of designing, writing, and testing computer programs that accomplish specific goals. Students will develop an awareness of the impact of computing on individuals, society and the environment, including ethical, legal and ownership issues.
Paper 1: Computational thinking and problem solving
What’s assessed? Computational thinking, problem solving, code tracing and applied computing as well as theoretical knowledge of computer science from subject content.
Paper 2: Written assessment
What’s assessed? Theoretical knowledge from subject content, this covers a wide range of aspects from how the computer works to ethical and legal issues surrounding the subject
Assessment: Both papers are 1 hour 30 minutes • 80 marks each • 50% each
Units of study:
- Fundamentals of algorithms
- Programming
- Fundamentals of data representation
- Computer systems
- Fundamentals of computer networks
- Relational databases and structured query language
- Ethical, legal and environmental impacts of digital technology
Specification available here: https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/computer-science-and-it/gcse/computer-science-8525/specification-at-a-glance