Computer Science

At KS3 students have a 50-minute lesson once a week.

In terms 1&2 students will learn basic hardware, categorising input and output devices, understanding internal and external hardware, identifying how and when devices are used. They will also cover how to use technology safely (e-Safety), respectfully and responsibly.

In terms 3&4 students will look at abstraction, decomposition and algorithmic thinking to create flowcharts to solve problems. They will move on to programming in Scratch and Python - using and understanding variables, data types, basic functions - comparing use of programming languages.

In terms 5&6 students will use software to create a digital product (e-Safety advice leaflet), featuring rules on content, contact, conduct and commerce. Students will also look at using ciphers and codes to crack and understand, leading to creating a simple encryption/decryption program.

In terms 1&2 students will learn how internal hardware communicates and exchanges data, going into more depth about hardware vs Year 7. They will understand the differences between data and instructions, what a CPU does, using Binary to create 4-bit and 8-bit numbers, and using logic gates.

In terms 3&4 students will gather data and research information using online vs offline sources to look at set requirements (e-Safety themed). They will learn how to identify and understand how networks operate, including specific hardware (router, switch, firewall, server), differences, and uses of wired vs wireless connections.

In terms 5&6 students will create Python programs for specific requirements, using input, print, conditionals, loops, and 1D Arrays. They will also learn to create simple web pages using HTML and CSS.

In terms 1&2 Looking at key hardware within computers and looking at a range of specialist hardware used in different industries and careers ie 3D Printing, Virtual Reality, and Augmented Reality. Creating Python programming for specific requirements, using file handling (reading and writing) to create a simple system

In terms 3&4 students will recap on computer hardware, logic, and Binary, with a focus on understanding their places within a computer system. Students will gain a deeper understanding of the 4 C’s of e-safety.

In terms 5&6 students will create a digital asset for a set purpose, based on the target audience and client requirements

Allocation of time:

3 lessons of 50 minutes per week

Exam board and hyperlink to specification

OCR GCSE Computer Science J277

OCR Cambridge Nationals in Creative iMedia J834

In term 1 students will study programming languages, IDEs, algorithms and Python programming. On the theory side they will learn about systems architecture, memory and storage.

In term 2 students will study different algorithms used in Computer Science. As an example, this could be for searching and sorting through data. This will be backed up with continued Python Programming.

In term 3 students will learn about the fundamentals of programming and how to produce robust programs.

In term 4 students will revisit the learning in terms 1-3 to allow a deeper understanding in preparation for trail exams.

In terms 5&6 students will complete a final end of year programming project which will be evidenced for the exam board.

In terms 1&2 students will study the first part of Unit R093: Creative iMedia in the media industry. This is a theory unit that will be examined in Y11. The topics covered will also help their understanding of the design process that will be assessed in their NEAs

In terms 3&4 students will study for their first NEA, Unit R094: Visual identity and digital graphics. Students will learn to develop visualidentities for clients. They will also learn to apply the concepts of graphic design to create original digital graphics which incorporate your visual identity to engage a target audience.

In terms 5&6 students complete Unit R094 and begin to study for their second NEA. This unit is flexible and can be changed based on the particular cohort of students.

In term 1 students will study the Ethical, legal, cultural & environmental impacts of digital technology. Students will also learn about computer networks, connection and protocols. 

In term 2 students will study Network Security and different types of Systems software. They will move on to learning about boolean logic and Programming languages and IDEs

In terms 3-5 students will revise all Computer Science topics to prepair for their final exams.

Paper 1 - Computer Systems

Paper 2 - Computational Thinking, Algorithms and Programming

In term 1-3 students will study for and complete their second NEA.

In term 4-6 students will complete the learning for Unit R093: Creative iMedia in the media industry. And revise for their final R093 exam. 

KS3 homework will be given as appropriate, in line with the school's policy. This will typically be a revision task for topic assessment.

KS4  homework will be given fortnightly, in line with the school’s policy. This will comprise of tasks to help students embed learning from their classwork.

Creative iMedia

Any useful coursebooks to purchase:
PG Online ClearRevise OCR iMedia J834

Websites to use:
Image editing online platform - https://www.photopea.com/
Video editing online platform - https://clipchamp.com/en/

Computer Science

Any useful coursebooks to purchase:
GCSE Computer Science - PG Online Clear Revise OCR Computer Science J277

Websites to use:
Online coding platforms - https://replit.com/ - https://trinket.io/
Block based coding platforms - https://scratch.mit.edu/
Micro:Bit - https://makecode.microbit.org/