COMPUTER SCIENCE

June 24, 2024 | 0

Department Vision

Our vision is that all students experience a challenging and engaging curriculum in Computer Science and IT where rapid and sustained progress is made. Our aim is to provide all students with the knowledge to confidently master technical skills, techniques and be able to use devices safely. This will provide them with the ability to cope with the future demands for a higher level of technological knowledge and awareness in everyday life and future employment.

Year 7

	Topic	Learning Outcomes
Term 1	Impact of Technology	To explain strategies for assessing the degree of trust I place in people or organisations online To describe how bullying may change as we grow older and recognise when it is taking place online To create and use strong and secure passwords To explain how my Internet use is often monitored (by my school or internet service provider)
Term 2	Using Media	To use a range of features to quality assure the content I access online To explain how to use search effectively and use examples from my own practice to illustrate this To know that commercial online content can be viewed, accessed or downloaded illegally I can identify the potential consequences of illegal access or downloading and how it may impact me and my immediate peers
Term 3	Modelling Data	To design, use and evaluate computational abstractions that model the state and behaviour of real-world problems and physical systems To undertake creative projects that involve selecting, using and combining multiple applications to achieve challenging goals, including collecting and analysing data and meeting the needs of known users.
Term 4	Networks	To understand the hardware and softwarecomponents that make up computer systems, and how they communicate with one another and with other systems.I can Explain the term ‘connectivity’ as thecapacity for connected devices (‘internet of things’) to collect and share information about me with or without my knowledge (including microphones, cameras and geolocation). I can describe how internet-connected devicescan affect me.
Term 5	Data Representation	To understand how data of various types(including text, sounds and pictures) can be represented and manipulated digitally, in the form of binary digits
Term 6	Programming in Scratch	To understand several key algorithms that reflect computational thinking; use logical reasoning to compare the utility of alternative algorithms for the same problem To understand simple Boolean logic (e.g. and, or, and not) To create, reuse, revise, and repurpose digital artefacts for a given audience, with attention to trustworthiness, design, and usability

Year 8

	Topic	Learning Outcomes
Term 1	Computer Systems	To understand simple Boolean logic [for example, AND, OR and NOT] and some of its uses in circuits and programming To understand the hardware and software components that make up computer systems, and how they communicate with one another and with other systems To understand how instructions are stored and executed within a computer system
Term 2	Developing for the Web	Modify HTML tags using inline styling toimprove the appearance of web pages Use CSS to style static web pages Analyse how search engines select and rankresults when searches are made
Term 3	Media	To undertake creative projects that involve selecting, using, and combining multiple applications, preferably across a range of devices, to achieve challenging goals, including collecting and analysing data and meeting the needs of known users
Term 4	Data Science	Explain how visualising data can help identifypatterns and trends in order to help us gain insights Define the terms ‘correlation’ and ‘outliers’ inrelation to data trends Create a data capture form, draw conclusionsand report findings
Term 5	Mobile App Development	Design, use, and evaluate computational abstractions that model the state and behaviour of real-world problems and physical systems Apply decomposition to break down a large problem into more manageable steps Use a block-based programming language to create a sequence
Term 6	Intro to Python	Write simple Python programs that displaymessages, assign values to variables, and receive keyboard input Use simple arithmetic expressions inassignment statements to calculate values Combine iteration and selection to control theflow of program execution

Year 9

	Topic	Learning Outcomes
Term 1	Computer Systems	Identify a range of operating systems, includingOpen Source and Proprietaryidentify examples of application software andsystem softwareDescribe the purpose of primary storageExplain the purpose of secondary storageDescribe Computer Science technologies with considerations of moral, legal and environmental issues.
Term 2	Computational Thinking	Understand the purpose of data being represented in Binary form.To understand and be able to use Boolean and arithmetic operators
Term 3	Animations	Create a 3–10 second animation Use keyframes to make basic animations Be able to design and edit objects
Term 4	Programming Techniques	To understand the concept and be able to use a range of programming techniques.To explain why and how the different techniques are used.
Term 5	Programming Project	To be able to plan and design a solution to their projectUse a combination of sequence, selection, iteration to create a solution to the taskTest their solution to ensure it works and meets expectationsEvaluate and reflect on their solution
Term 6	Representations – Sound and Images	Understand how data of various types (including text, sounds and pictures) can be represented and manipulated digitally, in the form of binary digits Perform basic image editing tasks using appropriate softwarePerform basic sound editing tasks using appropriate software

Years 10 & 11

Year 10

	Topic	Learning Outcomes
Term 1	1.2 Memory and Storage	– To understand why computers have primary storage – To understand why computers have secondary storage – To be familiar with data units and moving between each – To be able to convert from Binary and Denary – To be able to use hexadecimal – Understand how characters are represented in binary – Understand how an image is represented – Know how sound can be sampled and stored in digital form – To know the types of compression
Term 1	2.1 Algorithms	– Understand the principles of computational thinking and how they are used to define and refine problems – Write or refine an algorithm using pseudocode and flowcharts – Create and use trace tables to follow an algorithm
Term 2	1.5 System Software	– To know what each function of an operating system does – Features of a user interface- To understand memory management- To know the user management functions – Be able to use file management features – To know the purpose and functionality of utility software
Term 2	2.1.3 Searching and sorting algorithms	– To understand standard searching algorithms and how to follow them – To understand standard sorting algorithms and how to follow them
Term 3	1.1.1 Systems Architecture	– To understand the purpose of the CPU and its components – To know how common characteristics of CPUs affect their performance – To know what the purpose and characteristics of embedded systems are
Term 3	2.2 Programming Fundamentals	– Be able to use variables, constants, operators, inputs, outputs and assignments – To use the three basic programming constructs: Sequence, Selection and Iteration – To use common arithmetic operators – To use the Boolean operators AND, OR and NOT – Have the ability to choose suitable data types for data in a given scenario
Term 4	1.3 Computer networks, connections and protocols	– To know the characteristics of LANs and WANs – The tasks performed by each piece of hardware – The concept of the Internet- Concept of servers – Understand the use of the Cloud – To know Star and Mesh network topologies
Term 4	2.4 Boolean Logic	– To know the truth tables for each logic gate – Recognition of each gate symbol – Ability to work with more than one gate in a diagram
Term 5	1.3.2 Wired and Wireless networks	– To understand the difference between Wired and Wireless connections – To understand the principle of encryption – Knowledge of the standard hardware needed to interact – To know the different types of protocols for different purposes – Know how layers are used in protocols
Term 6	Programming Practice	– To combine the skills learnt throughout the year and complete a series of programming tasks

Year 11

	Topic	Learning Outcomes
Term 1	1.3 Computer networks, connections and protocols	– To know the characteristics of LANs and WANs – The tasks performed by each piece of hardware – The concept of the Internet- Concept of servers – Understand the use of the Cloud- To know Star and Mesh network topologies
Term 1	2.2 Programming Fundamentals	– Have the ability to choose suitable data types for data in a given scenario – Have the ability to manipulate strings – To use arrays, functions and procedures – To use basic file handling operations – To use SQL to search for data in databases
Term 2	1.3.2 Wired and Wireless networks	– To understand the difference between Wired and Wireless connections – To understand the principle of encryption – Knowledge of the standard hardware needed to interact – To know the different types of protocols for different purposes – Know how layers are used in protocols
Term 2	2.3 Producing robust programs	– To understand defensive design – Understand how to deal with invalid data – Use authentication to confirm identity
Term 3	1.4 Network Security	– To know the different threats posed to devices/systems – Have knowledge of how the attack is used and the purpose of the attack – To know how to limit the threats posed
Term 3	2.3.2 Testing	– To know the purpose of testing – To know the types of testing – To be able to identify syntax and logic errors – Selecting and using suitable test data
Term 4	1.5 System Software	– To know what each function of an operating system does – Features of a user interface – To understand memory management – To know the user management functions – Be able to use file management features – To know the purpose and functionality of utility software
Term 4	2.5 Programming Languages and Integrated Development Environments	– To know the characteristics of different programming languages – The purpose of translators – The characteristics of a compiler and an interpreter – Know the common tools and facilities available in an IDE
Term 5	Revision and Final examination preparation	Revision covering individual topics and past papers
Term 6	Pre-enrolment tasks for WG6	Preparing students for the rigors of WG6

Related Careers

Related careers:

The skills and knowledge developed in Computer Science at GCSE and A Level are relevant to almost all jobs and workplaces. Here are a few examples of what you could become:

Software engineer

Electrical engineer

Artificial Intelligence engineer

User interface designer

Web developer

Network architect

Information security analyst

Data scientist

Mobile application designer

Computer Science teacher