Computer Science

At school we combine the key concepts related to computational thinking, information technology and digital literacy to provide students with knowledge and skills across the main elements of computer science. At its core is computational thinking, problem solving, and logical thinking skills used by computer scientists and programmers to solve complex problems in creative ways, which can also be applied to real world issues in many other subjects and disciplines.

Writing programs allows students to put these skills to the test, and to develop their ability to work through problems and find solutions as a team or independently. Technology has a large impact on our lives so it is also important to consider the ethical, moral and safety issues it can bring, using technology as a tool and support wellbeing.

By the end of KS5 a Computer Scientist will:

• Be curious of the digital world we live in and aware of the opportunities and limitations of the technology.
• Be equipped to use the latest technology to create programs, systems and a range of content.
• Understand how digital systems work and how to put this knowledge and transferable skills to use, through programming or product creation, using the core principles of information and computation.
• Become digitally literate by embedding cloud-based resources such as Office 365, into the core of all teaching and learning. Students will then be able to use computers to express themselves creatively, develop their ideas and contribute positively to society.

Minimum Entry Criteria

Desired: 7 in Computer Science and 6 in Maths

Essential: 6 in Computer Science and 6 in Maths

Board

OCR (H446)

Outline of the Course

The OCR A Level in Computer Science will encourage learners to be inspired, motivated and challenged by following a broad, coherent, practical, satisfying and worthwhile course of study. It will provide insight into, and experience of how computer science works, stimulating learners’ curiosity and encouraging them to engage with computer science in their everyday lives and to make informed choices about further study or career choices. The key features of this specification encourage:

• emphasis on problem solving using computers
• emphasis on computer programming and algorithms
• emphasis on the mathematical skills used to express computational laws and processes, eg Boolean algebra/logic and comparison of the complexity of algorithms with less emphasis on ICT
• producing a slimmed down programming project which is more refined and more focused on coding
• choosing the project title and problem to be solved in any suitable programming language
• including agile methods

Assessment

Bridging Task - Computer Science