SUBJECTS

Computer Science

Computer Science encourages students to make sense of the digital world in the 21st century and to understand how the power of computational thinking can transform lives.

This subject helps students to appreciate current and emerging computing technologies and the benefits of their use. They will also learn to recognise the ethical issues and potential risks when using computers. Understanding the principles of Computer Science provides students with the underpinning knowledge required for many other subjects in science and engineering, and the skills they learn are also highly valued in modern life.

By learning to program, the course allows students to develop their curiosity about how computers are used to solve problems and this is an important aspect of this course. Students will become proficient in using high-level programming language, such as Python, through this course, an essential and exciting skill in our current context. Understanding of the component parts of computer systems and how they interrelate, including software, data, hardware, communications, and people are also covered in the course. Computer Science is a practical subject and a range of practical exercises is integral to the lessons delivered for this qualification. It is important that, as early as possible in the course, students develop a systematic approach to practical problem-solving using appropriate resources.

What will you study?

Pre-A level

Sub-systems, Top-down Design, Structure Diagrams, Flowcharts, Pseudocode, Library Routines and Subroutines, Algorithms, Testing, Validation and Verification Checks, Trace Tables, Conditional Statements, Loop Structures, Data Structures, Arrays and Databases.

A Level Year 1

Fundamentals of Programming and Data Structures, Approaches to Problem Solving, Theory of Computation, Abstraction and automation, Data Representation, Computer Systems of Computer Organisation and Architecture, Consequences of Uses of Computing, Communication and Networking.

A Level Year 2

Fundamentals of Algorithms, Theory of Computation, Data Representation, Computer Systems, Relational Databases, Big Data, Functional Programming, Approaches to Problem Solving, Non-Exam Assessment (the Computing Practical Project).