Our Curriculum Intent

As a department our aims are to inspire, motivate and encourage young people into the Computer Science industry, due to the growing demands and emerging new technologies. We push our students to use a variety of key skills such as computational thinking, analytical as well as problem solving in their every-day life.

Our curriculum aims are to:-

• Allow opportunities for the students to be creative and use a number of programming skills to excel in the different areas
• Allow students to  be able to think creatively, innovatively, analytically, logically and critically
• Allow a continuous movement from one key to another allowing progression to be made as you go through each key stage
• To be a clear progression round to KS5 from KS4
• Enjoyment of the subject
• To ensure students have an opportunity of extra curricular activities 
• Provide them with skills to be able to use in a working environment

There are a number of ways we have implemented this into our curriculum as well as assessment enabling our students to gain maximum impact.

As a department we have looked through our curriculum and ensured there is a smooth transition from each key stage to another building foundations from the previous. There is clear retrieval practice throughout our curriculum.  A result of this, it has lead to a strong impact on our students outcomes and this can be seen through our KS4 and KS5 final exam grades.

 

KS3

At KS3 we offer a wider variety of topics to stimulate our students Our prime goal is to enthuse, passion and create new emerging programmers from the younger generation. In order to do this as a team, we have created an exciting, rich and challenging computing SOW.

In KeyStage 3 students will study the following topics:- 

• Components of a computer systems
• How computer systems process information
• Creating a game in KODU
• Using python and creating a number of projects
• Using Micro-bits
• Databases
• Networking
• Internet
• Operating systems
• Building a website using HTML

Curriculum Map

 

	TERM 1.1	TERM 1.2	TERM 2.1	TERM 2.2	TERM 3.1	TERM 3.2
Year 7	Components of a computer systems Computational Thinking	Programming with BBC Microbit	Using computers safely & social media	Designing and Programming with Kodu game lab project	How the web works understanding HTML	Pixels & Vector images
Year 8	Programming with Python Beginners Basics	Operating Systems & Cyber-security	Understanding Binary	AI & Machine Learning	Database in Ms Access	Sorting Algorithms
Year 9	Python Programming Code cracking and Ciphers	Code cracking and Ciphers Algorithms and Flowcharts	Binary to Denary & Hexadecimal. Searching Algorithms	Data representation	App Lab Game inventor	Software Unit

KS4

Pupils follow the OCR GCSE 9-1 Computer Science qualification

KS4 Assessment Structure.

Component 01 – Computer Systems	Component 02 – Computational thinking, algorithms and programming
50% Total GCSE Written Exam	50% Total GCSE Written Exam

KS4 Curriculum Map

	TERM 1.1	TERM 1.2	TERM 2.1	TERM 2.2	TERM 3.1	TERM 3.2
Year 10	Algorithms	Programming skills	NEA	NEA Logic and Languages	Data representation	Systems architecture, Memory and storage
Year 11	Systems software and security	Wired and wireless network	Ethical, Legal, cultural and environmental concerns	Revision	Revision	Revision

KS5 Sixth Form

The department offer Pupils the opportunity to either opt for

• A-Level Computing
• Cambridge Technicals in IT (Equivalent to one A-level)

Cambridge Technicals in IT Level 3 (Equivalent to one A-level):-

Curriculum Map Overview

 

	TERM 1.1	TERM 1.2	TERM 2.1	TERM 2.2	TERM 3.1	TERM 3.2
Year 12  Unit 1 – Fundamentals of IT	Computer Hardware Types of computer systems	Connectivity Networking Characteristics	Types of software  Application software  Utilities Operating systems	Protocols Types of servers Virtualization Connectivity Methods	Coursework Project – Unit 9 Designing a database	Communication Technology Ready to work and personal attributes
Year 12  Unit 2 – Global information	Holders of information  Types of information  The internet  Information classification	Quality of information Information management  Uk Legislation and regulation of IT	Coursework Project – Unit 17 The internet of everything	Coursework Project – Unit 17 The internet of everything	Data flow diagrams	Understanding the global information and benefits to organisations and individual

 

	TERM 1.1	TERM 1.2	TERM 2.1	TERM 2.2	TERM 3.1	TERM 3.2
Year 13  Unit 3 – Cyber security	Cyber security aims to protect information  Types of Cyber security incidents	The importance of cyber security	Types of attackers and motivations	Uk Legislation and regulation of IT	Revision	Revision

 

 

 

Possible careers association with Computer Science.

• Software application developer
• Computer System analyst
• Computer systems engineer
• Network systems administrator
• Database Administrator
• Business Intelligence administrator
• Computer programmer
• Software system developer
• Software Quality assurance tester
• Games design,
• Web and animation development,
• Network management,
• Network security,
• Digital forensics.