Computing (Computing, IT and Creative iMedia)
Head of department
| Mrs N Outa | Head of Computing |
Our curriculum intent
Key Stage 3
Our KS3 curriculum, Year 7 to 9, intends to provide students with the key skills and knowledge of computing disciplines. The scheme of work has been designed to ensure that it is relevant to the modern, ever-changing digital world and designed to boost computing skills essential for the 21st century. Students will not only learn how computers work, but how to program them. The topics covered will adequately prepare them for progression into GCSE courses offered by the department.
Key Stage 4
Our GCSE in Computer Science builds on our KS3 curriculum. Relevant to the modern, changing world of computing, it’s designed to boost computing skills essential for the 21st century.
The OCR specification focuses on:
• Computational thinking as its core, helping students to develop the skills to solve problems, design systems and understand human and machine intelligence
• Applying the academic principles they learn in the classroom to real-world systems in an exciting and engaging way
• Giving students a clear progression into higher education, as the course was designed after consultation with members of BCS, CAS and top universities.
Key Stage 5
The content of the qualifications offered have been developed in consultation with academics to ensure that they incorporate the most up-to-date knowledge and skills to enable progression to higher education.
BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate in Computing
This course allows students to gain fundamental knowledge and skills in Computer Science, computer systems, IT security and App Development. This will enable students to progress to broader or more specialist study such as a BTEC Higher National in a computing discipline, a degree in Computing or where computing-related skills and knowledge may be advantageous, such as Business Studies.
BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate in Information Technology
This course is designed for students who are interested in an introduction to the study of creating IT systems to manage and share information alongside other fields of study, with a view to progressing to a wide range of higher education courses, not necessarily in IT. Students will develop a common core of IT knowledge and study areas such as the relationship between hardware and software that form an IT system, managing and processing data to support business and using IT to communicate and share information.
