COMPUTING

Our Vision

Preparing students to be digital learners, ready for the next generation

Computing is an essential subject which equips students to use computational thinking and creativity to understand and change the world. Computing ensures that pupils become digitally literate – able to use, and express themselves and develop their ideas through, information and communication technology. The skills students develop in their computing lessons will prepare them for the future workplace.

Intent

The Computing department at Alderbrook aims to provide students with IT skills that enable students to engage positively within the modern workplace, while Computer Science skills enables students to take an active part in the design, development and creation of new technologies to be used in the world in which they live. We provide a broad range of skills and experiences at KS3 which are then further developed as students enter KS4 and then extended to KS5.

At KS4 students all students are given the opportunity to study Creative iMedia giving them a wide range of IT skills that are used in the modern world including Graphics Design, Media Production and Web Development as well as the option to choose Computer Science at GCSE where they will go on to develop key problem solving skills useful in a range of disciplines as well as the coding and software development skills that will give them an opportunity to work or for further study in the developing area seen to be key in the modern world.

Implementation

OCR A Level Computing – The course is comprised of 3 components. Components 1 and 2 are examination based, with one paper for each component sat at the end of Year 13, and Component 3 is a NEA project. Project work is generally completed outside of lessons.   

 

Component 01: Computer systems (40%)

Students are introduced to the internal workings of the (CPU), data exchange, software development, data types and legal and ethical issues. The resulting knowledge and understanding will underpin their work in component 03.

It covers:

  • the characteristics of contemporary processors, input, output, and storage devices
  • types of software and the different methodologies used to develop software
  • data exchange between different systems
  • data types, data structures and algorithms
  • legal, moral, cultural, and ethical issues

 

Component 02: Computational thinking, algorithms, and programming (40%)

This builds on component 01 to include computational thinking and problem-solving. It covers:

  • what is meant by computational thinking (thinking abstractly, thinking ahead, thinking procedurally etc.)
  • problem solving and programming – how computers and programs can be used to solve problems
  • algorithms and how they can be used to describe and solve problems.

 

Component 03: Programming project (20%)

Students are expected to apply the principles of computational thinking to a practical coding programming project. They will analyse, design, develop, test, evaluate and document a program written in a suitable programming language. The project is designed to be independently chosen by the student and provides them with the flexibility to investigate projects within the diverse field of computer science. We support a wide and diverse range of languages.

Why choose to study Computing?

This course helps students understand the core principles of Computer Science. Classroom learning is transferred into creating real-world systems through the creation of an independent programming project. Our A Level will develop students’ technical understanding and their ability to analyse and solve problems using computational thinking.

Extra-Curricular Opportunities

The department takes part in a number of national competitions throughout the school year. This includes the Perse Coding competition, where students have reached the final round, and the Southampton University Cipher Challenge. All students with an interest in the subject are encouraged to participate. In addition, there are challenged such as the CyberFirst Girls Competition which aims to increase participation of girls in the subject. For older students, the department has fostered links with Warwick University, with the Computer Science department offering guest lectures to Alderbrook Sixth Form students on new and exciting topics such as High-Performance Computing. Following the wake of COVID-19, trips to key places of relevance to Computing such as Bletchley Park can resume, and after-school Coding Clubs are also offered.

Skills for Success and Career Opportunities

Employment prospects for Computing/ICT students are abundant, with many working in the games industry, Software Engineering, Discrete Mathematics, Cyber Security, in research or as quantitative analysts across a vast number of industries, just to name a few. As students develop numerous transferable skills, they become versatile and highly employable candidates in an ever-evolving, technologically driven career landscape.

 

  • Skills in critical thinking. For instance, you will be able to understand why different trouble shooting tools are used in different contexts.
  • Different forms of effective communication skills used in the IT/Computing environment.
  • Problem solving skills and creativity by being able to design virtual and augmented reality resources.
  • Time management skills are developed in the ability to plan manage and complete a project.
  • learning how to think logically and analytically, which is a skill that many successful professionals possess.

 

For further information, please contact Mrs Fisher, Curriculum Leader for Business, Computing ICT/Creative iMedia and H&S Care.