Computing & ICT

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 enable 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.

 

The Computing Department is made up of a number of experienced teachers:

  • Mr Oni
  • Mrs Sheikh
  • Mr Wade
  • Ms Tahir

Implementation

Key Stage 3

Year 7&8 pupils have a one-hour lesson per week in mixed ability groups. The core of computing is computer science, in which pupils are taught the importance of E-Safety, the principles of information and computation, how digital systems work, and how to put this knowledge to use through programming. Computing also ensures that pupils become digitally literate – able to use, and express themselves and develop their ideas through, information and communication technology – at a level suitable for the future workplace and as active participants in a digital world. Students will cover the following topics this year:

Year 7

E-Safety – In this unit students are taught the importance of being aware of potential dangers and consequences of accessing the internet. How to protect themselves and what to do if they encounter any issues whilst online.

Computers in the workplace – In this unit students are taught how to create, edit, and present information in a range of different ways. Learning the skills employers are looking for in areas such a word processing, spreadsheets, and presentational tools.

Data Representation – In this unit students understand how numbers can be represented in binary and be able to carry out simple operations on binary numbers. Understand how instructions are stored and executed within a computer system; understand how data of various types can be represented and manipulated digitally, in the form of binary digits.

Programming (Scratch) – In this unit students design, use and evaluate computational abstractions that model the state and behaviour of real-world problems and physical systems. Understand several key algorithms that reflect computational thinking.

Networks – In this unit students begin by defining a network and addressing the benefits of networking, before covering how data is transmitted across networks using protocols.

Understanding & planning graphics–In this unit students begin by looking at types of graphics, design styles and purpose. It then focuses on layout and the use of white space. It also covers the various file types that should be considered before looking in detail at client briefs and the nature of their specific requirements.

 

Year 8

Computer Systems & Hardware – In this unit students will investigate different storage devices and explain how they are used. They will then be asked to Select suitable storage devices and storage media for given situations and justify your choice.

Analysing Data – In this unit students will be taught how to manipulate spreadsheets, be confident in the analysis of data and modelling finances. 

Programming (Python) – In this unit students design, use and evaluate computational abstractions that model the state and behaviour of real-world problems and physical systems. Understand several key algorithms that reflect computational thinking.

Sound Manipulation & Audacity – In this unit students will learn how sound is digitized and stored on computers. They will learn basic sound editing techniques and how to add sound effects and mix tracks. Ways of creating different sound effects. Students will undertake a creative project to analyse, plan, record and edit a short sound file

Computational Thinking – In this unit students will be introduced into the world of computational thinking and logic. Students will get to understand the power of problem solving and the different methods that Computer Scientists use to tackle problems. This unit includes the introduction of key topics such as logical deductions, logic gates, network topology & decomposition.

Video Editing – In this unit students will undertake a creative project to analyse, plan, shoot and edit a short advertisement for TV, a short movie on a topic such as Cyber Crime or a short film trailer. Students will first analyse existing TV advertisements, movie clips or film trailers, then storyboard their ideas in small groups and shoot each scene. They will then edit the clips gathered in filming into a short movie or advert.

 

Year 9

Computer crime and cyber security – In this unit students will learn about the dangers that can affect computers such as viruses and phishing and how to deal with these potential dangers.

Gdevelop – In this unit students develop practical opportunities to design and program two games. Students begin by creating a firework game that makes use of particle emitters and events. Students will develop programming skills through the development and iterative testing of their games. The programming language makes use of a visual programming environment which is an excellent transition between block programming and text programming.

Understanding Computers – In this unit students will learn the difference between hardware & software. Draw a block diagram of the main components of a computer: input, processor, output and storage. Explain what RAM and ROM are used for. State why all data is represented in binary in a computer. Define a Bit, Byte, Kb, Mb and Gb. Convert decimal (denary) integers to binary numbers and convert binary numbers to decimal (denary) integers

AI and Machine Learning – In this unit students gain a first insight into the fascinating world of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Pupils begin by considering where AI is used from simple problems such as solving a maze to those more advanced, such as self-driving cars. Students will then look at how machine learning and deep learning are used in image recognition. This is a fast-moving area of development, so the Ethics of AI is considered.

Programming (Python) – In this unit students revisit Python to design, use and evaluate computational abstractions that model the state and behaviour of real-world problems and physical systems. Understand several key algorithms that reflect computational thinking.

 

Key Stage 4

Exam board: OCR

Computer Science

Computer Science is an engaging and practical, encouraging creativity and problem solving. It encourages students to work independently to develop well thought out solutions and develop strong resilience which is required in the world of computer science. Computer Science encourages students build on the computing skills acquired during KS3 to develop their understanding and application of the core concepts in computer science. Students also analyse problems in computational terms and devise creative solutions by designing, writing, testing, and evaluating programs.

 Component 01: Computer systems (50%)

Introduces students to the Central Processing Unit (CPU), computer memory and storage, wired and wireless networks, network topologies, system security and system software. It also looks at ethical, legal, cultural, and environmental concerns associated with computer science.

Component 02: Computational thinking, algorithms, and programming (50%)

Students apply knowledge and understanding gained in component 01. They develop skills and understanding in computational thinking: algorithms, programming techniques, producing robust programs, computational logic, translators, and data representation. The skills and knowledge developed within this component will support the learner when completing the Component 03 Programming Project.

Practical Programming

Students are to be given the opportunity to undertake a programming task during their course of study which allows them to develop their skills to design, write, test, and refine programs using a high-level programming language. Students will develop several skills using the programming language Python, to develop their computational thinking skills further. Students will be assessed on these skills during the written examinations.

 

Why Choose GCSE Computer Science?

It is a great way to develop critical thinking, analysis, and problem-solving skills, which can be transferred to further learning and to everyday life. Students who want to go on to higher study and employment in the field of computer science will find it provides a superb steppingstone. It has strong links with mathematics and will support student’s determination to complete set tasks.

 

Creative iMedia

The UK is a world leader in the creative digital industries, such as in the creation of visual effects for films and computer games. However, there is growing recognition that we need to build on and improve the UK’s capability and capacity for technical innovation and creativity in this area. Creative iMedia builds on the multimedia skills acquired during KS3, whilst encouraging students to demonstrate creativity using a wide range of industry standard software/technology.

Unit R093 – Creative iMedia in the Media Industry. In this unit you will learn about the sectors, products and job roles that form the media industry. You will learn the legal and ethical issues considered and the processes used to plan and create digital media products. You will learn how media codes are used within the creation of media products to convey meaning, create impact, and engage audiences. You will learn to choose the most appropriate format and properties for different media products.

Unit R094 – Visual Identity and Digital Graphics. In this unit you will learn how to develop visual identities for clients. You will also learn to apply the concepts of graphic design to create original digital graphics which incorporate your visual identify to engage a target audience.

Optional Unit (A or B)

Unit RO99 – Digital Games. The UK has one of the largest games markets in the world, and the UK’s games industry is among the largest in Europe. Its workforce has one of the youngest profiles in the media industries with earnings above the media industry average. In this unit you will learn how to interpret clients’ briefs to devise original digital game concepts. You will undertake the whole process – planning, creating, testing, and evaluating – in order to make an exported, playable, digital game.

Unit RO97 – Interactive Digital Media – Interactive digital media is found everywhere. In games, websites, apps, in commerce and education. In this unit you will learn to design and create interactive digital media products for chosen platforms. You will learn to design and create interactive digital media products for chosen platforms. You will learn to select, edit, and repurpose multimedia content of different kinds and create the structure and interactive elements necessary for an effective user experience.

Assessment:

Internal assessment 60%

External examination 40%

Why Choose Creative iMedia?

Learners who achieve a Level 2 in this subject might consider progressing to study a vocational qualification at Level 3 (such as a Cambridge Technical in IT or Digital Media). It will also equip Learners with the necessary skills for any employment in the ICT sector. Such as: Learning about how the different media sectors, in industry, operate through project life cycles (planning, creating and testing). Working with a range of digital tools and techniques specific to graphic design, video and photography. Learning about graphic design and photography principles, camera lighting, different shot angles and other recording techniques used to create a video sequence.

Key Stage 5

Exam board: 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. 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. After-school Coding Clubs are also offered and a trip to Vortex.

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.