Computer Science
Head of Department: Mrs K Dennan
Awarding Body: OCR
Entry Requirements: GCSE Grade 5 or above in Computer Science or if not taken, GCSE Grade 6 or above in Maths.
Course Description
Students who study Computer Science will be logical and will enjoy problem solving. They will be independent learners who are comfortable with numbers and interested in how computers process data and information, how calculations are carried out, and how data is transmitted.
They will build on their knowledge of programming and will be able to experience the process of building a software application from scratch using a range of different programming techniques and languages.
Students do not need to have studied Computing at GCSE although if they haven’t they should have had some exposure to programming. Students new to the subject will have extra work to do to bring them up to the standard of programming attained by those who previously studied computing. Students who study computing typically will also be taking Maths and/or Science based subjects, and it suits logical students who enjoy studying how systems work and are comfortable with mathematics.
The course consists of three components:
- Computer systems The internal workings of the (CPU) data exchange, software development, data types and legal and ethical issues.
- Algorithms and Programming Using computational thinking to solve problems.
- Programming Project Students will be expected to analyse a problem, and design, develop, test, evaluate and document a program. The program must be to solve the problem, written in a suitable programming language.
Progression
Further study: Many students who study computing go on to study this at university, however, A-level Computer Science is not normally a requirement for this. The subject develops good problem solving and logical thinking skills which can be applied to many different areas, and the subject is well regarded by universities for this reason.