Computer Science

Subjects

Subjects Sub menu Toggle

Computers, ICT and technology play an important role in a student’s life, both in and out of the classroom. Ashlyns school prides itself on offering an open approach to using technology in a thoughtful and progressive manner. Through offering students the ability to use technology in all aspects of the curriculum, we aim to equip students for an increasingly online world.

Through their work in the Computer Science (CS) department, students are encouraged to develop informed, intelligent and confident attitudes to computers and technology, so that they will develop abilities which, as well as being of value in school, prepare them for their further education and careers. Cross-curricular links with Computing are strongly encouraged and many lessons in other subjects either take place in our shared Computing suites or in the departments themselves.

Key Stage 3

Our Key Stage 3 curriculum is built around three Areas of Focus which weave through all three years of study. These highlight the areas of knowledge students develop; Digital Literacy/Using Data, Understanding Systems and Algorithm Fundamentals and Design.

Year 7

Autumn 1: Working with Google Workspace
Autumn 2: Computer Crime and Cyber Security
Spring 1: Computer Systems
Spring 2: AI and Machine Learning
Summer 1: Algorithm Design Using Blocks
Summer 2: Algorithm Design using Python

Year 8

Autumn 1: Building Functional Programs with Python
Autumn 2: Algorithm Design with Blocks and Python using BBC Microbits
Spring 1: Cyber Security
Spring 2: Computational Thinking and Logic
Summer 1: Web Design with HTML and CSS
Summer 2: Database Development with basic SQL

Year 9

Autumn 1: Networks
Autumn 2: System Architecture
Spring 1: Python Programming: Next Steps
Spring 2: Basic Electronics Programming with Raspberry Pi Picos
Summer 1: Biometrics  and Security Aspects of Computing
Summer 2: Working with Spreadsheets to model data sets.

Key Stage 4

Exam Board: OCR

Year 10

Autumn 1: Systems Architecture, Storage and Computational Thinking

Autumn 2: Networks; Programming

Spring 1: Network Security ; Programming

Spring 2: Operating Systems, Software, Programming

Summer 1: Boolean Logic, Legal and Ethical Aspects of computing, Sorting and Searching techniques

Summer 2: Legal and Ethical Aspects of computing, Additional Programming Techniques and the IDE

Year 11

Autumn 1: Data Storage, Additional Programming Techniques

Autumn 2: Additional Programming Techniques

Spring 1: Unit 1 Exam Techniques and Focus

Spring 2: Unit 2 Exam Techniques and Focus

Summer 1: Revision of theory and topics

Key Stage 5

Exam Board – OCR

Year 12

Autumn 1: The characteristics of contemporary processors, Computational Thinking, Additional Programming Techniques

Autumn 2: Software, Databases, Additional Programming Techniques

Spring  1: Networks, Types of Programming Language, Programming Project

Spring 2: Web Technologies, Data Types, Computational Methods, Programming Project

Summer 1: Computer Related Legislation, Programming Project

Summer 2: Data Structures, Programming Project

Year 13

Autumn 1: Data Structures, Algebra, Programming Project

Autumn 2: Algorithms, Programming Project

Spring 1: Unit 1 Exam Techniques and Focus, Programming Project

Spring 2: Unit 2 Exam Techniques and Focus

Summer 1: Revision of theory and topics

 

Learning Beyond the Classroom

We offer a variety of extra-curricular clubs to support students in their studies and to develop their computing and ICT skills, including homework club, computing and programming club and revision sessions.

Useful links