Introduction

We want our pupils to become competent practitioners, able to apply their computing skills to practical applications across the curriculum. Often, the way in which a Computer Programmer thinks is particularly compatible with having a mathematical mind, although at University and in later life, the skills acquired can be put to a wide variety of uses and a multitude of tasks in the workplace. The pupils will have the potential to learn more than one programming language with Python, Java Script and Visual Basic.

Years 7 to 9

The Year 7 course looks initially at skills in digital literacy covering aspect of image manipulation, video editing and spreadsheet modelling. The boys are then given the opportunity to develop skills in computational thinking and writing and implementing simple algorithms.

The course builds in Year 8 and 9 builds on the foundations started in Year 7.  They spend the first part of term one building on computational thinking skills using flowagrithm and Building your own Blocks as a stepping-stone to learning text based programming languages in Year 9.  The boys then use Gamemaker software to develop a games application. The boys are introduced to App Development using App Inventor and gain an understanding of how mobile technology applications are designed and created.  The last part they are introduced to is the Python programming language and get to grips with the demands of input/output, assignment, and introductory concepts related to timing, decision making and looping. 

This course lays the foundation for preparing boys who wish to pursue the subject to GCSE and at a more advanced level.  They are exposed to skills involving the use of more complex data structures using arrays and more sophisticated techniques including the use of sequence, selection and iteration.  The boys learn in part to write functions and develop custom blocks in BYOB as well as skills in text based languages such as Visual Basic for Applications, Python and Java Script.  They are also to low-level languages using assembly language and the Littleman Computer simulation. 

GCSE

the boys are following the OCR GCSE Computing course.  Over the year they would have had the opportunity to develop and enhance their skills in Python, which incorporates the use of sequence, selection and iteration in preparation for the Non Examination Assessment which starts next year.  The examinations make up 100% of the final grade and the boys would have worked in the lessons on the main sorting and searching algorithms, machine architecture, computer hardware and software as well as Networking studying the concepts involved with the TCP / IP stack, packet switching and data transmission.

A Level

At A level we follow the OCR A level Computer Science course here the boys are introduced to programming concepts such as relational database and object orientation. As part of the course the boys are required to complete a piece of coursework which makes up 20% of the final grade. The boys also develop further their skills in computational thinking looking at the design and efficiency of algorithms as well as the maths involved in Computer Systems.