Welcome to Computer Science

How is A’ level Computer Science assessed? Year 1 Unit 1 Practical Theory of computation. Fundamentals of programming, data structures and algorithms. End of year 1 assessment. Unit 2 Theory Fundamentals of data representation, computer systems, organization and architecture, communication and networking. Software development and consequences of uses of computing. Year 2 Unit 1 Practical Theory of computation. Fundamentals of programming, data structures and algorithms. 150 min on-screen exam. 40% of A’ level. Unit 2 Theory Fundamentals of data representation, functional programming, computer systems, organization and architecture, communication and networking. Big data and consequences of uses of computing 150 min written exam. 40% of A’ level. Project Practical Individual programming project of the candidates own choice 20% of the A’ level

What does Computing involve? Theory the main components of a computer how data and instructions are held. how an algorithm is designed and run on a computer Practical how to plan a computer program to solve a problem how to code your solution in Java

Why bother studying Computer Science? Algorithms are all around. Computer science helps us understand the world we live in. You can have much more control over the computer It is a challenge! It is fun! Sutton trust 2014

Should I have some knowledge of programming already? You can learn to program right from scratch… BUT You will need: To learn the basic rules of a computer language To have a logical approach to problem solving To be able to follow instructions carefully! To be very patient – if it doesn’t work at first, try again!

What support is available? subject workshops talks and trips materials on Moodle VLE library resources teacher help outside lessons course textbook and course booklets regular tests relevant to both theory and practical exams many web sites relevant to the course each other – students often work together and support each other other Computer Science lessons (if free) department resources (textbooks for wider reading / micro-controllers) IT department technical help

What else can I do? work on my own projects work on challenging extension problems enter for the British Informatics Olympiad take part in the national student robotics competition take part in the national cipher challenge participate in a STEM project gain a CREST award for research apply for a summer placement at a University or business research and gain an AS EPQ in year 2

What do students who have done this course say? It is good fun and I have learnt useful skills Great course, great class atmosphere Enjoyed it and might open career path This course provides a good introduction to programming I loved being able to decide how to solve my own problems - it really gave me a sense of creative freedom This course is challenging yet very fun It's not all coding. There's a lot of theory work involved I felt the course really furthered my knowledge about hardware and programming. It has given me a good basic understanding

What do students advise? Be sure of the difference between computing and ICT Learn code by writing a fun program Learn your theory – it’s not just all programming Be prepared to complete all work set

What is the difference between Computer Science and IT? Computer Science: is an exam based subject – you need to be logical (generally good at Maths), a good problem solver, persistent and patient. You will learn to program in Java from scratch. You will learn how to break down problems of all kinds into small steps (algorithms) that can form the framework of a computer program. Need GCSE grade 6 (B) in Maths and English. IT (Cambridge technical qualification): 100% internally assessed coursework – you need to enjoy problem solving using software including HTML, HTML5, CSS and JavaScript. You will be working to a brief focused on meeting client requirements. Need GCSE grade 4 (C) in Maths and English.