Computer Science
Computer Science is the study of modern technology and how it is developed using rapidly changing applications. You’ll use the industry’s leading software and your logical thinking skills to lay the foundations for your future on this fulfilling course.
This is a practical course with an emphasis on developing skills such as teamwork, problem solving and communication to prepare you for university and employment. Throughout the course you will cover the essential components of hardware to operate a computer, along with the theoretical cycle that allows processing to be possible. You will also cover problem solving, logic gates, some elementary Boolean Algebra and programming. Ultimately you should be able to write and develop your own complex programs by the end of the two years.
Along with the code theory there is also a practical project (worth 20% of the marks) which is a ‘free choice’ project where students solve a real world problem using a high level programming language. The course heavily emphasises logical thinking, which is the only thinking a computer can understand.
As part of cultivating an enjoyment of Computer Science beyond the A-Level specification, our students are all encouraged to partake in national competitions to enhance skills and employability. We also have external speakers from the police and nearby universities to talk on issues such as working in cyber security, and the implications of various fields of Computer Science on the future of our lives.
Many Computer Science students go on to study Computer Science or similar subjects in Higher Education. A successful computing student will have gained a broad range of transferable skills considered valuable to universities and employers.
On screen Exam – Programming a Computer – 40% of marks
Exam Paper – The Science Behind Computer – 40% of marks
Coursework – Making your own Program – 20% of marks
Summary
This A level course is divided into 14 chapters:
Chapters 1 – 4 Learning to program effectively
Programming paradigms; Data structures; Algorithms;
The Theory of Computation
Chapters 5 – 12 Foundations of Computer Science
Binary and Hexadecimal; Logic Gates and Boolean
Algebra; Computer Architecture; The Ethics of Computer
Science; Communication and Networking; Fundamentals
of Databases; Big Data; Functional Programming Theory.
Chapters 13 – 14 Planning and completing a
programming project
The systematic approach to problem solving; Creating
critical paths; Implementing large-scale projects.
You may or may not have studied Computer Science prior to joining us at Sir John Deane’s. Either way, you are unlikely to have studied or used our chosen programming language,Visual Basic, before. We will teach you the language from the beginning but it would be useful before starting with us to follow this introductory guide to making your first program in Visual Basic. Please follow the link below.
If prompted to choose a version of Visual Studio, we use both 2010 and 2017 but there isn’t much difference between them.
Study Level
A level
Exam Board
AQA
Contact Details
Mr L Potts
Head of Department
potts_l@sjd.ac.uk
