“Computer science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes… Science is not about tools, it is about how we use them and what we find out when we do.”Michael Fellow & Ian Parberry
A high-quality Computer Science education equips pupils to use computational thinking and creativity to understand and change the world. Underrepresented in this field, we aim to inspire our girls to make up the next generation of Computer Scientists.
A level
Computer Science is the fourth science and is:
- A discipline, like Maths, Physics, or History. It has a body of knowledge, established techniques, and thinking skills that will last pupils a lifetime.
- Computer Science is economically important and it gives pupils the opportunity to learn the workings of the digital systems that pervade their world. This knowledge is empowering, enriching, and inspiring; the skills involved readily transferable.
- Computer Science is educationally important, because digital systems have become a critical component of our entire society.
- Given the advanced academic nature of this subject, we anticipate that pupils choosing this A Level should have attained a minimum of a Grade 7 in GCSE Computer Science, Mathematics, and Physics.
Course Content and Assessment – Examination Board: OCR, Code: H446
The course content includes topics such as the characteristics of contemporary processors, input, output, and storage devices, software and software development, exchanging data, data types, data structures, and algorithms, legal, moral, cultural, and ethical issues, elements of computational thinking, problem solving and programming, algorithms, and a non-exam assessment focused on the computing practical project.
- Paper 1: Computer Systems (Written exam: 2 hours 30 minutes, 40% of the qualification)
This paper assesses a student’s proficiency in responding to questions related to the theoretical aspect of the course.
- Paper 2: Algorithms and programming (Written exam: 2 hours 30 minutes, 40% of the qualification). This paper evaluates a student’s proficiency in programming, their grasp of standard algorithms, and their ability to apply data structure algorithms. Additionally, it assesses their theoretical understanding of programming concepts.
- Programming project (Non-exam assessment, 20% of the qualification)
The non-exam assessment evaluates pupils ’ capacity to apply the knowledge and skills acquired during the course to address or explore a real-world problem. Pupils are required to adhere to a systematic problem-solving methodology throughout this assessment.
Co-Curricular
We provide a variety of enrichment opportunities, including:
- Digital Leaders Program: Pupils can participate in our Digital Leaders scheme.
- Computer Science in Action Lecture Series: We organise lectures at various universities as part of our Computer Science in Action series.
- Exploring Future Technology & Innovation: Pupils have the chance to engage in research related to emerging technology and innovation.
- Leadership Roles in Coding Clubs & Competitions: Opportunities for pupils to lead coding clubs and participate in coding competitions.
- Support for Departmental Assemblies: Pupils can contribute to and support departmental assemblies
Careers & Higher Education
Apart from Computer Science itself, this subject offers a strong foundation for pursuing degrees in various fields such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Computer Science graduates can embark on diverse career paths, including roles like game developer, multimedia programmer, network engineer, systems analyst, and software developer.
