Computing

Curriculum Intent

Computing is a subject for the future, and our intent is to equip our students with a digital toolkit that will prepare them for any path they opt to follow in the future. Our aim is to prepare the students of today for the world of tomorrow with a toolkit that is wide-ranging and transferable. We focus on developing problem-solving skills and encouraging students to think abstractly, procedurally and logically across our whole curriculum. Students are encouraged to develop their creativity and knowledge of computing, digital media and information technology and understand how changes in technology affect safety, including new ways to protect their online privacy and identity.  For students who do not opt to study Computing at GCSE we ensure they are given opportunities to develop these skills throughout their KS4 studies.

Computing is offered as:

  • Core subject Key Stage 3
  • OCR Creative iMedia Option Years 10 & 11
  • Computer Science GCSE Option Years 10 & 11
  • A-Level Computer Science Year 12 & 13
  • IB Computer Science Year 12 & 13

ks3

ks4

ks5

Key Stage 3 Computing

Curriculum Overview

 Students in Years 7-9 have one period a week studying the Key Stage 3 Computing Curriculum

 Term 1Term 2Term 3Term 4Term 5Term 6
Year 7Impact of technology: collaborating online respectfully Networks Using media: gaining support for a cause Modelling data: spreadsheets Programming essentials in Scratch 1 Programming essentials in Scratch 2 
Year 8Cybersecurity Understanding Computers Computational thinking 

Mobile app development 

Introduction to Python Programming Media: vector graphics 
Year 9Python programming – Next steps/sequences of data Digital Graphics – Photoshop Data science Media - animations Developing for the web Physical computing 

Year 7

Students entering the school in Year 7 will begin their Key Stage 3 Computing journey looking at the core principles of how to use computers safely, effectively and responsibly. This will underpin their computing studies during their time at RGS, and is a topic that we value highly. Students will then move forward to exploring how we live in a networked society, before then exploring how different types of media are used to help gain support for a cause, using this as an opportunity to explore key concepts such as formatting a Word document effectively and legal issues attached to the use of media in a variety of contexts. Students will then be taught essential and transferable skills in using Spreadsheet software effectively, before finishing the year with their first programming opportunity during their time at RGS, using Scratch as the platform to learn fundamental programming concepts such as sequence, selection and iteration.

Year 8

Students will begin Year 8 looking at the important topic of Cybersecurity. They will explore various threats that users faces in a modern society, and how these can be minimised and prevented. Following this, students will be given an opportunity to explore the core reasons behind how computer systems work, and will look into how the CPU operates. This will directly lead on to a topic on computational thinking, where students will be taught the necessary problem solving skills to help them solve computing-based problems later on in KS3. Their first opportunity to do so will be through the topic on Mobile App development. Students will also have an opportunity to exercise their creativity through this unit, as they will be given a chance to use their design skills to create a suitable product. Following on from this, students will then be given their next programming opportunity through an introduction to a text-based language. The language students will be immersed in will be Python, and this unit will give students to opportunity to embed the skills they acquired through the previous Scratch units in a different programming context, before extending on this knowledge be being able to incorporate their problem solving skills from earlier in the year. Students will complete the year by looking at how vector graphics are used and created.

Year 9

Students will begin this year building on their programming knowledge and skills from their previous units. They will be looking at more complex data structures such as lists and functions, and implementing these within complex problems. Students will then be introduced to using Adobe Photoshop through our digital graphics unit, using the knowledge they acquired during their vector graphics unit and applying this using the tools available to them in this software. Students will then be given an opportunity to delve into data science, and how data can be manipulated, presented and allow viewers to draw accurate conclusions from visualisations they produce. Students will then be given a further creative opportunity through the animation unit they will study, learning skills that will allow them to create short animations through project-based learning. They will be given an opportunity to explore how websites are created using different techniques such as HTML and Adobe Dreamweaver, before finishing the year looking at how Computing can be used in a physical context, with the aim of implementing a number of the skills they have acquired across this Key Stage through a project that requires them to create a physical product.

Further Reading/Resources

Key Stage 4 OCR Creative iMedia

Curriculum Overview

Students follow the OCR Creative iMedia course. This course is an option at Key Stage 4

 Term 1Term 2Term 3Term 4Term 5Term 6
Year 10R094 – Visual identity and digital graphicsR094 – Visual identity and digital graphicsR094 – Visual identity and digital graphics & R093 – Creative iMedia in the media industryR093 – Creative iMedia in the media industryR093 – Creative iMedia in the media industryR093 – Creative iMedia in the media industry
Year 11R098 – Visual imagingR098 – Visual imagingR098 – Visual imagingRevisionRevision 

Year 10

Students will begin the Creative iMedia course exploring the digital graphics unit. They will explore the theory behind visual identity and design principles for creating an effective graphic, and will then put this into practice by applying this through creating digital graphics using Adobe Photoshop. This will the culminate with students completing their non-examined assessment on this unit. Once completed, students will then be exploring a wide range of topics related to Creative iMedia in the media industry.

Year 11

Students will begin the final year of the course looking at visual imaging principles and how to use visual imaging equipment and software effectively to create a suitable portfolio for a client. This will then lead towards their second piece of non-examined assessment. Students will then begin making the final preparations for their written examination, which will incorporate the theory taught during all three units.

Assessment of Creative iMedia

  •  R081: Pre-production documents. 1 hour 15 min written exam. Worth 25%.
  • R082: Creating a digital graphic. Coursework assignment. 30 guided learning hours (10 of which are formally assessed). Worth 25%
  • R085: Creating a multipage website. Coursework assignment. 30 guided learning hours (10 of which are formally assessed). Worth 25%
  • R090: Digital photography. Coursework assignment. 30 guided learning hours (10 of which are formally assessed). Worth 25%

Further Reading/Resources

Key Stage 4 Computer Science

Curriculum Overview

Students at Key Stage 4 have two periods a week studying the OCR GCSE Computer Science qualification.

 Term 1Term 2Term 3Term 4Term 5Term 6
Year 10The CPU, Memory and StorageThe InternetNetworksEthical, moral and cultural issuesAlgorithmsProgramming concepts
Year 11Programming skillsProgramming ProjectData representationRevisionRevision

 

Year 10

Students explore the theory components that contribute to their Paper 1 examination, to be sat at the end of the second year of their programme of study. They will study five components that are wide-ranging in nature, and will have opportunities to develop the foundations needed to become a successful Computer Scientist.

Students will also begin developing basic programming skills in readiness for the completion of their mandatory programming project in their second year of study. The skills they will be learning here are also transferrable to their Paper 2 examination.

Year 11

Students will continue to build upon their programming skills at the start of the year, in preparation for their mandatory project. This project will take place during the first-half of this year.

Students will then explore the theory components that contribute to their Paper 2 examination, to be sat at the end of the second year of their programme of study. They will be studying topics including algorithms and data representation.

Assessment at GCSE

  • Paper 1: 50% of qualification. Written examination. 1 hour 30 minutes. Completed at the end of their second year of study.
  • Paper 2: 50% of qualification. Written examination. 1 hour 30 minutes. Completed at the end of their second year of study.
  • Programming project. Mandatory unit in order to be able to certificate at the end of the course.

Further Reading/Resources

Key Stage 5 Computer Science

(OCR - A Level)

Curriculum Overview

Paper 1 – Computer Systems 

• 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 

Paper 2 – Algorithms and Programming 

• Elements of computational thinking 
• Problem solving and programming 
• Algorithms to solve problems and standard algorithms 
 

Non-Exam Assessment (NEA) - The learner will choose a Computing problem to work through according to the guidance in the specification. 

• Analysis of the problem 
• Design of the solution 
• Developing the solution 
• Evaluation 
 

 

Term 1 

Term 2 

Term 3 

Term 4 

Term 5 

Term 6 

Year 12 

Programming techniques 

Data Structures 

Computational Thinking 

 

 

Computational Thinking 

Algorithms 

Computer components 

Systems software 

Software development 

Exchanging data 

Networks 

Data types (inc. Binary/Hex) 

Boolean algebra 

Computing related legislation 

NEA 

Year 13 

NEA 

Revision 

Revision 

Revision 

Revision 

Exams 


Assessment:

Computer Systems (01)
140 marks, 2 hrs 30 mins, 40% of total A Level 

Algorithms and Programming (02)
140 marks, 2 hrs 30 mins, 40% of total A Level 

Programming Project (03)
NEA, 70 marks, 20% of total A Level  
 

Complementary Subjects:
 

MathsFurther Maths

Key Stage 5 Computer Science

(Current International Baccalaureate students)

Curriculum Overview

Students at Key Stage 5 follow the IB Computer Science course as part of the IB Diploma.

 Term 1Term 2Term 3Term 4Term 5Term 6
Year 12System FundamentalsComputer Organisation and NetworksComputational Thinking & ProgrammingComputational Thinking & ProgrammingAbstract Data StructuresResource Management and Control
Year 13DatabasesIA ProjectIA ProjectRevision  

Year 12

In Year 12 Students will explore a range of different topics that will contribute to two of their 3 externally assessed examinations. They will study a wide range of mandatory topics from system fundamentals to computer organisation. Additionally, students will begin to build up their computational thinking, problem-solving and programming skills to be able to approach their IA project in their second year of study.

Year 13

In Year 13, students are able to build upon the knowledge gained in Year 12, starting off with studying the theory of Databases, which forms the basis of their optional unit. Students will then use the knowledge and skills gained in Year 12 to tackle the IA project, where students are tasked with designing and coding a solution to a problem.

Assessment at IB

  • Paper 1 – 2 hours 10 mins. Worth 40%. Paper 1 is an examination paper consisting of two compulsory sections. Section A (30 minutes approximately) consists of several compulsory short answer questions. The maximum mark for this section is 25. Section B (100 minutes approximately) consists of five compulsory structured questions. The maximum mark for this section is 75.
  • Paper 2 – 1 hour 20 mins. Worth 20%. Paper 2 is an examination paper linked to the option studied. The paper consists of between three and seven compulsory questions.
  • Paper 3 – 1 hour. Worth 20%. Paper 3 is an examination paper of 1 hour consisting of four compulsory questions based on a pre-seen case study
  • Internal assessment – 40 hours. Worth 20%. The development of a computational solution

Further Reading/Resources

 

British Values:

British Values in Computing

Democracy: Computer Crime and Cyber Security, Using Computers Safely and Responsibly

Rule of law: Computer Crime and Cyber Security, Using Computers Safely and Responsibly

Mutual respect: Using Computers Safely and Responsibly

Tolerance of others’ faith and beliefs: Using Computers Safely and Responsibly