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Computer Science 

“Alan Turing gave us a mathematical model of digital computing that has completely withstood the test of time. He gave us a very, very clear description that was truly prophetic.”

George Dyson

Our mission is to allow students to be part of the digital revolution and be at the forefront of technology in the 21st Century. They will have the confidence to use the range of information technologies that are currently available, as well as being adaptable and resilient enough to deal with the rapid advances in this field. They will have robust problem solving skills and the ability to take data and create digital solutions. Students will be empowered to make safe decisions and understand the consequences of cybercrime.

The study of Computer Science will provide the skills and knowledge for our future generations to make a positive contribution to society in a digital world. 

Assessment

 Year 7

Year 8

Year 9

Year 10

Year 11

Year 7

Term

Topic/ Key Enquiry Question

Type of Assessment

Autumn

Unit 1 Email and School Networks
The purpose of a network and network safety.

Unit 2 Online Safety
Understand the importance of using passwords and to be able to construct strong passwords.

Ongoing Assessment

End of Unit grade awarded

Spring

Unit 3 Hardware and Computer Systems

Identify basic computer hardware and software required for a computer system

Unit 4 Binary Number System

Learn how to convert denary to binary and vice versa

Ongoing Assessment

End of Unit grade awarded

Summer

Unit 5 Data Representation; Images and Sound

Understand how data, images and sound are represented in computer code

Unit 6 Flowcharts

Students learn how  to construct flowcharts and how to solve problems using  flowcharts

Ongoing Assessment

End of Unit grade awarded

Extra-Curricular Activities

How you can help at home

Go over what has been learnt in school.

Use Teach-ICT website

Attend computer club

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Year 8

Term

Topic/ Key Enquiry Question

Type of Assessment

Autumn

Unit 1 Online Safety; Cyberbullying and Online grooming

Understand how to stay safe from cyberbullying and online grooming

Unit 2 Computational thinking

Understand the steps taken in computational thinking to improve problem solving skills

Ongoing Assessment

End of Unit grade awarded

Spring

Unit 3 Pseudocode

Understanding the importance of Pseudocode in writing computer code

Unit 4 Sorting and Searching Algorithms

Sorting and searching methods used in computing.

Ongoing Assessment

End of Unit grade awarded

Summer

Unit 5 Scratch

Write programs using a visual block based programming technique.

Unit 6 Introduction to Python programming

Write code to program a chatbot using Python 

Ongoing Assessment

End of Unit grade awarded

Extra-Curricular Activities

How you can help at home

Go over what has been learnt in school.

Use Teach-ICT website

Attend computer club

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Year 9

Term

Topic/ Key Enquiry Question

Type of Assessment

Autumn

Unit 1 Online Safety; Sexting and Selfies

Understanding the importance and consequences of sending inappropriate images and content on the internet.

Unit 2 Computer Networks and the Internet

Understand how networks are set up to ensure effective communications

Ongoing Assessment

End of Unit grade awarded

Spring

Unit 3 Boolean Logic; Logic Gates and Truth Tables

Understand how Boolean logic is used in computing

Unit 4 Introduction to Cybersecurity

Understand how to avoid cybersecurity attacks.

Ongoing Assessment

End of Unit grade awarded

Summer

Unit 5 Python and Drawing

Use Python to draw images

Unit 6 HTML and CSS on introduction

Understand how to write customised style sheets and to code in HTML

Ongoing Assessment

End of Unit grade awarded

Extra-Curricular Activities/ How you can help at home

Go over what has been learnt in school.

Use Teach-ICT website

Attend computer club

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Year 10

Term

Topic/ Key Enquiry Question

Type of Assessment

Autumn

·This section is a study of internal and external components of a computer that make up a system. Units include: 

1.1 Systems architecture

1.2 Memory and storage

Ongoing assessment

End of unit tests

Exam style practice questions

Spring

·A study of networks including connections and security aspects. Units include:

1·.3 Computer networks, connections and protocols

Ongoing assessment

 End of unit tests

Exam style practice questions

Summer

A study of the ethical and legal impacts of technology in society. Units include:

1.4 Network security

1.5 Systems software

1.6 Ethical, legal, cultural and environmental impacts of digital technology

Ongoing assessment

End of unit tests

Exam style practice questions

Extra-Curricular Activities

How you can help at home

·   Use Teach-ICT website to complete quizzes

·    Read textbook

·     Extra reading using booklists given by teacher

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Year 11

Term

Topic/ Key Enquiry Question

Type of Assessment

Autumn

·Students will study how to write algorithms and how they can be used to aid programming.

·Units include:

·2.1 Algorithms

2.2 Programming fundamentals

Ongoing assessment

End of unit tests

Practice writing code

Exam style practice questions

Spring

Students will be using at least one programming language including OCR referencing language to write computer code. Units include:

2.3 Data types and additional programming

2.4 Boolean logic

Ongoing assessment

Class end of unit tests

Practice writing code

Exam style practice questions

Summer

Students will study common tools and facilities available in an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) and a study of high level and machine level languages.

2.5 Programming languages and Integrated development environments.

Examination preparation and revision.

Ongoing assessment

Class end of unit tests

Practice writing code

·Exam style practice questions

Extra-Curricular Activities

How you can help at home

·         Use Teach-ICT website to complete quizzes

·         Read textbook

·         Extra reading using booklists given by teacher

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How we assess what your child has been taught;

Computer Science

How willclassworkbe marked/

monitored/

graded/

self-assessed

KS3

Once every 3 weeks due to number of lessons per fortnight. Levels will be awarded at end of the unit of work. The teacher will use whole school marking codes on your work as well as verbal feedback. Teachers will use red pen on printed out work.

KS4

Online resources used for students to access in school or at home. Some of these will be online tests which are marked automatically. Once every 2/3 weeks, the worksheets given numerical marks. Grades will be awarded upon completion of the piece of work. Teacher verbal feedback. Teachers will use red pen.

Whatclassworkwill be marked?

KS3

Classroom notes and printouts will be given teacher comments. Some work may be visual (PowerPoints) and therefore verbal feedback from teacher and students may be more appropriate.

KS4

Teachers will comment and mark the activity sheets the students get given following the course. Permitted verbal feedback will be given on set assessments. Controlled assessment in some areas cannot be marked formally as work progresses.

How will students‘reflect’on marking/ feedback?

KS3/ KS4

Students in KS3 have assessment booklets for all the units they study; there is a reflection area for each unit of work.

In KS4 the activity sheets are marked. JL has created a spreadsheet to convert percentages for each worksheet and matched it to the exam board grade boundaries for the examination component.

How willHomeworkbe marked/

monitored/

graded?

KS3

Homework is often part of practical activity or online work and is marked as described above.

KS4

Homework is often to complete the activity worksheets and these are marked as described above. Online tests that are given are marked automatically.

What are theformal Assessments?When are they marked?

KS3- students given tasks to complete, usually these are printed out and given a level in the assessment booklet all KS3 have. Students have an end of year ICT exam also.

KS4- The formal assessment in KS4 is the coursework, there is limited marking that can take place whilst these are being completed. Practice tasks are marked and verbal feedback given as the level it would have achieved, usually by referring to the marking criteria produced by the exam board. Marks from classwork worksheets are recorded and converted to grade as specified by examination board.

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