What you will learn

The course builds on many elements of the current syllabus in Years 7, 8 and 9. Skills such as designing flowcharts, writing simple programs and thinking about algorithms are the key to success in Computer Science. Above all, you should have a curiosity for how things work. A love of puzzles is also helpful!

Course Description

GCSE Computer Science gives you a real in-depth understanding of how computers work, from the basic pieces of hardware to the software that makes it all run. Starting from the ground up, you will learn the simple techniques that are used in all software, and use it to solve a huge variety of problems.

Unit 01 is a theory unit. It covers the parts that make up a computer (such as memory and processors) and how they function. We look at computer networks and pay particular attention to the Internet, and how it has developed from simple beginnings to the biggest network in the world. We also look at how it is possible to hack unsecure systems, and design systems to avoid attack.

Unit 02 combines theory with practical programming. You will study how to break down a large problem into small sections and write programs to solve them. You will build on the algorithms you have already covered in years 8 and 9, such as sorting and searching methods.

Practical Work

Many lessons will involve hands-on experience of some kind. The best way to learn is by doing, so we will give you plenty of practice of writing programs, leading up to designing mini-projects where you will design, program and test a solution to a problem.

Previous examples have been quizzes and simple games like dice games, board games, hangman and more.

Software is part of just about everything that touches our lives, from the cars we drive, to the movies we watch and the way we do business.

Artificial Intelligence is going to be changing the world in the next few years, and developments in many areas of art and industry are being driven by Computer Science.

As well as A Levels, you can go on to study Computer Science at university as a pure subject, or as part of many Science and Engineering courses. You can even study Computer Science with Philosophy, and tackle the big questions of A.I. and ethics.