Computer Science

Our Key Stage 3 students benefit from a spiral curriculum. They build on knowledge they have learnt in previous years and deepen their understanding.

In Year 7, our students learn the following topics:

Computer Basics – logging into school network. Understanding the different platforms that we use and getting familiar with it.

Computational Thinking – Students learn the four main concepts on thinking computationally, decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction and algorithms.

Computer Systems – Students learn about hardware, software and how computers process data.

Impact of Technology – Students learn and discuss the positive and negative impacts of technology and how it affects our daily lives.

Networks – Students learn about the different networks we use on a regular basis and about the internet and how it works.

Programming – Students learn about the Input, Process, Output, Storage model and apply their skills to creating algorithms and programs using a block-based language.

Physical Computing – Students combine their knowledge of computational thinking, algorithms and programming and learn to program a physical device using the Micro: BIT.

In Year 8, our students learn the following topics:

Binary – Students learn about how computers use binary and binary arithmetic.

Computer Systems – Students learn the different types of computer systems and build on their knowledge of hardware and software.

Developing for the Web – Students develop their HTML coding skills and learn how search engines work.

Algorithms – Students begin to delve deeper into different types of algorithms and how to create them.

Programming – Students apply their learning of Computational Thinking and algorithms to start programming in a text-based language. Students build on their Year 7 knowledge of the Input, Process, Output, Storage model and apply it to Python programming.

In Year 9, our students learn the following topics:

Binary and Data Representation – Students learn more advanced binary arithmetic and how binary is used to represent data in the form of images, sound and text.

Network and Security – Students build on their prior knowledge and understand different types of network hardware as well as the threats to networks through cyber security.

Advanced Algorithms – Students learn about the common searching and sorting algorithms that computer systems use to find data.

Programming – Students build on their prior knowledge of python programming and learn how to program using different types of data, comparative and logical operators.

Systems Architecture – Students learn how computers process data and about the Fetch-Decode-Execute cycle.

All our Key Stage 3 students take part in the UK Bebras Challenge in November to develop their computational thinking skills. Students who achieve in the top 10% nationally are invited to take part in The Oxford University Computing Challenge.

All our Key Stage 3 students also have access to iDEA. This is an international award-winning programme that helps students develop their digital, enterprise and employability skills for free. Students can work through to gain a bronze, silver and gold badge.

All our Key Stage 3 homework assignments are set on Quizlet. Students will log in to their Quizlet account and complete the activities that have been identified on their Satchel:One.

Here are some useful websites for Key Stage 3 students:

iDEA – iDEA: Develop digital, enterprise and employability skills for free. Win career-enhancing badges and gain internationally recognised awards.

Quizlet – Learning tools, flashcards, and textbook solutions | Quizlet

UK Bebras – Welcome – UK Bebras