Computer Science
Introduction
Women in computing have shaped the evolution of IT. Throughout the 19th and early 20th Century, programming was predominantly undertaken by women, significant examples including the Harvard Computers, codebreaking at Bletchley Park and engineering at NASA. Our core purpose is to amalgamate our technical expertise with a fearless vision to inspire, empower and encourage our students to embrace the realm of technology. We embed the solid belief that bright, ambitious girls choose Computer Science, and that the provision at SGGS is second to none. Utilising technologies such as Google Classroom, all students have access to resources and teacher feedback wherever they have internet access.
Key Stage 3 Curriculum:
Our curriculum builds knowledge and skills in a logical, planned and sequenced manner – making certain what students remember from their Computer Science lessons is relevant and useful to them still in years to come. We encourage our students to challenge the norm, to think outside of the box and to deliver meaningful and innovative work. This vision is supported by a wide range of speakers and external trips that strongly support the inclusion of women in the tech marketplace.
Year 7
Term 1 introduces students to CS, Internet Safety and Programming Constructs using Scratch MIT.
By Term 2, students will begin undertaking Development using Scratch MIT and considering social, moral, ethical, legal and cultural issues.
This continues into Term 3, when students will also begin looking into TED Talks, presentation skills and collaborative tools.
Year 8
Internet Safety is a key component of Term 1, along with Programming Constructs using Python.
This continues into Term 2 along with a consolidation and expansion of knowledge relating to Social, Moral, Ethical, Legal and Cultural issues.
In Term 3, Students will study Data Representation (Binary, HEX conversions etc.) and Computer Systems (1.1-1.3 OCR spec preparation).
Year 9
Term 1 begins with a review and expansion of Internet Safety knowledge, progressing to two NCSC Cyber Skills competitions.
Networking (1.4-1.6 OCR spec preparation) is explored in Term 2 along with a Photoshop unit (including SMEL&C 1.8 OCR and digital citizenship elements).
Term 3 sees students undertake Artificial Intelligence investigations before a ‘Pick n mix’ project, allowing them to select a series of useful skills to develop further, from Gamemaker to Python or App development.
Key Stage 4 Curriculum:
In Year 10 and Year11, students study the OCR GCSE in Computing. This exciting GCSE gives girls an excellent opportunity to investigate how computers work and how they can be used. The primary benefit of studying Computer Science is the opportunity to develop advanced computer programming and problem-solving skills. Students looking for a career involving mathematics, critical thinking, analysis, data or digital technology will benefit from this course. Typical areas of career progression include engineering, financial and resource management, multimedia, games design, science and medicine.
Students undertake fascinating and in-depth research and practical work as part of this journey. For example, some recent investigations by SGGS students have looked at JavaScript, encryption and assembly language programming. There will even be practical activities that include the chance to construct computers and explore the world of V.R.
The impact of Computer Science in a global context is discussed throughout this course along with the ethical, legal, cultural and environmental concerns associated with Computer Science. Other elements featured include systems architecture, memory, storage, wired and wireless networks, network topologies, protocols and layers, system security and system software.
Resources
Click the OCR logo below for the exam specification:
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