There are 12 different areas of Computer Science covered over the two year course, but they are all interlinked. One major focus is all about Problem Solving, Programming, Algorithms and Data Structures. This is where we get to grips with a range of big ideas. The main thing is to get you programming. We’ll do a series of practical exercises, to get your computational thinking honed, then in April you get a big problem to solve - a major programming exercise. By the time you’ve done that you’re ready to try a whole new type of exam in Year 13. No paper here—an on screen test involving practical programming. As your skills build we explore different approaches so you’re well placed to also take on a major programming project that runs through much of the second year. Alongside this are several topics that are all about FUNdamentals. These are the key ideas behind Computer Systems, Networks, The Internet and Big Data. This is where we ‘lift the bonnet’ and the focus shifts to look at two things—the principles that explain how a program actually runs and reasoning about how computers can communicate with each other. So we look at the basic ideas behind what makes a computing machine and how it handles instructions and information. We also look at the key concepts of networking and explore how the mother of all networks, the internet, handles the billions of requests it is constantly bombarded with, and the challenges posed by its explosive growth. We also explore some interesting ethical issues brought about by the digital revolution.