We are following the OCR specification at the moment as it follows directly from the GCSE course we have been teaching. You will study a broad range of topics which are broadly split into Computing Principles and Computer Systems, Algorithms, Programming, and Problem-Solving. You will have to complete a project as well as two examinations. Computing Principles and Computer Systems include operating systems, introduction to programming, data types, data representation, and data structures, algorithms, exchanging data and web technologies, using Boolean algebra, legal, moral, and ethical issues, software and its development, types of programming languages, Algorithms and Problem Solving require you to demonstrate how computational thinking, programming techniques, pattern recognition, abstraction and decomposition, software development methodologies, and algorithm design and efficiency can be used to solve problems. Teaching is based on lectures, practical programming tasks, discussions, and exercises to consolidate your knowledge. Students will be using a mix of online and paper-based resources and access to a computer must be available at home. The computer does not need to have a high specification.
You should be aware that you are unlikely to succeed at this course if you have less than a 4 in English and Maths, and those candidates who have completed the GCSE in Computing/Computer Science and attained at least a grade 5 will be at a significant advantage. If you have anything less than a grade 4 in Computing/Computer Science at GCSE we recommend that you find another A-level course. For students who have not had the opportunity to study GCSE Computing/Computer Science, they must bring a portfolio of work showing their outside interest and developing skills in the arena of Computer Science so that we can benchmark both ability and suitability.
The full A-level qualification has 3 units of work which consist of 2 exams and a project. The examination structure is like this: Exam 2.5 hours 40% Exam 2.5 hours 40% Project Various 20% In the second exam, you will be writing code, by hand, on the exam paper. For this, you will be required to produce a program in either Python, VB.Net, or Java as well as answer some short answer questions and possibly debug a program provided by the exam board. The school currently teaches Python, but if you are self-taught in VB or Java you will be able to use that language in the exam if you are more proficient in it. (There are exam boards that offer on-screen coding exams. These sound much better than the paper-based versions but are often very stressful for students and require extra time preparing for an exam board task. This can be distracting in a period of generalized exam preparation.)
About Education Provider
| Region | West Midlands |
| Local Authority | Solihull |
| Ofsted Rating | Good |
| Gender Type | Co-Educational |
| Address | Gipsy Lane, Balsall Common, Coventry, CV7 7FW |
We are following the OCR specification at the moment as it follows directly from the GCSE course we have been teaching. You will study a broad range of topics which are broadly split into Computing Principles and Computer Systems, Algorithms, Programming, and Problem-Solving. You will have to complete a project as well as two examinations. Computing Principles and Computer Systems include operating systems, introduction to programming, data types, data representation, and data structures, algorithms, exchanging data and web technologies, using Boolean algebra, legal, moral, and ethical issues, software and its development, types of programming languages, Algorithms and Problem Solving require you to demonstrate how computational thinking, programming techniques, pattern recognition, abstraction and decomposition, software development methodologies, and algorithm design and efficiency can be used to solve problems. Teaching is based on lectures, practical programming tasks, discussions, and exercises to consolidate your knowledge. Students will be using a mix of online and paper-based resources and access to a computer must be available at home. The computer does not need to have a high specification.
You should be aware that you are unlikely to succeed at this course if you have less than a 4 in English and Maths, and those candidates who have completed the GCSE in Computing/Computer Science and attained at least a grade 5 will be at a significant advantage. If you have anything less than a grade 4 in Computing/Computer Science at GCSE we recommend that you find another A-level course. For students who have not had the opportunity to study GCSE Computing/Computer Science, they must bring a portfolio of work showing their outside interest and developing skills in the arena of Computer Science so that we can benchmark both ability and suitability.
The full A-level qualification has 3 units of work which consist of 2 exams and a project. The examination structure is like this: Exam 2.5 hours 40% Exam 2.5 hours 40% Project Various 20% In the second exam, you will be writing code, by hand, on the exam paper. For this, you will be required to produce a program in either Python, VB.Net, or Java as well as answer some short answer questions and possibly debug a program provided by the exam board. The school currently teaches Python, but if you are self-taught in VB or Java you will be able to use that language in the exam if you are more proficient in it. (There are exam boards that offer on-screen coding exams. These sound much better than the paper-based versions but are often very stressful for students and require extra time preparing for an exam board task. This can be distracting in a period of generalized exam preparation.)