Computer Studies / Computing
Wells Cathedral School - Somerset
01749834200
15 The Liberty, Wells, BA5 2ST
Course summary

You will learn about all the components of a computer system (hardware and software), how they work and how they interact. You will do a lot of practical work, gaining skills in using modern software and in particular in learning to write useful, working computer programs in Python. You will also develop an understanding of the consequences of using computers, including social, legal, and ethical issues, an awareness of emerging technologies and an appreciation of their impact on society.

Entry requirements

Pupils following this course do not need to have any prior knowledge of computing or ICT. The course is not about learning to use tools or just training in a programming language. Instead the emphasis is on your computational thinking. If you have good mathematical skills you will find both practical programming and many of the theoretical concepts more manageable. We would normally expect you to have a GCSE in Mathematics at grade 7 or higher.

How you'll be assessed

You will be assessed by two 2 hour 30 min examinations and a non-exam assessment (NEA) programming project. The NEA project represents 20% of the final grade and is worked on independently. Your ongoing progress will be assessed from the following list of diverse topics: Fundamentals of Programming • Fundamentals of Data Structures • Fundamentals of Algorithms • Theory of Computation • Fundamentals of Data Representation • Fundamentals of Computer Systems • Computer Organisation and Architecture • Consequences of Uses of Computing • Fundamentals of Communication and Networking • Fundamentals of Databases • Big Data • Fundamentals of Functional Programming • Systematic Approach to Problem Solving

School Info

About Education Provider

RegionSouth West
Local AuthoritySomerset
Ofsted Rating
Gender TypeCo-Educational
ISI ReportView Report
Boarding Fee£30,717 - £42,987
Sixth Form FeeDay £9,942 - £26,277
Address15 The Liberty, Wells, BA5 2ST