Computer Studies / Computing

Course summary

This new A Level course at Ipswich School is divided into three components. The first provides 40% of the final mark and relates to computer systems. It covers computer architecture and the design of the internal operation of a computer. It also looks at how the component parts of computer systems relate to one another, including software, data, hardware, communication and people. It investigates the different methods of communication and the functionality of networks and the internet, as well as legal, moral, cultural and ethical issues. The second component provides 40% of the final mark and relates to algorithms and programming. Here students learn how to program with increased complexity and gain a better understanding of the commands and structures found in most programming languages. The final component provides 20% of the total A Level and is a practical portfolio-based assessment. Throughout the programming project students develop computational thinking techniques which are a set of fundamental skills that help produce solutions, and are the main principles of solving problems using computers.