Computer Studies / Computing

Course summary

Computer science is the study of the foundational principles and practices of computation and computational thinking and their application in the design and development of computer systems. A Level Computer Science is relevant to girls considering Higher Education in a wide range of subjects but particularly Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematical subjects. Universities entry requirements ask for Mathematics A Level and a Science, but are delighted to receive applications from students with qualifications in Computer Science. The majority of computer science graduates go into the computer industry, working as managers, product developers and engineers at companies such as Google, Microsoft, IBM and Apple. However, the broader problem-solving and practical skills developed by computer science graduates are highly transferable and thus graduates are in demand in almost every sector. Aims and Objectives: The aims and objectives of this qualification are to enable students to develop: • an understanding of, and the ability to apply, the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, decomposition, logic, algorithms and data representation • the ability to analyse problems in computational terms through practical experience of solving such problems, including writing programs to do so • the capacity for thinking creatively, innovatively, analytically, logically and critically • the capacity to see relationships between different aspects of computer science • mathematical skills related to: - Boolean algebra - comparison and complexity of algorithms - number representations and bases • the ability to articulate the individual (moral), social (ethical), legal and cultural opportunities and risks of digital technology. Theory A Level theory topics include: Abstraction, Finite state machines, Number systems including binary and hexadecimal, representation of sound and images, Data compression and encryption, Networks and Protocols, Hardware, Operating systems, Logic, CPU architecture, Machine code and Assembly language, Consequences of uses of computing, Serial and Parallel communication, Networking, The Internet, Transmission protocols, Databases, SQL Databases, Big Data, Functional programming. Practical A Level programming skills include: Algorithms, Data types, String handling, File processing, Selection, Iteration, Recursion, Functions, Procedures, Low-level programming, Procedural and Object-oriented programming, Abstract data types/structures, Queues, Stacks, Graphs, Trees, Hash tables, Dictionaries, Vectors, Searching and Sorting algorithms, Functional programming. All girls will develop a systematic approach to problem solving: Analysis, Design, Implementation, Testing and Evaluation through a range of programming exercises. Our primary programming language is Python which is one of the most popular languages used in industry today.