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KS4: Computing (Core)

Digital Literacy, Information Technology and Computer Science is embedded in Leigh Academy Wilmington at Key Stage 4 through the iDEA programme, a fundamental part of our Key Stage 4 tutor programme. The Inspiring Digital Enterprise Award, known as iDEA is an international award winning programme that helps you develop digital, enterprise and employability skills for free.

What’s the Purpose?

Our aim at Leigh Academy Wilmington is to prepare students for the increasingly digital world that we find ourselves in. Our curriculum helps to foster students’ digitality against the strands that interlink our everyday lives. Students are given the opportunity to complete challenges across a range of ICT and Digital elements. Literacy is also embedded within the program, helping to improve literacy rates across the school. A key focus is on developing students’ digital ability, creativity and safety.  As a consequence, students can go on to be happy and successful members of today’s digital society.

Key points:

iDEA helps you develop skills and showcase your achievements, regardless of your age or stage.

  • Through our series of online challenges, you can win career-enhancing badges, unlock new opportunities and, ultimately, gain industry-recognised Awards that help you stand out from the crowd.
  • KS4- Students engage in the iDea framework twice a week during form time. This is taught by form tutors and subject teachers.
  • Assessment is taken Modularly  against completed badges using an online teacher platform
  • Feedback on engagement will be driven to build a culture of success and challenge.
  • Students can download, print and share a portable Record of Achievement as you work towards unlocking Special Achievements and industry-recognised Awards.
  • iDEA aspires to be the digital and enterprise equivalent of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. Bronze is beginner, Silver intermediate and Gold advanced. The iDEA Bronze Award and iDEA Silver Award are available now, and Gold will be released in due course.
Computing National Curriculum iDEA Bronze

KS4: GCSE Computer Science (EBacc)

Intent

Computing plays a key part in the education of all children. Society demands a required use of technology, and therefore it is imperative it is taught well within Leigh Academy Wilmington.

Students at Wilmington have the opportunity to apply and develop their technological understanding and skills to empower them to interact with technology and any issues outside of education. A rich computing curriculum equips students to use computational thinking and creativity to adapt to the ever changing digital society we live in.

Students are taught how to use digital systems, how computers and devices work, programming fundamentals, data, hardware and software alongside the ethical issues raised within a digital society.

Schedule of Learning

  • Module 1: Boolean Logic – Units – Data – Algorithms
  • Module 2: Programming Fundamentals – Practical programming
  • Module 3: Additional Programming Techniques
  • Module 4: Data Storage – Compression – Architecture of the CPU – Compression
  • Module 5: Embedded Systems – Secondary Storage – Networks & Topologies – Primary Storage
  • Module 6: Wired & Wireless Networks – Networks Continued – Examination Techniques

Schedule of Learning

  • Module 1: Threats to systems – Network Vulnerability – Utility Software – Operating Systems
  • Module 2: Ethical, legal and Cultural Impact – Testing – Defensive Design
  • Module 3: Practical programming Skills – Searching and Sorting Algorithms
  • Module 4: Theory & Revision – Practical Programming Skills
  • Module 5: Theory & Revision – Practical Programming Skills

Implementation

You will cover a content rich curriculum in a two year KS4 timescale. Following the new and updated J277 OCR Computer Science.

  • Component 01: Computer systems
    Introduces students to the central processing unit (CPU), computer memory and storage, data representation, wired and wireless networks, network topologies, system security and system software. It also looks at ethical, legal, cultural and environmental concerns associated with computer science.
  • Component 02: Computational thinking, algorithms and programming
    Students apply knowledge and understanding gained in component 01. They develop skills and understanding in computational thinking: algorithms, programming techniques, producing robust programs, computational logic and translators.
  • Component 03: Practical programming
    Students are to be given the opportunity to undertake a programming task(s) during their course of study which allows them to develop their skills to design, write, test and refine programs using a high-level programming language. Students will be assessed on these skills during the written examinations, in particular component 02 (section B).

Impact

Computer Science aims to equip all students with the knowledge and understanding to take the content forward into a variety of courses and roles. Students can move seamlessly into college courses and onto University Degree courses. Pupils studying a course of Computer Science can also apply for niche apprenticeship placements within the subject area. Ultimately being digitally confident will stand our pupils in good stead in a rapidly changing ever evolving digital world.

Assessment

The course is 100% exam based in your final year within Key Stage 4, shown below;

  • Paper 1: Computer Systems (50%) of your final mark)
  • Paper 2: Computational thinking, algorithms and programming (50%) of your final mark
  • Programming Language (Python) will also be taught, but this will now be assessed within Paper 2 above.

For more information, please read our assessment recording and reporting cycle.

Exam Board Information

Additional Resources

Google Classroom Link to be assigned on sign up