Computing

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Introduction

As the teachers of Computing we are proud of the facilities that are available for all our students. We have 4 suites containing 120 PCs in total, so every student is guaranteed a PC to themselves when he/she needs to work individually.

Loxford has both a wired and wireless network so that students are able to carry out their studies throughout the school. In addition we operate Google Classroom so that students have access to a range of resources both in school and at home via the Internet. Building upon our significant Computing resources we help students to become proficient in a wide variety of programs so that they can make best use of digital technology in their lives. In particular we encourage students to make their own decisions about how and when to use digital devices to solve particular problems.

KS3

Autumn Term

Year 7 students will begin the year with Introduction to Computing. They will look at all the key components of a computer and its features. Year 8’s will start the Computers unit of work and be able to explain the different types of networks used within a school setting. Year 9s will begin their programming journey and start with being able to decompose and abstract basic programming problems using computational thinking skills. In the Autumn 2 term year 7 will move on to binary representation and the way in which computers communicate. The Year 8s will create websites using HTML coding and Year 9 students will develop their programming skills to solve a range of programming problems.

Spring Term

In the spring term KS3 will mainly focus on e-safety in which they will be required to investigate key e-safety advice, risks and threats associated with being online and issues associated with sexting and online grooming. We also ensure all work ties in with Safer Internet Day. In the second spring term students will move on to Graphics unit in which they will focus on creating theme park maps using vector tools. In year 8 students will move onto Spreadsheet modelling, looking at how to analyse data, while Year 9 students look at binary and logic gates.

Summer Term

In the final summer term Year 7 will begin with the control unit and use Flowol software to control a sequence of instructions for a given mimic. They will then later move on to Introduction to Python in the second summer term where basic python programming will be taught. Year 8s will begin the summer term with the binary unit and look binary representation and the way in which computers communicate. They will then also move onto python programming but build on their prior knowledge of python with the focus being iterative statements and various loops. Year 9s will begin the summer term by looking at the ethics behind e-waste and the positive/negative impacts of technology. They will then move on to learning about how different types of software work and how the different types of hardware interact with this software.

KS4

At Key Stage 4 students have 1 option: GCSE Computer Science

GCSE Computer Science

Computer science plays a key role in helping to solve problems across all aspects of society. This course helps students to prepare to play their part in shaping the future of the world. In particular students:

Understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, decomposition, logic, algorithms, and data representation
Analyse problems in computational terms through practical experience of solving such problems, including designing, writing and debugging programs
Think creatively, innovatively, analytically, logically, and critically
Understand the components that make up digital systems , and how they communicate with one another and with other systems
Understand the impacts of digital technology to the individual and to wider society
Apply mathematical skills relevant to computer science

GCSE Computer Science Overview

Examination Value: 100% of grade

Paper 1 (50% - 75 marks) - Written theory paper

Paper 2 (50% - 75 marks) - Practical programming paper

Topics include:
- Topic 1: Computational thinking – understanding of what algorithms are, what they are used for and how they work; ability to follow, amend and write algorithms; ability to construct truth tables.
- Topic 2: Data – understanding of binary, data representation, data storage and compression.
- Topic 3: Computers – understanding of hardware and software components of computer systems and characteristics of programming languages.
- Topic 4: Networks – understanding of computer networks and network security.
- Topic 5: Issues and impact – awareness of emerging trends in computing technologies, and the impact of computing on individuals, society and the environment, including ethical, legal and ownership issues.
- Topic 6: Problem Solving with programming - understanding what algorithms are, what they are used for and how they work in relation to creating programs, understanding how to decompose and analyse problems, ability to read, write, refine and evaluate programs.

Career Value

This qualification will provide excellent progression to ‘A’ level Computer Science, vocational courses and on to degree level courses in the areas of computing, engineering and science.

Outside the classroom

The world of Computing is constantly moving on and it is always helpful to try to keep up to date with the latest exciting developments. On the BBC website there are lots of short video clips in the Technology area of the News section, including the weekly “Click” update.

Regular practice with software is a good idea and the open source software listed on this page is free to download, with lots of online tutorials available.

Look on Google Classroom too. Teachers have put resources there so that you can study more easily when not in school.

Bonus challenges

https://groklearning.com/course/intro-python-1/ ( Grok learning- Introduction to python)

https://www.codecademy.com/catalog/language/python (Code Academy- An interactive and fun method to learn how to code)

https://www.practicepython.org/ -(Python challenges)

Learning journey in Computing

GCSE Results 2022

Congratulations to the Year 11 students on achieving 84% grades 9-4.

GCSE Results 2021

Congratulations to the Year 11 students on achieving 86% grades 9-4.

GCSE Results 2020

Congratulations to the Year 11 students on achieving 88% grades 9-4.

Future Careers for Computing:

Computer studies develops understanding of both computer programming and theory. Studying the key aspects of programming, data structures, algorithms, programme design and how computer programmes work in a range of contexts.

Computer studies help develop useful skills like logical planning, mathematical skills, programming and other technical skills.

It gives knowledge and skills which are relevant to hundreds of different types of cutting edge jobs across many industries, like cyber security, working for high-tech companies and in artificial intelligence.

Outside the classroom

Regular practice with software is a good idea and the open source software listed on this page is free to download, with lots of online tutorials available.

Look on Google Classroom too. Teachers have put resources there so that you can study more easily when not in school.

Support for learning

Our priority is that students are skilled in using a broad range of programs in an increasingly complex way. We encourage students to experiment so that they appreciate the full potential of a given piece of software. Students can expect to use the following programs in the course of their time at Loxford:

Adobe:Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Flash
Matchware: Open Mind
Microsoft:Word, Excel, Access, Publisher, PowerPoint, Internet Explorer
Open source:Python, Scratch, Blender, Repl.it
Robot Mesh:Flowol

At least one Computing suite is open after school from 3.30pm to 4.30pm Tuesday to Friday every week. Students can use the computers to help with homework, with the support of a teacher.

Reading List