Curriculum - Computer Science

Cultural Capital

Within the Computing department at Colne Community School we aim to deliver cultural capital to both our key stage 3 and 4 students through both the theoretical and practical elements of the subject. The curriculum covers historical milestones, influential people, technological advancements to understanding the cultural, social and historical elements of technology and Computing.

Real-world applications and case studies are embedded into the curriculum to show the use of programming and technology in the world we live. Through the teaching of topics such as Programming, Computer Crime, Networking, Game Development, Legal and Ethical Impacts, E-safety and digital literacy we hope to engage our students into the world of technology, allowing them to become enthused outside of the classroom.

Throughout their time at the Colne Community School we will equip students with the technical skills to succeed in life outside of the classroom but also with cultural, ethical and legal insights into the world of technology.

Curriculum Journey

This is a map to show the learning journey in Computing and IT from year 6 through to further education and possible careers.

Computing Curriculum Journey.pdf

Overview of the learning journey in Computing and IT

Year 7

In year 7 Computing we begin the year by looking at the effective use of computers and E-Safety. At the beginning of November students will be entered into the Computing Bebras Competition which looks at computational Thinking and Problem Solving. Once students have a grasp of using the computer they will have an introduction to basic programming using Kodu. We then look to develop students digital literacy skills by completing a unit on presentation skills using Google Slides. Students will then develop their programming skills, this time using scratch to gain an understanding of key programming constructs by making two different games. Students will then complete a unit called Computing Principles which looks at how computers work and the computers language Binary. Students will end the year looking at their third programming language, this time text based using python turtle to develop their knowledge of the programming constructs introduced in the Scratch unit of work.

Year 8

In year 8 Computing we start the year using a program called Flowol where students will use mimics to replicate real world scenarios through the construction of flowcharts. Students will see the programming constructs introduced in year 7 being used in a different way. At the beginning of November students will be entered into the Computing Bebras Competition which looks at computational Thinking and Problem Solving. Students next look at their ICT Skills through the use of spreadsheets where they will use different formulae, functions and charts to create suitable spreadsheets. Students will then have their second Computing Principles unit, this time looking at searching and sorting algorithms and Computer Crime. The next unit of work sees students develop their Digital and creative skills through Graphics Editing using Photopea. In the final term we look at how computers communicate through Hardware and Computer Networks, before finally developing an App using App Lab.

Year 9

Year 9 starts with text based programming using Python, in this unit of work students will create mini programs to replicate bigger real world software and tasks again using the main programming constructs covered earlier in Key Stage 3. At the beginning of November students will be entered into the Computing Bebras Competition which looks at computational Thinking and Problem Solving. Next we delve into the world of Artificial Intelligence and the effect it has on our world and our students. Students will then complete a unit of work on Game Development using Construct 3 where they will go through pre-production and production stages of planning and creating a working game. Students will then work on their Digital Literacy and Creative skills to develop a brand identity and digital graphics for a given scenario using Photopea. Students will finish the year by creating an interactive presentation replicating at kiosk system.

Year 10

Computing

Students explore Data Types and Structures and how computers store and manage different types of data in different ways. Arithmetic, Relational and Boolean Operations are used within programs to carry out calculations and decision making with programming. Computational Thinking Inc. Decomposition, Pattern recognition, Abstraction, Algorithm Design. Teach students to think in a logical way to problem solve. Complete a Programming Project

iMedia

Year 10 Creative iMedia involves a hybrid of two units including the exam based unit R093 - Creative iMedia in the Media Industry where students will look at types of media, Job roles and Design techniques to enhance media products. In the other unit, R099 - digital games students will complete their first controlled assessment where they will need to plan, create and test a digital game using construct 3.

Year 11

Computing

Year 11 Computing students will begin the year looking at Computer Networks and the different Security Threats which surround Networks. Students will then study different types of Software and its role in the system, student will explore the different Legal, Ethical and Cultural Issues surrounding computers. Students will then move onto reading and writing Flowcharts and Pseudocode before completing Revision

iMedia

Year 11 Creative iMedia involves a hybrid of two units including the exam based unit R093 - Creative iMedia in the Media Industry where students will develop the knowledge covered in year 10 as well as covering pre-production documents for different media products and legal issues in the media industry. In the other unit, R094 - visual identity and digital graphics students will complete their second controlled assessment where they will need to plan and create a digital brand and media product for a set brief.