Department: Computing
Postholders
Head of Department: Mr Johal
Useful websites
http://www.computingatschool.org.uk
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/0/computing/
https://www.cs.bham.ac.uk
Curriculum outline
Year
group
Year 7
Content
Assessment
Computational thinking
Key assessed piece of work: Project
Areas being assessed:
Pupils will learn about the
importance of computational
thinking and how it relates to
everyday problem solving. Pupils
will be given several scenarios
where they are challenged to solve
a problem and identify where each
aspect of computational thinking
has been demonstrated.
What are computers?
This scheme of work will give
learners an understanding of the
key components that make up a
computer system, input and
outputs, basic binary conversation,
health and safety aspects of using
technology and the various types of
operating systems.
Building a game (Kodu)
Pupils will develop several
algorithms and implement them
into creating elements of a game.
They will at the end of unit produce
a game to meet a set of user
requirements and evaluate the
effectiveness of what they have
Key assessed piece of work: Magazine
Areas being assessed:
Key assessed piece of work: Assessment
sheet and Game
Areas being assessed:
Assessment
method
Doodle 1 –
9 System
produced against the user
requirements.
Shapes and Patterns
Pupils will develop several
algorithms to create shapes. They
will learn about how the algorithm
can be written in several different
ways to accomplish the goal and
they will evaluate the effectiveness
of the solution they have produced.
Control System
Pupils will learn how to produce
flowcharts that use simple loops
and basic outputs, and then move
on to look at systems that have
multiple inputs and outputs. They
will refine their solutions using
subroutines and variables. Pupils
will learn the importance of
abstraction and decomposition and
evaluate the different algorithmic
solutions they could produce to
solve the variety of mimics.
Year 8
Using technology safely,
securely and responsibly
Pupils will learn about some of the
legal safeguards regarding
computer use, including overviews
of the Computer Misuse Act, Data
Protection Act and Copyright Law
and their implications for computer
use.
Key assessed piece of work: Assessment
sheet
Areas being assessed:
Key assessed piece of work: Assessment
sheet and flow diagrams
Areas being assessed:
Key assessed piece of work: End of unit
test
Areas being assessed:
The Internet and the WWW
Pupils learn about the WWW and
the internet, the differences
between the two. They learn about
the different services that can be
used on the internet e.g. Voice over
Internet Protocol. They will be able
to outline the key features of the
World Wide Web and their
relationships– e.g. browsers, URLs,
navigation methods and how to use
search engines to do a basic query.
Build a game (Scratch)
Pupils will learn how to create a
complex game that involves
multiple procedures created by the
pupil. The pupils evaluate the
programs created by other pupils
and give advice how to improve the
game.
Key assessed piece of work: Blog
Areas being assessed:
Key assessed piece of work: Game and
assessment sheet
Areas being assessed:
NC Levels
Data, Information and
Knowledge
Pupils will learn how data becomes
information and then eventually
knowledge. They will see how
images, audio and video is
represented in binary and will edit
media files. They will see how
different file types lead to different
size files and the implications for
file storage, and file transfer
(bandwidth issues).
Designing a computer system
Pupils learn how to develop a
computer system to meet the
needs of a end user. They will
design algorithms, evaluate the
effectiveness of the design and
implement the plan into a program
to be used.
Year 9
Computer systems
Pupils will develop their
understanding on binary and its
relation to ASCII, Decimal. They will
look into how the FDE cycle handles
data and discuss the implications of
addressable memory. Pupils will
learn more in depth how storage
devices represent data using binary
patterns and physically save these
patterns. Finally, they will look at a
brief history of communication
devices, how new technologies and
applications are emerging and the
pace of change.
Networks
Pupils will learn the theory covering
the basic principles and architecture
of local and wide area networks.
Pupils will learn that the World
Wide Web is part of the Internet,
and how web addresses are
constructed and stored as IP
addresses. Client-server, peer-topeer networks and the concept of
cloud computing are all described.
Developing a graphical user
interface
Pupils will develop a user interface
to meet the needs of an end user.
The pupils will develop on skills
learnt from the shapes and
patters/building a computer system
Key assessed piece of work: End of unit
test
Areas being assessed:
Key assessed piece of work: Program
Areas being assessed:
Key assessed piece of work: End of unit
test
Areas being assessed:
Key assessed piece of work: End of unit
test
Areas being assessed:
Key assessed piece of work: Program
Areas being assessed:
NC Levels
scheme of work.
Year group
GCSE ICT
Content
Assessment
Examination
board
Unit 1:
60% Controlled
Assessment
Edexcel
Assessment
method
E.g. 1-9 or
A*-G
A* to G
Edexcel
1-9
In this unit students explore how
digital technology impacts on the
lives of individuals, organisations
and society. They learn about
current and emerging digital
technologies and the issues raised
by their use in a range of contexts
(learning and earning, leisure,
shopping and money
management, health and
wellbeing and on the move). They
develop awareness of the risks that
are inherent in using ICT and the
features of safe, secure and
responsible practice.
40% Examination
Unit 2:
This is a practical unit. Students
broaden and enhance their ICT
skills and capability. They work
with a range of digital tools and
techniques to produce effective
ICT solutions in a range of
contexts.
They learn to reflect critically on
their own and others’ use of ICT
and to adopt safe, secure and
responsible practice.
GCSE
Computer
Science
Component 1:
This component will assess all
topics.
Understanding of what algorithms
are, what they are used for and
how they work; ability to interpret,
amend and create algorithms.
Understand the requirements for
writing program code.
Understanding of binary
representation, data
representation, data storage and
compression, encryption and
databases.
Understanding of components of
computer systems; ability to
80% Examination
20% Project
construct truth tables, produce
logic statements and read and
interpret pseudo-code.
Understanding of computer
networks, internet and the world
wide web.
Awareness of emerging trends inn
computing technologies, the
impact of computing on
individuals, society and the
environment, including ethical,
legal and ownership issues.
Component 2:
Understanding of what algorithms
are, what they are used for and
how they work;
ability to interpret, amend and
create algorithms.
Understanding how to develop
program code and constructs, data
types, structures,
input/output, operators and
subprograms
Component 3:
Students will develop a computer
program. The content for this
component will draw on:
● algorithms, decomposition and
abstraction
● design, write, test and refine a
program
● data.
GCSE ICT
Unit 1:
In this unit students explore how
digital technology impacts on the
lives of individuals, organisations
and society. They learn about
current and emerging digital
technologies and the issues raised
by their use in a range of contexts
(learning and earning, leisure,
shopping and money
management, health and
wellbeing and on the move). They
develop awareness of the risks that
are inherent in using ICT and the
features of safe, secure and
responsible practice.
Unit 2:
This is a practical unit. Students
broaden and enhance their ICT
skills and capability. They work
with a range of digital tools and
60% Controlled
Assessment
40% Examination
Edexcel
A* to G
techniques to produce effective
ICT solutions in a range of
contexts.
They learn to reflect critically on
their own and others’ use of ICT
and to adopt safe, secure and
responsible practice.