Computer Science
Computer Science (Computing) is computers and computer systems. Students will be learning how computers work, are designed, constructed, and used which in turn will help students pursue rewarding professions that emphasise multiple skill sets.
Computer Science is one of the 3 strands of Computing, the others being IT and Digital literacy. The other 2 strands are covered within Computing/Computer Science lessons, or as part of the wider school Curriculum.
Our lessons are busy but fun! You will learn loads of new skills, combining the theory with lots of practical tasks and challenges. So there will be lots of practical work on the computers, skills building, learning to programme, doing the projects and conducting tests and experiments for your research. But there will also be quite a bit of extra reading and exercises to get your thinking skills sharp. We recommend Computer Science students spend 1-2 hours programming per week, outside of timetabled lessons.
What can Computer Skills lead to?
It is no exaggeration to say the world runs on computers. They are everywhere: in homes, schools and offices but not just in the way you think. They are also embedded in all sorts of machines. Computers control airplanes, chemical plants, send rockets to space, control the central heating and make sure your car runs efficiently. As new things are developed, the world needs more and more people to research new ways of using computers to do the things they want.
Skills involved:
- Computational thinking, abstraction, decomposition, pattern recognition and drawing algorithms
- Problem solving, planning & developing solutions
- Applying logic and working through problems step by step in a logical manner
- Research using the resources available in lessons
- Collaboration and teamwork