Sixth Form Options Booklet

15

J Feleppa Head of Computing jfeleppa@mtsn.org.uk

Computer Science is about logical thought and the application of intelligence. At A Level, students combine practical, creative and theoretical knowledge with the stimulus and satisfaction of making things work. It will suit boys who are considering A Level STEM subjects, while also supporting financial and design pathways. Computer Science is a valued qualification for a wide range of degree courses, particularly Mathematics, Science, Engineering and Economics, all areas in which the ability to solve problems and understand computation is essential. It opens doors to a dynamic industry and equips pupils with the skills to master the modern world. Learning to write and modify computer programs gives an insight into process and structure; as such it improves understanding of a range of subjects. Computer Science A Level teaches strategies for solving problems such as breaking them into sub-problems; design; thinking at different levels (abstraction); and producing a program to automate a solution. As a fundamentally practical subject with a significant applied component, it is a great platform upon which pupils come to understand how to get things done and how to make things work. The programming language of instruction is C# although pupils are free to use any language in their project. The first year of the course Problem Solving, Programming, Data Representation and practical programming. Topics include: Problem solving Programming: procedural, object-oriented and functional Systems analysis Computer components, the stored program concept and the internet. Topics include: Numbers: binary, hexadecimal, fractions, negative numbers, characters Boolean algebra Hardware (low level such as CPU, memory and machine code; high level such as I/O and storage) Software (system software such as operating systems; application software such as programming languages) The internet, HTML and CSS The consequences of computing (social and economic effects) In the first year, pupils start their practical project (which makes up 20% of the final A Level mark). This is completed in the second year. Choice of the project and development tools are up to the pupil. The project follows - and is an instruction in - formal methods of development and documentation.