Our 21st century world is a dynamic and everchanging place where we can now stream high-definition movies to our smartphones, video chat with friends and relatives on the other side of the planet and store vast amounts of data in the cloud! We can design cars using a laptop, use voice control to browse the internet, even do our banking online at home in our pyjamas. All these advances are made possible because of the work of computer scientists. Computers make our world possible, and Computer Science is the course that will help you develop the fundamental skills and understanding required to make sense of our digital age. By writing your own programs and apps you will develop your problem-solving skills and your logical, mathematical thinking to perhaps imagine the technology of tomorrow. The most important skill you will develop on the course is the ability to solve problems. Using mathematics and a computing language called Python you will discover how it is possible to write algorithms and computer code to create software that can perform calculations, store data and much more. Computer Science will help you develop strong logical, numerical, problem-solving skills that will make you an attractive prospect for many different employers from a variety of different industries. The course could lead to a career in the Computing and IT Industry, but it could just as easily take you on a journey into Medicine, Law, Business, Politics, Engineering or any type of Science. In A level Computer Science you will discover the fundamental ideas behind computing. You will discover what really goes on inside a computer, how data is transmitted between computers communicating over the Internet, how numbers, text, images, and sound can be stored and shared as a series of binary ones and zeros. You will learn about the logic gates inside the circuitry of a computer, how using an area of Maths called Boolean Algebra allows us to design new devices and you will study how hardware and software work together to make it all possible. The comprehensive list of topics covered includes: - Fundamentals of programming - Fundamentals of data structures - Fundamentals of algorithms - Theory of computation - Fundamentals of data representation - Fundamentals of computer systems - Fundamentals of computer organisation and architecture - Consequences of uses of computing - Fundamentals of communication and networking - Fundamentals of databases - Big Data - Fundamentals of functional programming - Systematic approach to problem solving - Non-exam assessment – the computing practical project
General entry requirements are 5 or more GCSEs graded 4/5 or above including English Language, and ideally, Maths. To study this course, please see requirements below: Essential: Minimum grade 6 in GCSE Mathematics and grade 5 in GCSE English Language Desirable: Grade 5 or above in GCSE Computer Science
The assessment for the linear A Level Computer Science course is based on two exams at the end of the second year. These synoptic exams comprehensively cover the material studied over the two-year duration. The first exam is an on-screen assessment that challenges your programming skills, while the second is paper-based. Each exam lasts 2 hours and 30 minutes and contributes 40% to your final A Level grade. The remaining 20% is derived from an individual coursework project, which entails researching, designing, programming, and testing a software solution to address a practical problem of your own choosing.
About Education Provider
| Region | South East |
| Local Authority | Hampshire |
| Ofsted Rating | Good |
| Gender Type | Co-Educational |
| Address | Cliddesden Road, Basingstoke, RG21 3HF |
Our 21st century world is a dynamic and everchanging place where we can now stream high-definition movies to our smartphones, video chat with friends and relatives on the other side of the planet and store vast amounts of data in the cloud! We can design cars using a laptop, use voice control to browse the internet, even do our banking online at home in our pyjamas. All these advances are made possible because of the work of computer scientists. Computers make our world possible, and Computer Science is the course that will help you develop the fundamental skills and understanding required to make sense of our digital age. By writing your own programs and apps you will develop your problem-solving skills and your logical, mathematical thinking to perhaps imagine the technology of tomorrow. The most important skill you will develop on the course is the ability to solve problems. Using mathematics and a computing language called Python you will discover how it is possible to write algorithms and computer code to create software that can perform calculations, store data and much more. Computer Science will help you develop strong logical, numerical, problem-solving skills that will make you an attractive prospect for many different employers from a variety of different industries. The course could lead to a career in the Computing and IT Industry, but it could just as easily take you on a journey into Medicine, Law, Business, Politics, Engineering or any type of Science. In A level Computer Science you will discover the fundamental ideas behind computing. You will discover what really goes on inside a computer, how data is transmitted between computers communicating over the Internet, how numbers, text, images, and sound can be stored and shared as a series of binary ones and zeros. You will learn about the logic gates inside the circuitry of a computer, how using an area of Maths called Boolean Algebra allows us to design new devices and you will study how hardware and software work together to make it all possible. The comprehensive list of topics covered includes: - Fundamentals of programming - Fundamentals of data structures - Fundamentals of algorithms - Theory of computation - Fundamentals of data representation - Fundamentals of computer systems - Fundamentals of computer organisation and architecture - Consequences of uses of computing - Fundamentals of communication and networking - Fundamentals of databases - Big Data - Fundamentals of functional programming - Systematic approach to problem solving - Non-exam assessment – the computing practical project
General entry requirements are 5 or more GCSEs graded 4/5 or above including English Language, and ideally, Maths. To study this course, please see requirements below: Essential: Minimum grade 6 in GCSE Mathematics and grade 5 in GCSE English Language Desirable: Grade 5 or above in GCSE Computer Science
The assessment for the linear A Level Computer Science course is based on two exams at the end of the second year. These synoptic exams comprehensively cover the material studied over the two-year duration. The first exam is an on-screen assessment that challenges your programming skills, while the second is paper-based. Each exam lasts 2 hours and 30 minutes and contributes 40% to your final A Level grade. The remaining 20% is derived from an individual coursework project, which entails researching, designing, programming, and testing a software solution to address a practical problem of your own choosing.