Computer Science A Level
Course Overview
Computer Science is a practical subject where students can apply the academic principles learned in the classroom to real-world systems. It’s an intensely creative subject that combines invention and excitement and can look at the natural world through a digital prism.
The aims of this qualification are to enable learners to develop:
- An understanding of and ability to apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science including abstraction, decomposition, logic, algorithms and data representation
- The ability to analyse problems in computational terms through practical experience of solving such problems including writing programs to do so
- The capacity for thinking creatively, innovatively, analytically, logically and critically
- The capacity to see relationships between different aspects of computer science
- Mathematical skills
- The ability to articulate the individual (moral), social (ethical), legal and cultural opportunities and risks of digital technology.
Course Components
The characteristics of contemporary processors, input, output and storage devices
- Software and software development
- Exchanging data
- Data types, data structures and algorithms
- Legal, moral, cultural and ethical issues
- Elements of computational thinking
- Problem-solving and programming
- Algorithms to solve problems and standard algorithms
You will also choose a computing problem to solve.
This will contain the following:
• Analysis of the problem
• Design of the solution
• Developing the solution
• Evaluation
The computing problem, can be your choice as long as it meets the complexity criteria for A level.
Key Info
Minimum Entry Requirements
Five GCSEs at Grade 4 or above including:
- GCSE grade 5 in Computer Science
- Or GCSE grade 4 in Mathematics if Computer Science not studied at GCSE
Assessment
- 80% Exam
- 20% Coursework
- Exam Board: OCR
Subject Lead
Mr A Howard
Why Choose this course?
There are more jobs available than people to fill them. If you want to earn a high wage, change the world or help people through medicine or through raising standards of living. If you want to create, to innovate, this is the course for you. If you like a challenge, to solve problems that people don’t even realise exist yet, if you want to be in control of technology and not be controlled by it, choose Computer Science. Be the future.
Skills You Gain
You will become a consummate problem solver, you will be able to think logically and come up with solutions to complex systems. You will gain some of the most sought after attributes in the jobs market. The ability to deconstruct the complex and make it simple, solvable, and robust.
After Northgate
You will be able to go onto degree level studies and carry on your journey, or undertake an internship with a company, which will teach you a job, whilst you gain a degree and be paid to do so. You can start your own company, the sky is the limit (Not even that, some computer scientists build their own space companies!)
“Computer Science opens up opportunities that you have not realised exist yet, the world is changing fast, be the change”