ST BEDE'S

The department intent is for students to embrace the use of technology as a part of their everyday lives. We aim to create learners who are skilled in different types of software applications which allows them to express themselves artistically.

Pupils are exposed to problem solving; learn skills that underpin other subjects whilst always being aware of technology in the world around them.

We promote a love of technology and build pupils’ confidence, ability, and skills for whole life.

Pupils get 1 hour per week in year KS3. All pupils are taught by the curriculum leader, Mr Cookson.

Pupils will cover the following topics…

MS PowerPoint presentations.

• Scratch game programming.
• Website creations using Serif Web Plus.
• Photo comic creation using Comic Life.
• Python programming.
• Databases using MS Access.
• The use of binary, hexadecimal, and denary number systems.
• Microbit programming.
• Control systems using Flowol.
• Turtle programming in IDLE.
• Animations using Pivot animator.
• Movie creation using MS Clipchamp.
• Spreadsheets using MS Excel.
• E-safety.

At St Bede’s all students follow the Edexcel GSCE scheme of work.

Paper 1: Principles of Computer Science

Written examination: 1 hour and 30 minutes 50% of the qualification 75 marks

• Topic 1: Computational thinking – understanding of what algorithms are, what they are used for and how they work; ability to follow, amend and write algorithms; ability to construct truth tables.
• Topic 2: Data – understanding of binary, data representation, data storage and compression.
• Topic 3: Computers – understanding of hardware and software components of computer systems and characteristics of programming languages.
• Topic 4: Networks – understanding of computer networks and network security.
• Topic 5: Issues and impact – awareness of emerging trends in computing technologies, and the impact of computing on individuals, society and the environment, including ethical, legal and ownership issues.

Assessment overview This paper consists of five compulsory questions, each one focused on one of the topic areas. The questions consist of multiple-choice, short-, medium- and extended-openresponse, tabular and diagrammatic items.

Paper 2: Application of Computational Thinking (*Paper code: 1CP2/02)

Onscreen examination: 2 hours 50% of the qualification 75 marks

• Understanding what algorithms are, what they are used for and how they work in relation to creating programs.
• Understanding how to decompose and analyse problems.
• Ability to read, write, refine and evaluate programs.

Assessment overview This practical paper requires students to design, write, test and refine programs in order to solve problems.

Pupils can take many of the applications they have been exposed to in their lessons and download them for free. This allows them to try out their own ideas and improve their digital literacy.

Coming Soon