Computing
Curriculum Intent
The Computing department at Kingshill School aims to equip students with the skills to participate in a rapidly changing world through challenging and engaging topics. Students will develop an understanding and application in the fundamental principles of computer science by having the opportunity to write programs, develop their ICT skills and increase their digital literacy whilst producing professional digital products.
Computing skills are a major factor in enabling students to be confident, creative, and independent learners, and we intend that students have every opportunity available to achieve this.
The national curriculum for Computing aims to ensure that all pupils:
- can understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, logic, algorithms, and data representation
- can analyse problems in computational terms, and have repeated practical experience of writing computer programs to solve such problems
- can evaluate and apply information technology, including new or unfamiliar technologies, analytically to solve problems
- are responsible, competent, confident, and creative users of information and communication technology.
In Computer Science we are dedicated to ensuring our students leave with the skills to fully embrace a future of rapidly advancing computer technology.
Where we go beyond the National Curriculum
As a CyberFirst school, we have a focus throughout KS3 not only to develop competent programmers, but also expose students to the growing needs of the country in regard to Cyber Security. This means that there are opportunities throughout their time at Kingshill to engage with industry experts in Cyber security via Cyber days, activities, competitions, and career talks to encourage students into a field which is growing rapidly in Gloucestershire. Topics which go beyond what is expected to be taught at KS3 such as learning about different methods of social engineering, ethical hacking, and other important cyber security principles.
How knowledge and skills build through Key Stage 3
Throughout KS3, students will have worked on many topics covering vast elements of IT and Computer Science. Students are equipped with the foundation knowledge in programming languages, such as python and SQL. They will have a basic knowledge of computer systems and be able to apply computational thinking to problem solving, giving them a greater understanding of the subject in the context of the modern world. Students will have used a range of software that will include the use of graphics manipulation, data handling and database design which will give them the foundations before any Key Stage 4 course in IT or Computer Science.
How it builds on the Key Stage 2 primary curriculum
This foundation of knowledge plays a key role in supporting our students at KS3 when they are introduced to more challenging elements of programming by progressing on to using text-based programming languages.
Throughout primary teaching e-safety is paramount in their learning, building a picture of how technology affects them in everyday life and how to stay safe. Online safety and digital communication is the first unit taught at KS3 and revisited each year throughout secondary school. Students will have used a range of suitable Key Stage 1 and 2 software packages to support them with the use of data handling, graphics editing etc. as a foundation to packages then used at KS3.
Link to Key Stage 4 curriculum
Beyond Kingshill – Post 16 and careers
GCSE Computer Science will allow you to take a range of different Level 3 courses at college including A-level and offers a lot of exciting careers in technology such as Cyber Security, Software development and beyond. The BTEC Digital Information Technology will allow you to take other courses at Level 3 in IT and can lead to apprenticeships and careers in a variety of IT roles such as system administrator, cyber security and IT technical roles.