Computing
GCSE Results 2022
| Computer Science | |
|---|---|
| 9-7 | 33.3% |
| 9-5 | 55.6% |
| 9-4 | 66.7% |
| 9-1 | 100% |
| CNAT Creative iMedia | |
|---|---|
| Entries | 17 |
| Level 2 Distinction* | 0 |
| Level 2 Distinction | 0 |
| Level 2 Merit | 0 |
| Level 2 Pass | 1 |
| Level 1 Distinction | 2 |
| Level 1 Merit | 3 |
| Level 1 Pass | 4 |
| U | 7 |
2021/2022 teaching staff: Mr D Peacefield, Mr N Tunstill and Mr S Pugh.
Follow us on twitter @OakwoodCompSci
| Head of Computer Science |
Mr D Peacefield Contact for more details of Computer Science curriculum |
|---|---|
| KS3 Specification |
Year 7 – 1 Computing lesson a week Year 8 – 1 Computing lesson a fortnight Year 9 - 1 Computing lesson a fortnight
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| KS4 Specification |
Creative imedia Digital Media is a key part of our everyday lives and vital to the UK economy. Production of digital media products is a requirement of almost every business so there is huge demand for a skilled and digitally literate workforce. This qualification will help students develop specific and transferable skills such as research, planning, and review, working with others and communicating creative concepts. The qualification’s hands-on approach has strong relevance to the way young people use the technology required in the creative media.
Computer Science Students study OCR Computer Science GCSE. This course allows students to build on the programming skills and algorithmic thinking that they have acquired during Key Stage 3. It involves high-level mathematics and logic and therefore requires a forecast of at least grade 6 in maths. Computer Science is a very practical subject – students apply the knowledge and skills they learn in the classroom to real-world problems. It is also a highly creative subject that calls on learners to be inventive. This engaging, modern qualification has been developed in partnership with Microsoft, Google, Cisco and Computing At School (CAS).
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| Exam Board | OCR |
Computing at Oakwood School
Computing is a subject for all. It covers a wide array of engaging topics from e-Safety to Game Design and from Graphic Advertising to Programming. Computing will encourage students to be excited about and prepared for the future.
We want to educate our pupils on how to use technology positively, responsibly and safely. We want our pupils to understand that there is always a choice with using technology (especially social media). We recognise that the best prevention for a lot of issues we currently see is through education.
Technology is universal among businesses in the UK and globally. The core of our study will be to understand how these computers work, how they are programmed and how they are used for a specific purpose, leading to professions that emphasise synthesis of multiple skills sets.
Technology is a large and rapidly growing industry in the UK. According to the Tech Nation Report, 2020, the UK is third in the world for tech investment and garnered £10bn in investment, more than any other European Country. The tech sector is also growing 2.6 times faster than the overall economy in the UK. Most explosive is the growth in the financial tech and digital marketing sectors. The UK is ranked fourth in the world for technological readiness by the World Economic Forum. There are approximately 1.5 million people working in technology roles in the UK, and yet 800,000 tech sector jobs went unfulfilled in 2019. Which all means it is a great time to be a tech-minded student!
To prepare all our students for this future world of work in which digital literacy will play such a key role, at Key Stage 3 we teach Computing and at KS4 we split the curriculum into Computer Science and iMedia. Please see below for more detail of course content. Students will also learn to use computers and software in DT, maths, science, art, music, languages and many other subjects across the school as part of the wider school Curriculum.
Our lessons are busy but fun! Students will learn loads of new stuff, combining the ‘theory’ with lots of practical tasks and challenges. So there’ll be lots of practical work on the computers like algorithmic thinking, skills building, learning to program, running spreadsheets and controlling flowcharts. There will also be lessons where we don’t use computers but work on logical problems, decoding secret messages or translating binary into an image. We recommend anyone who is considering a career in Computing to join our Code Club, too.
What Can Computing Skills Lead To?
It’s no exaggeration to say the world runs on computers. They are everywhere: in homes, schools and offices but not just in the way you think. They are also embedded in all sorts of machines. Computers control airplanes, chemical plants, send rockets to space, control the central heating and make sure your car runs efficiently. As new things are developed, the world needs more and more people to research new ways of using computers to do the things they want. GCSE Computer Science is a great foundation for going on to do Computing A Level for example.
An A Level or BTEC in Computing is a great foundation for going on to study Computer Science at University. And that can open up a lot of possibilities! But you don’t have to want to go on to be a computer scientist to do this course – you might just be curious about learning a bit more. That’s why we are offering it. The skills you learn will be of enormous benefit in lots of your other subjects. Nicholas Negroponte once said, “Computer programming is a powerful tool for children to ‘learn learning,’ that is, to learn the skills of thinking and problem-solving…Children who engage in programming transfer that kind of learning to other things."
Skills Involved:
- Computational Thinking – Abstraction, Decomposition, Pattern Recognition, Drawing Algorithms, Binary, Boolean Operators
- Problem Solving – Planning & Developing Solutions
- Applying Logic – Working through problems step by step in a logical manner
- Programming – Learning to code in various ways, Game Design, Python, Flowcharts
- Representation of data – Binary, Characters and Graphics
- Collaborating – Teamwork
- Researching – Using the resources available in lessons
- Playing – Learning to play with purpose
- Programming – Learning to code in various ways, Game Design, Python, Flowcharts
- Creativity – Through multimedia and graphics creation.
What Can I Do To Help Support My Child?
- Encourage learning a programming language like Python 3 - Free Download
- Complete challenges on Code Club Projects
- Encourage regular visits to BBC Click to enhance knowledge of the application of technology in the real world.
- Talk through logical problem-solving techniques and strategies that don't involve the use of computers. This is to build resilience in students necessary when programming as their solutions to problems might not work at the first time of asking, so finding alternative approaches is an important skill. e.g. how do I build that garden wall? What are the stages? What do I need to buy? OR: How can I arrange a party and make sure that everyone who I invited replies and then attends?
- For GCSE computer science, there are many resources available. On the link below, you will find a list of useful sites and resources for OCR J277.
list_of_useful_resources_for_ocr_j277_gcse_computer_science.pdf
