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"Everybody should learn how to program a computer... because it teaches you how to think."

Steve Jobs

Specification: OCR

GCE A Level in Computer Science

Computer Science requires students to have good mathematical and problem-solving skills and will develop their computational thinking, including:

  • Thinking recursively
  • Thinking procedurally
  • Thinking logically
  • Thinking concurrently
  • Thinking abstractly

Unit 1: Computing Principles

  • Characteristics of contemporary processors, input, output and storage devices
  • Software and software development
  • Data types, data structures and algorithms
  • Exchanging data
  • Legal, moral, ethical and cultural issues

Unit 2: Algorithms and Programming

  • Elements of computational thinking
  • Problem solving and programming
  • Algorithms

Programming Project (Coursework)

Carried out and completed in Year 13, we work with students to select their own user-driven problem of an appropriate size and complexity to solve.

Examinations

Both exams are 2 hours long and are worth 40% of the final grade. The coursework is worth 20% of the final grade.

6th Form Teaching Staff

  • Miss Harriet Page
  • Mr Julian White

For further details, please contact Miss Page.

All plans for sixth form programmes of study at Bishop Stopford School are provisional, dependent on student numbers and government policy.