Computer Science Year 12 and 13
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Computer Science A-Level Year 12 (AQA) |
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Term 1 |
Term 2 |
Term 3 |
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Theory: 4.5 Fundamentals of data representation 4.5.1 Number systems 4.5.2 Number bases 4.5.3 Units of information 4.5.4 Binary number system 4.5.5 Information coding systems 4.5.6 Representing images, sound & other data
Practical: - Section b practise - Learning c# basics - Input/output - Random numbers - Variables - Data types - errors - Arithmetic and logic operators - Flow charts - Sequence - selection - iteration - Exception handling - String handling - “running total” - lists - Slicing lists - Substrings - Structured approach - Subroutines - 2D arrays - Records - Writing/reading files -recursion - Introduction to oop - Data structures |
Theory: 4.6 Fundamentals of computer systems - Hardware and software - Classification of programming languages - Types of program translator - Logic gates - Boolean algebra 4.7 Fundamentals of computer organisation and architecture - Internal hardware components of a computer - The stored program concept - Structure and role of the processor and its components - External hardware devices
Practical
- Oop continued - class - object - instantiation - encapsulation - inheritance - aggregation - composition - polymorphism - Overriding. - Data structures continued - Algorithms on stacks, graphs, trees, lists and reverse polish notation - Practical tasks in c# using data structures and oop
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Theory: Consequences of uses of computing Revision and preparation for end of year exam Fundamentals of communication and networking - Communication - Networking - The Internet
Practical - Introduction to NEA - Sample NEA(s) - Proposals from pupils on NEA - Starting NEA analysis and design |
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Assessment |
Assessment |
Assessment |
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End of unit test on data reperesentation and ongoing checking of practical coding tasks |
End of unit test on computer system and data structures/algorithms and ongoing checking of practical coding tasks |
End of year exams Ongoing feedback on NEA and ongoing target-setting and checking on NEA |
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Computer Science A-Level Year 13 (AQA) |
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Term 1 |
Term 2 |
Term 3 |
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Continuation of NEA implementation testing and evaluation Networking continued: The Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) protocol Databases - Conceptual data models and entity relationship modelling - Relational databases - Database design and normalisation techniques - Structured Query Language (SQL) - Client server databases Theory of computation - Abstraction and automation - Regular languages - Context-free languages - Classification of algorithms - A model of computation |
Submitting NEA and if needed make changes Big Data Fundamentals of functional programming - Functional programming paradigm - Writing functional programs - Lists in functional programming Mocks Paper 1 section C and D practise on skeleton code using zigzag resources |
A level papers revision |
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Assessment |
Assessment |
Assessment |
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Ongoing feedback on NEA and ongoing target-setting and checking on NEA End of unit test on networking End of unit test on theory of computation |
Mocks Submission of NEA and feedback/resubmission Practical Tasks on skeleton code End of unit test on big data End of unit test on functional programming Past papers |
Past papers External A-level |
How We Assess Students’ Understanding in the Classroom:
- Using different questioning techniques to gauge student understanding
- Utilising retrieval practices to reinforce and consolidate knowledge
- Assigning regular written homework tasks to assess understanding
How We Support Learning:
- Providing both written and verbal feedback on assessments to guide improvement
- Setting clear and actionable improvement targets
- Offering tailored written guidance (scaffolding) to support students who need additional help
- Highlighting related topics and resources to enrich understanding of subject material
- Providing in-class teacher support when necessary
- Delivering personalized assistance outside of lessons for those who require it
- Stretching higher ability students with advanced materials, in-depth teacher-led discussions, and access to specialist resources when relevant
How Parents Can Support Learning:
- Encourage discussions about topics being studied to spark interest and engagement
- Encourage and support the timely completion of homework
- Urge students to review work before submission
- Provide access to personal computer at home with appropriate software from MS Office, Scratch, Paint
- Encourage computer use at home