Computer Science Curriculum Information – GCSE
Computer Science Curriculum Information – A Level
Click here for the subject content summaries of the subjects taught at AHS
The new Computer science curriculum at Aylesbury High School is an academic discipline with its own body of knowledge that is designed to enable pupils to become independent learners, evaluators and potentially designers of new technologies. In studying computer science, pupils gain not only knowledge but also a unique way of thinking about and solving problems using computational thinking. It will give pupils an understanding of the digital world in a deeper way, which will allow them to adapt more quickly to the consequences of technological change, develop new technologies themselves, or even to work in jobs that haven’t yet been invented.
The core of computing at KS3 is computer science, in which pupils are taught the principles of information and computation, how digital systems work, and how to put this knowledge to use through programming.
The GCSE specification in Computing is designed to enable candidates to:
Develop their understanding of current and emerging technologies, understand how they work and how to apply this knowledge and understanding in a range of contexts. Candidates acquire and apply knowledge, some technical skills and an understanding of the use of algorithms in computer programs to solve problems using programming.
Computer Science National Finalists from AHS
As well as preparing our pupils for academic success, we also take part in a number of national competitions:
BAFTA Young Game Designers
We are proud to have considerable success with BAFTA. Over the last two years we have had four groups of finalists. You can see their work at http://ygd.bafta.org/
GCHQ Cyberfirst
Last year, four of our girls reached the semi finals of this prestigious competition. They managed to come top in the SouthEast region. We are extremely proud of them. You can find out more about this at https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/cyberfirst/girls-competition
BEBRAS Computational thinking
Run nationally by Oxford University School of Computing. We have had two finalists and our overall performance every year is significantly above both national and county results. More information can be found at http://www.bebras.uk/