Statement of Intent

At John Ferneley College we believe that our students should have the opportunity to follow a Computer Science curriculum that prepares them for life in modern Britain and take advantage of the opportunity this can offer them in both Britain and the wider world. 

Throughout KS3 and KS4 the Computer Science curriculum aims to develop the pupil’s ability to understand the digital world that they are part of. This includes:

• The understanding of how the internal components of computers communicate and work together
• How computer networks function and the rules that apply to programming.

Pupils study text-based programming using Python. Programming is becoming a useful skill as the number of jobs in this area are expanding and are in demand globally. The digital world is full of complexities and the curriculum ensures that pupils leave school with an understanding of e-safety and believe in respecting themselves and others. 

Computer Science skills enables students to take an active part in the design, development and creation of new technologies to be used in the world in which they live.  

We provide a broad range of skills and experiences at KS3 and students will learn the following topics which are then further developed as students enter KS4. Students will learn computational thinking, algorithms, computer networks, binary, cybersecurity and programming fundamentals. 

At KS4 all students are given the opportunity to study Computer Science at GCSE where they will go on to develop key problem-solving skills which are useful in a range of disciplines, as well as the coding and software development skills that will give them an opportunity to work in the technology sector be useful for further study.

 

Subject journey