EXAM BOARD

OCR Computer Science (for first examinations in 2022)

ASSESSMENT FORMAT

100% terminal examination

Paper 1- 80- marks 90 mins

Paper 2- 80- marks 90 mins

GRADE METHOD

9-1

 

Year 9, 10 and 11 GCSE

Computer Science is an incredibly complex and challenging subject. Students considering this course must be highly adept at thinking analytically, in order to cope with the two-theory paper, your maths teacher will be asked to verify that you are able to cope with the demands of the course.

Computer Science is a subject where learners can apply the knowledge and skills learned in the classroom to real-world problems. Pupils should be aware that this is not ICT as they have been studying in Years 7 and 8 but some of the topics and themes will have relatable content that has been covered.

Component 1: Computer systems - 50%

Introduces students to the central processing unit (CPU), computer memory and storage, data representation, wired and wireless networks, network topologies, system security and system software. It also looks at ethical, legal, cultural and environmental concerns associated with computer science.

Component 2: Computational thinking, algorithms and programming -50%

Students apply knowledge and understanding gained in component 1. They develop skills and understanding in computational thinking: algorithms, programming techniques, producing robust programs, computational logic and translators.

 

Year 7, 8 and 9 Core ICT

Students at The Henry Beaufort School study ICT for one lesson per fortnight. During this time they work on a series of units designed to give them the skills needed to work in todays’ IT literate society. In addition, the units can directly support work being undertaken across all subjects in the school wide curriculums as well as providing a solid basis for those students who opt to study GCSE computing.

 E-Safety - learners will evaluate the online world and their own Internet activity for safety concerns and equip themselves with tools for protecting their online identities. As most learners will already have some form of online presence and familiarity with online spaces, the purpose of this course is for them to start thinking more critically about how they, and others, conduct themselves online.

What is a Computer– This unit takes learners on a tour through the different layers of computing systems: from programs and the operating system, to the physical components that store and execute these programs, to the fundamental binary building blocks that these components consist of. The aim is to provide a concise overview of how computing systems operate, conveying the essentials and abstracting away the technical details that might confuse or put off learners.

Kodu, Small Basic and Python– Building on knowledge gained from primary school these unit allows pupils to develop their growing programming and coding skills through creating animations, games and quizzes. Pupils will be given the opportunity to design and create their own programs, along with improving coding skills. This will be of interest to all pupils, particularly those interested in pursuing computing at GCSE.