Computing

“The best way to predict the future is to create it”- Peter Drucker 

At Harris Academy Greenwich we recognise that students need a vast arsenal of skills for the modern world. Computing is the key to this. We are committed to developing student’ digital literacy, computing competency and exposing them to high level coding and IT skills to prepare them to lead happy and successful lives. 

It encompasses a variety of complementary strands, incorporating: 

Computational thinking – the principles of solving real world problems and designing systems through decomposition, abstraction, pattern recognition, logical and algorithmic reasoning, and data representation 

Digital literacy, safety and creativity – the ability to locate, evaluate and use digital hardware and software in a creative or purposeful and safe manner. Incorporating ergonomic aspects such as the prolonged use of a tablet, mouse or keyboard. 

Information technology – the ability to capture and analyse data, and to make relevant changes in response to the data presented, using either software or hardware devices 

Communication – the exchange of information between multiple parties, not necessarily via digital media. This is of particular relevance given the remote learning implementation in light of the recent lockdown restrictions. 

Ethical and social impact – revolving around the legal and moral principles that govern how an individual or a collective body of people conduct themselves. At present this would be largely using digital media as a conduit – such as the use of social media apps in relation to cyber bullying or internet safety or copyright law. Increasingly social and ethical questions will arise with respect to the digital divide, privacy and how we relate to Artificially Intelligent entities, and how they relate to us. 

Resilience and independence – many Computer Science concepts will be unfamiliar to the students, in particular units which entail elements such as binary manipulation, programming or logical theory. An essential component of successfully solving complex challenges is the ability to independently break down, tackle and solve problems, and to develop a level of resilience in their approach to this. The curriculum activities below lend themselves to an approach which develops resilience and independence, both in class and through consolidatory activities at home. 

  

Year 7: Digital Literacy and the Foundations of Computer Science 

The Computing journey starts in Year 7 and focuses on introducing students to digital literacy and the foundations of IT and Computer Science. Students are taught about E-safety, which focuses on the safe use of technology. It also allows us to discuss appropriate use of the school network, and to update and remind learners of important online safety issues. 

During this term students are introduced to graphic design through a unit based upon vector graphics. This unit offers students the opportunity to design graphics using graphic editing software. Through this unit, students will be able to better understand the processes involved in creating such graphics and will be provided with the knowledge and tools to create their own. This will also introduce students to computational thinking, one of the themes within KS3 computing. Creating a complex design is a multi-step process that starts with elementary shapes and involves combining them into more intricate ones using operations such as union, difference, and intersection.  

During the autumn term, students are introduced to the exciting world of programming. Students will develop their problem-solving skills by engaging in critical thinking and programming challenges, such as Bebras, run by the Computer Science department at Oxford University. Students will study sequencing and selection programming concepts. We believe that it is important for students to build programming skills using a visual program and therefore use Scratch (an interactive programming language) throughout Year 7. 

The final term begins by focusing on the representation of data within the computer system. This unit takes students 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 last lessons cover two interesting contemporary topics: artificial intelligence and open source software. These are linked back to the content of the unit, helping students’ to broaden their knowledge. During this unit, students develop their understanding of information technology and digital literacy skills. They will use the skills learnt across the unit to create a blog post about a real-world cause that they would like to gain support for. Learners will develop software formatting skills and explore concerns surrounding the use of other people’s work, including licensing and legal issues.  

Year 8: Data Representation and Logic 

In Year 8, Students build upon their knowledge of Year 7 by delving deeper into the fundamental principles of Computer Science and IT. Students begin by building upon their knowledge of data representation in Year 7. This conveys essential knowledge relating to binary representations. The lessons introduce students to hexadecimal systems and how binary can be used to represent characters and text. During the second half term, we develop student’s creativity by introducing App development. This unit aims to take the learners from designer to project manager to developer in order to create their own mobile app. Students will work in teams to consider the needs of the user; decompose the project into smaller, more manageable parts; use the pair programming approach to develop their app together; and finish off by evaluating the success of the project against the needs of the user. 

During the spring term, students start by being introduced to text-based programming with Python. The lessons form a journey that starts with simple programs involving input and output, and gradually moves on through arithmetic operations, randomness, selection, and iteration. Emphasis is placed on tackling common misconceptions and elucidating the mechanics of program execution. Students focus on expanding their breadth of knowledge of Computer Science, by learning about the new concept of networking, which underpins our use of the internet. This unit begins by defining a network and addressing the benefits of networking, before covering how data is transmitted across networks using protocols. Students will develop an understanding of the term’s ‘internet’ and ‘World Wide Web’, and of the key services and protocols used. 

During the last term students are introduced to data modelling by learning the basic concepts of Microsoft Excel. They will increase their knowledge of mathematical functions by creating these with the use of spreadsheets. Students will also explore the technologies that make up the internet and World Wide Web. Starting with an exploration of the building blocks of the World Wide Web, HTML, and CSS, students will investigate how websites are catalogued and organised for effective retrieval using search engines. They will consider the hidden network technologies that protect us from the threats that a connected world brings, as well as looking at the impact of these services and technologies. 

  

Year 9: Computer Systems and Programming concepts 

In the Autumn term of Year 9, Students will be taken on an eye-opening journey of discovery about techniques used by cybercriminals to steal data, disrupt systems, and infiltrate networks. The students will start by considering the value of their data to organisations and what they might use it for. They will then look at social engineering techniques used by cybercriminals to try to trick users into giving away their personal data. The unit will look at the more common cybercrimes such as hacking, DDoS attacks, and malware, as well as looking at methods to protect ourselves and our networks against these attacks. During the second half term, students are introduced to networks and ways in which we can create and use them to aid communication. They develop a critical understanding of computer science by ending the unit considering dangers of Malware and its consequences for networks. Students will also discover how professionals create 3D animations using the industry-standard software package, Blender. By completing this unit students will gain a greater understanding of how this important creative field is used to make the media products that we consume. Lessons will take learners through the basics of modelling, texturing, and animating; outputs will include 3D models, short videos, and VR. 

During the Spring term, students will continue to develop their knowledge on data representation by focussing on digital media such as images and sounds, and the binary digits that lie beneath these types of media. They will draw on familiar examples of composing images out of individual elements, mixing elementary colours to produce new ones, and taking samples of analogue signals, to illustrate these ideas and bring them together in a coherent narrative. In the next half term, students will be introduced to the increasingly popular world of data science. By the end of the unit they will be empowered by knowing how to use data to investigate problems and make changes to the world around them. Students will be exposed to both global and local data sets and gain an understanding of how visualising data can help with the process of identifying patterns and trends. 

In the Summer term, students revisit Python programming, to discover how data can be represented and processed in sequences, such as lists and strings. Towards the end of term, we apply and enhance the students’ programming skills by engaging in physical computing, using the BBC micro:bit. Students will get acquainted with a host of components built into the micro:bit, and write simple programs that use these components to interact with the physical world. They will work towards building a physical computing project, in which they will be required to select and design their project purposefully, apply what they have learnt by building a prototype, and keep a structured diary throughout the process. 

By the end of Year 9, students are equipped with knowledge of both IT and Computer Science. They will have developed an understanding of key Computer Science principles. Students will be able to use computer programs fluently, but most importantly will be able to make their own and be equipped with the knowledge to critically analyse new programs and other forms of technology. 

KS4: Developing Competence 

For students curious about computing and its ability to change the world, students are invited to take a GCSE in Computer Science. Students will be able to further their understanding and application of the core concepts in Computer Science. Through practical experience they will design, write and debug programs to solve problems. They will also engage in discussions to understand the impacts of digital technology in our society to best prepare them for the digital workplace and changing world. 

Year 10: During Year 10, students study two lessons of Computer Science theory alongside one lesson of programming per week. Students start by being introduced to system architecture. This builds upon their knowledge of hardware and allows students to look deeper at the CPU, and Von Neumann’s revolutionary design of computer systems. Students then revisit memory and data representation, and are able to make connections between binary and other computing concepts, such as representing images and sound. Students build on their knowledge of networks by learning about the different types of networks and topologies that can be formed. They also delve deeper into their understanding of the internet by gaining a broader awareness of how websites are hosted, and the network security threats that can be encountered. Keeping data safe is an important skill for students as data breaches are becoming more prevalent, with the increases in technological capabilities. During the last term, students will focus on developing their programming skills. They will work on converting algorithms to Python, with the introduction of pseudocode. Students will also practice iterative programming concepts, as an additional way of sequencing their programs. 

Year 11: We start Year 11 by building competence in Computational thinking. Students spend the term creating algorithms in both pseudocode and flowcharts, which they later convert into Python code. Students are introduced to design, testing and integrated development environments, which ensures students can create programs with validation. They are taught how to effectively design and test their programs and how to protect them from misuse. Students spend the rest of the year developing their exam skills so that they are able to perform to the best of their abilities in their exams. 

  

KS5: Investigating the complexity of computing 

OCR Computer Science is also offered to students at KS5. This focuses on students’ looking at the natural world through a digital prism. Students will build upon the fundamental concepts of Computer Science and understand the relationships between them. Students will use mathematical skills to express computational laws and processes, such as Boolean algebra/logic and the complexity of algorithms. They will analyse problems in computational terms through practical experience of developing and programming their own projects. 

Year 12: 

• Components of a computer 

• Systems software 

• Software development 

• Boolean Algebra 

• Programming Techniques 

• Algorithms 

• Legal, moral, ethical & cultural issues 

Year 13: 

• Programming Project 

• Networks & web technologies 

• Data types 

• Data structures 

• Exchanging Data 

• Computational thinking 

 

 

An A-level in Computer Science will prepare students for further study at degree level in Computer Science, Software Development or Cybersecurity, whilst also preparing students for a range of workplaces and careers in the 21st century. Computer Science is an ever-expanding career field with many opportunities. Technology roles are one of the fastest growing careers due to the role technology now has in both our professional and personal lives. From programming to Game design to Forensic computing, Computer Science is an exciting field that allows you to make a positive impact on the world.