Computing - Newton Abbot College

Intent

The Computing curriculum at Newton Abbot College (NAC) aims to equip students with the skills to participate in a rapidly changing world through challenging and engaging topics. Students will develop an understanding and application in the fundamental principles of 3 areas:

Computer Essentials (Online safety, Word Processing, Spreadsheets)
Computer Science (Systems Architecture, Programming)
IT (Video Editing, Animation, Website Development etc)

This is achieved by all students having the opportunity to become skilled in everyday & specialist software such as word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, Python, website design, video editing and animation amongst others in the overarching subject called Computing.

The intent is that a Newton Abbot College Computing student is to give them a wide range of skills enabling them to be confident, creative and independent learners and that students have every opportunity available to them to allow them to achieve this. Students should be digitally literate so that they are able to express themselves and develop their ideas through information and computer technology, at a level that is suitable for the future workplace and as active participants in the digital world.

Implementation

The intent of our curriculum is implemented through the delivery of consistently high-quality lessons which places developing the concepts of computing at the forefront of planning. Each scheme of work is created following the 3 areas of Computing that follow the assessment methods of our Key Stage 4 pathways and relating the concepts to the real world.

At Key Stage 3 students are taught topics that cover the 3 principles. The foundation we create in KS3, by using both digital and physical resources, along with the structure of our lessons, the way we assess, and feedback are set up in the same way to support students’ learning in KS4 and KS5.

Whichever pathway is chosen, we develop students’ specialist skills within that area. Within iMedia for example taking the pre-production documents used in KS3 (storyboards and visualisation diagrams) and applying more depth to the designs to support the product being created. In Computer Science we introduce higher level programming skills, such as sub routines to help evolve students’ skill set that they learnt in KS3 (Selection, Iteration).

At Key Stage 5 students can continue with a Computing Pathway which follows on from the skills taught at KS4 and KS3

All students are supported and encouraged to compete at least the iDEA BRonze award throughout their time at NAC.

Impact

By the end of Key Stage 3 students should be literate in the three principles of Computing by showing understanding of the following:

To be able to design, use and evaluate computational abstractions that model the state and behaviour of real-world problems and physical systems
To be able to understand key algorithms that reflect computational thinking e.g linear and binary searching, bubble sort, merge sort, insertion sort and use logical reasoning to compare the utility of alternative algorithms for the same problem
To be able to program in a minimum of two programming languages to solve a variety of computational problems
To understand simple Boolean logic [AND, OR and NOT] and some of its uses in circuits and programming. To understand how numbers can be represented in binary and be able to carry out simple operations on binary numbers
To understand the hardware and software components that make up computer systems, and how they communicate with one another and with other systems
To complete projects using and combining multiple applications, across a range of devices, to achieve challenging goals, including collecting and analysing data and meeting the needs of known users
To be able to understand a range of ways to use technology safely, respectfully, responsibly, and securely, including protecting their online identity and privacy; recognise inappropriate content, contact and conduct, and know how to report concerns

By the end of Key Stage 4 all students should be literate in the principle of Computer Essentials.

If a student has studied a full course with us at Key Stage 4 they should able to understand:

Computer Science

Systems Architecture – How a computer processes data in the form of Von Neumann Architecture
Memory & Storage – The different types of memory – RAM, ROM, Virtual Memory & Flash. The typical storage devices used by computers – Optical, Magnetic and Solid State. Students will be able to complete mathematical calculations in Binary, Hexadecimal and will be able to calculate file sizes of images and sound files using formulae
Network topologies, protocols and layers – How data is transferred across networks and the components which make up these networks. The two main network topologies, protocols in networking and the different layers of sending data over a network
System security – Common types of attacks/viruses and prevention methods
System software – Common built-in software used to enhance the performance of the computer system.
Ethical, legal, cultural and environmental concerns – Ongoing issues regarding computer systems in the world
Algorithms – To be able to write and recognise both searching and sorting algorithms including Bubble Sort, Merge Sort, Insertion Sort, Linear Search and Binary Search
Programming techniques – Understand the three main programming concepts – Iteration, Selection and Sequence, as well as SQL, Data Types
Producing robust programs – To be able to write programs in pseudocode to solve problems. This will include an understanding of systems life cycle and each element involved in it
Computational logic – Students will know how to calculate Truth Tables from the three main logic gates, AND, OR, NOT
Translators and facilities of languages – Students will be able to identify and understand the difference between Low and High-Level Programming

iMedia

Recall a wide range of information relating to the media industry and the planning, creating, and reviewing of digital media products
Perceptively evaluate the purpose and uses of digital media products
Understand and use a wide range of media related terminology correctly
Demonstrate analytical and evaluative skills
Interpret and present information with sensitivity to needs and with a flair for effective communication
Work independently and manage time efficiently
Use techniques efficiently to source, select and store appropriate assets effectively, in a wide variety of contexts
Create solutions which demonstrate detailed consideration of target audience and for a specific brief
Confidently use and apply a wide range of techniques to create work that is fit for purpose
Perceptively analyse problems encountered in a media context