Computer Science

Course summary

The A-Level course expands upon the knowledge gained at GCSE level, and introduces System Architecture, Assembly Language and Binary Arithmetic. The course also gives students an introduction to the features of various generations/levels of Programming Languages. A lot of emphasis is placed upon practical skills in Year 12 and, in Year 13, the coursework assignment comprises an entire module. In the A-Level coursework assignment students are required to produce a data-driven software package to solve a real-life 'problem'. Less emphasis is placed upon identifying a problem at this stage. Students are required to seek out a real-life problem of their own, often drawing on outside interests or links with real businesses. It is up to the students to produce a computerized solution. Students are required to pay attention to User Interface Design, System Testing and System Maintenance considerations, and typically develop their software using a suitable, High-Level Programming Language, such as Java, Microsoft VB.NET, C#, Python or PHP.