Computers are involved in every aspect of our lives today, be it work or play – or even sleep! Understanding how technology works now, helps us know what to expect tomorrow. Whether you are a die-hard programmer or concerned about the impact of social media on geopolitics, A Level Computer Science will be relevant to you. While mainly a technical/analytical course, you will still explore the broad spectrum of modern computing, from the underpinning theory to the practical consequences. Over the two years, you will cover everything from low-level processor architecture through to the social, ethical and environmental issues raised by our increasing dependence on technology. A Level Computer Science will also develop your analytical thinking and problem-solving skills, which are highly valued by universities and employers. What you will learn in Year 12: • Fundamentals of computer systems, communications and networking • Fundamentals of programming, data structures and data representation • Theory of computation • Computational thinking (problem-solving) • Functional and object-orientated programming • Consequences of using computers What you will learn in Year 13: • Programming paradigms and the software development lifecycle • Theory of computation • Foundations of databases and big data • Advanced data structures and algorithms Assessment: You will be assessed at the end of Year 13. • Paper 1 – online (worth 40% of your A Level) • Paper 2 – written (worth 40% of your A Level) • Software development project (worth 20% of your A Level) Looking ahead: Computing is so pervasive in modern society that studying computer science can take you into any industry. The analytical thinking and structured problem-solving skills you learn are highly valued by universities and employers everywhere. A Level Computer Science remains a strong subject that will easily take you iinto any computing or technology degree, and give you an advantage in all kinds of engineering and many business- and research-related courses, where big data and machine learning are rapidly growing in importance. After university, there are many interesting fields of employment available, including work in robotics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, cloud computing, big data processing, networking, ethical hacking, computer game development, home automation or teaching. In addition, since many creative industries depend on technology now, you will find that they also look for candidates with good technical skills.