Through Computer Science, we aim to ensure our students are well-equipped to play an active and positive role in an increasingly digital society.  Technology is constantly evolving and trends change regularly but, by ensuring our students have a good understanding of computer hardware, software and terminology, we believe they will be well placed to quickly understand how to use other technologies effectively, safely and efficiently. 

We know that our students are avid users of technology and, therefore, leave a digital footprint. It is crucial that they understand the implications of the actions they take in the digital world.  This is considered from a theoretical view point, that is a computer system’s response to a sequence of instructions, but also from an ethical view point.  By ensuring that students begin to consider the ethical issues within computing, our aim is that those students who involve themselves in the design and development of computer applications do so in a way that has a positive impact on society.

The computational thinking we aim to develop through our curriculum provides students with a problem-solving process that can be beneficial in a wide range of subjects, not just Computer Science.  The skill of actively thinking through problems and creating solutions using the structured and proven method of computational thinking is also beneficial to students in many contexts outside the classroom and is highly valued in the workplace. 

To achieve these aims, our students experience an ambitious curriculum which builds on concepts and constructs within each year and as they move from year to year.  A solid understanding of computer science theory underpins all practical work and ensures students gain an in-depth knowledge of each topic and are well-placed to continually build on their learning.

In addition to the curriculum, the department offers a range of extra-curricular opportunities so that students can focus on particular areas of interest, whether that be programming, hardware or computational thinking. 

Key Stage 3 students can get involved through an ever-increasing number of clubs and by participating in various national competitions. Our Sixth Formers run Homebrew Club and a Hackathon, which provides opportunities for students to undertake a variety of Python-based projects and solve a range of unique problems.  Most recently, we entered several teams of Year 8 girls into the CyberFirst competition, which required them to solve cryptographic challenges to score points. Both teams performed well and achieved passage into a later stage of the competition.

Students throughout the school are given the chance to compete in external competitions ranging from the Bebras Computing and Perse coding challenges for KS3, as well as Algorithmic and Olympiad olympiads for KS4/5. In addition to this, our Year 10 computer scientists get the opportunity to take part in the BIMA digital day.  Across all the competitions run, we have had a range of success with students regularly qualifying for the next round and achieving distinction scores, the Bebras Computing Challenge and Perse coding challenge, national competitions based on computational thinking and programming skills respectively.  In recent years, students have been hugely successful, with a number achieving the Gold award and earning a place in subsequent rounds. 

We’re also very keen to open students’ eyes to the ways in which their learning can be applied to life beyond school and are currently developing a series of trips to allow students to experience this for themselves, including a visit to Bletchley Park.