Computer Science

Computer Science is rapidly changing every aspect of the world we all live in.

“The best way to predict the future is to implement it.”

David Heinemeier Hansson

When our students leave university and look for their first job, many of them will be applying for roles that do not yet exist. A rounded education should help prepare them for this constantly evolving world. Studying Computer Science teaches students a range of invaluable life skills such as reasoning, logical thinking, problem solving, precision and resourcefulness.

The A Level course helps students understand the core academic principles of computer science. Classroom learning is transferred into creating real-world systems through the creation of an independent programming project. This will develop the student’s technical understanding and their ability to analyse and solve problems using computational thinking.

We are a small friendly department with a strong emphasis on offering a range of enrichment opportunities which include:

• Support participating in a wide variety of national challenges and competitions e.g. the UK Bebras Computing Challenge, the TCS Oxford Computing Challenge, Alan Turing Cryptography competition, esero CanSat competition and the British Informatics Olympiad.
• Trips to the Wired Next Generation conference, National Museum of Computing, Bletchley Park and the Computing LIVE conference.
• Opportunities to enthuse younger students about computing through volunteering and leading weekly clubs and activities.

Opportunities for university entrance are good and a number of students of Computer Science have been accepted at top universities (including Durham and Southampton) in recent years. Computer Science at A Level is both challenging and rewarding, offering a wide range of experience and the invaluable development of problem solving skills.