Computing

"Computers are incredibly fast, accurate and stupid; humans are incredibly slow, inaccurate and brilliant; together they are powerful beyond imagination." Albert Einstein

Computer Sciences Documents

Computing has become ubiquitous in our lives and across the world, and never has the truism been starker: we are educating today’s children for tomorrows jobs.

We believe a high-quality computing education equips students to use computational thinking to solve problems and to shape the digital world that surrounds us. 

 

What is Computing?

Computing is an umbrella term which encompasses the three strands which we offer learners at Kingsbridge:

• Computer science - the scientific and practical study of computation: how computers work, what can be computed and how to compute it. How computation may be applied to the solution of problems.
• Digital media - the creative and hands-on approach to researching, planning and developing media products to communicate in the digital world.
• Digital literacy - the discrete ability to effectively, responsibly, safely and critically navigate, evaluate, create and use digital artefacts using a range of digital technologies.

We are fortunate to have core Computing lessons for all students in KS3 (Years 7-9); students can then choose to progress into either Computer science or Digital media strands at GCSE Levels and into Sixth Form.

 

Computing at KS3

Year 7

Digital Literacy – Cycle 1

This unit looks at how students become effective users of digital systems. Students are introduced to college systems which includes: use of the college network, email, ShowMyHomeWork (SMHW), Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Office, e-safety.

Computer Science – Cycle 2

This unit introduces students to computational thinking and begins with binary and binary logic. Programming has become an essential tool for life in a digital age; here we start with Scratch with which most students will be familiar. We use this as a tool to introduce programming constructs and move quickly into Python programming.

Digital Media – Cycle 3

This unit is creative and practical in nature. Here students learn how graphics are stored in binary and use cameras to learn photographic techniques. Images are edited and manipulated in Adobe Photoshop.

 

The cycles model for year 7 is repeated for both years 8 and 9, but each strand is extended. For example, digital media in year 8 includes how sound is sampled and students use a range of sound media to record and make their own radio advert. In year 9 this is switched to video and students learn to edit and record video footage and produce a short film in Adobe Premier Pro.