KS3 Curriculum 

Year 7 

Topics: Online Safety and Health and safety, Introduction to Spreadsheets, Digital Literacy: Word, PowerPoint Photoshop, Flowcharts (Flowol), Scratch, Computer Components Interactive Multimedia Project 

Year 8 

Data Representation – Binary, Hex and Images, Intermediate Spreadsheets, Pivot Animation, Network Security, Edublocks (block-based coding), AI Foundations, Kodu (block-based game creation) 

Year 9 

Hardware and Software (Input and Output Devices), Binary Addition, Networks, Search and sort, Logic Gates, Pseudocode and Python (Sequence, Selection and Iteration), Photoshop and Web Development, IT Project (Advanced spreadsheets, databases), Media Project (Pre-production documentation, Creative multimedia product with sound, images, video) 

KS4 Curriculum 

GCSE Computer Science 

Builds essential problem-solving and logical thinking skills that are valuable in many subjects and careers. It teaches how computers work, how data is processed, and how to write code to solve real-world problems — skills that are increasingly important in today’s digital world. Whether students go on to study computing further or pursue other fields, the course develops analytical thinking, creativity, and resilience — qualities that employers and universities value.  

Tested through two exam papers, topics covered include 

Unit 1 

• CPU purpose, components and performance factors, including Von Neumann architecture 

• Embedded systems 

• Primary, secondary, and tertiary storage, including RAM and ROM, storage types, data capacity and calculations 

• Units of data and binary representation 

• Types of networks (LAN, WAN), topologies, hardware and protocols (TCP/IP, HTTP, FTP, etc.) 

• The Internet and the Cloud 

• Network security, including forms of attack and prevention methods 

• Purpose and role of operating systems 

• Utility software functions 

• Ethical issues in computing 

• Legislation related to data and privacy 

• Environmental impacts, and cultural and social considerations 

Unit 2 

• Computational Thinking (abstraction, decomposition, algorithmic thinking) 

• Flowcharts (drawing and interpretation) 

• Pseudocode (basics, string manipulation, sequence and selection, combining Boolean expressions) 

• Searches (binary and linear) 

• Sorting (bubble, insertion, merge) 

• Pseudocode Iteration (For loops, While loops) 

• Arrays (including 2D arrays) 

• Logic gates, logic circuits and truth tables 

• Types of errors and testing 

• Databases and SQL (writing and interpreting) 

• IDE (including tools for writing code and testing code) 

• Translators (compilers and interpreters) 

• Defensive program design (including data validation, comments, readable code) 

• Pseudocode file handling and subroutines 

BTEC Level 2 Information Technology 

As digital technologies and organisations continue to evolve, each new development offers new and exciting ways of completing tasks and interacting with our hardware devices. Each new development opens up a new project with a new set of user requirements that needs to be solved. In this component, pupils will learn different project planning techniques that can be used to both plan and deliver a project that meets a set of user requirements. Pupils will develop their understanding of what makes an effective user interface and how to effectively manage a project. They will use this understanding to plan, design and create a user interface. This component will build on Key Stage 3 where pupils have learned about computer systems and software applications. 

Topics covered include: 

• Understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of IT, including the use of IT in the digital world, Internet of Everything, data manipulation and Augmented Reality    

• Understand, apply and use IT appropriately and effectively for the purpose and audience    

• develop learning and practical skills that can be applied to real-life contexts and work situations  

• Think creatively, innovatively, analytically, logically and critically •   

• Develop independence and confidence in using skills that would be relevant to the IT sector and more widely    

• Plan, design, create, test and evaluate/review IT solutions and products which are fit for purpose and meeting user/client requirements and apply design and Human Computer Interface (HCI) considerations appropriate for a defined audience    

• Understand the impacts of digital technologies on the individual, organisation and wider society 

Cambridge National Level 2 in Creative iMedia 

The Cambridge National Level 2 in Creative iMedia is a hands-on, vocational qualification designed to give students a head start in the digital media industry. Unlike a traditional GCSE that might focus heavily on theory, this course is built around "learning by doing." Students explore how professional media products—like digital graphics, websites, animations, and games—are actually planned and created in the real world. They don't just learn to use software like Adobe Photoshop; they learn how to follow a client brief, manage deadlines, and understand the legal and ethical rules that professional designers live by. 

The course is structured to balance a written exam with practical, project-based coursework (Non-Examined Assessment). Typically, students complete a mandatory unit on Visual Identity and Digital Graphics, where they design branding for a specific audience, alongside an optional unit that could range from game design to comic book creation. A final written exam covers the broader media industry, ensuring they understand the "why" behind the "how." It’s an ideal choice for students who are creative, enjoy working with technology, and prefer a qualification where their hard work throughout the year contributes directly to their final grade.