Computer Science is offered at Key Stage 3 Level to the top two sets in each year group. Throughout both years, students explore a diverse range of theoretical and practical topics within the subject. In Year 7, we introduce students to the fundamentals of Computer Science through drag-and-drop block coding techniques using the website code.org. This approach fosters logical thinking and familiarises them with computational methods. These foundational skills are further developed as students transition into Year 8, where they begin coding with Small Basic—a great entry point for learning formal text-based programming languages like Python, which they will encounter if they choose to continue studying Computer Science at Key Stage 4.

In terms of theory, Year 7 focusses on the importance of Cyber Security, covering various types of threats and strategies for self-protection. In Year 8, students delve deeper into the inner workings of computers. They learn about the binary system, mastering skills such as writing in binary, converting between binary, denary, and hexadecimal, as well as performing binary addition and shifts. Additionally, they study key hardware components and the role of the Central Processing Unit, providing them with a comprehensive understanding of how computers operate.