Computer Science

A Level Computer Science is valued by universities and employers since it requires the development of analytical thinking and problem-solving skills.

It also provides excellent preparation for the study of Computer Science at undergraduate level and for the Computing element of Mathematical, Engineering and Scientific degrees. Although no prior study of Computer Science is required, students that have an interest in programming and problem-solving gain most from the course.

The department uses the AQA A Level in Computer Science due to its modern content and its academic though practical nature.

Students will develop a working understanding of object-oriented design techniques, the C# programming language, functional programming via the Haskell programming language, abstract data types, computer hardware, database design using SQL and techniques used to represent data.

Students are assessed via a practical programming paper, a written theoretical paper and a programming project. A significant amount of time is therefore spent developing students programming and problem-solving skills over the duration of the course.