The ability to use technology confidently, creatively and productively is a vital life skill for pupils today – and we ensure it is embedded throughout the curriculum.
Advanced information and communications technologies are now part of the fabric of everyday life – and their applications are expanding continuously. Computer Science is significantly enhancing and altering human activity, and enabling us to live, work and think in ways that seemed impossible only a decade ago.
It is simply an essential life skill today, which is why we teach Computer Science as a discrete subject in the first year (Fourth Form), and integrate its use into all subjects at all levels.
Computer Science has the ability to motivate and enthuse pupils, enabling them to work individually, co-operatively and collaboratively both inside and outside the classroom. Pupils learn to use Computer Science to aid administration, simplify repetitive tasks and organise their work for other subjects. They are taught how to use Computer Science to produce effective solutions to real-world problems, and develop skills in analysis, logical thinking and creativity. They are also given the chance to explore their ingenuity by producing the sorts of digital media that are now widely used in marketing, and by creating their own computer games.
The Computer Science department encourages pupils to further their interests in technology through extra-curricular activities. Pupils can build their own devices from scratch, including water-cooled gaming PCs and musical alarm clocks. An annual robotics event challenges pupils from each house to design and build a robot, write the code to give it movement, and then compete against other houses. Marks are awarded for manoeuvrability, artistic design and competitive success.