Computing & Business

KS3 Description of the key skills, knowledge and understanding that are a prime focus of KS3 teaching in the subject area

A high-quality computing education equips pupils to use computational thinking and
creativity to understand and change the world. Computing has deep links with
mathematics, science, and design and technology, and provides insights into both natural
and artificial systems. The core of computing is computer science, in which pupils are
taught the principles of information and computation, how digital systems work, and how to
put this knowledge to use through programming. Building on this knowledge and
understanding, pupils are equipped to use information technology to create programs,
systems and a range of content. Computing also ensures that pupils become digitally
literate – able to use, and express themselves and develop their ideas through, information
and communication technology – at a level suitable for the future workplace and as active
participants in a digital world.

Organisation of the KS3 curriculum and how students are assessed (brief summary of long term plan of units and very approximate timings.

Year 7 – E-Safety & Using the School Network, Flowol, Understanding Computers, Programming the BBC MicroBit,  
Year 8 – E-Safety Multimedia, Processing, Introduction to Python, History of Computers & Cryptography. 
Year 9 – Next Steps Python, introduction to iMedia and Graphics.

Sources of information that may be useful

www.teach-ict.com
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize
www.hourofcode.com/learn/
https://www.codecademy.com/learn/python

KS4 Description of the key skills, knowledge and understanding that are a prime focus of KS4 teaching in the subject area

In Business learners apply their knowledge and understanding to different business contexts ranging from small enterprises to large multinationals and businesses operating in local, national and global contexts. They develop an understanding of how these contexts impact on business behaviour.

Learners will apply their knowledge and understanding to business decision making including:
• the interdependent nature of business activity, influences on business, business operations, finance, marketing and human resources, and how these interdependencies underpin business decision making
• how different business contexts affect business decisions
• the use and limitation of quantitative and qualitative data in making business decisions.
Our specification requires students to draw on the knowledge and understanding to:
• use business terminology to identify and explain business activity
• apply business concepts to familiar and unfamiliar contexts
• develop problem solving and decision making skills relevant to business
• investigate, analyse and evaluate business opportunities and issues
• make justified decisions using both qualitative and quantitative data including its selection,
interpretation, analysis and evaluation, and the application of appropriate quantitative skills.

Organisation of the KS4 curriculum (brief summary of long term plan of units and very approximate timings)

Learners will study the following units throughout Years 10 and 11:
1 Business in the real world
2 Influences on business
3 Business operations
4 Human resources
5 Marketing
6 Finance

Assessment

Paper 1: Influences of operations and HRM on business activity
What’s assessed:
• Business in the real world
• Influences on business
• Business operations
• Human resources
How it’s assessed
• Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes
• 90 marks
• 50 % of GCSE
Questions
• Section A has multiple choice questions and short answer questions worth 20 marks.
• Section B has one case study/data response stimuli with questions worth approximately 34 marks.
• Section C has one case study/data response stimuli with questions worth approximately 36 marks.

Paper 2: Influences of marketing and finance on business activity
What’s assessed
• Business in the real world
• Influences on business
• Marketing
• Finance
How it’s assessed
• Written exam: 1 hour 45 minutes
• 90 marks
• 50 % of GCSE
Questions
• Section A has multiple choice questions and short answer questions worth 20 marks.
• Section B has one case study/data response stimuli with questions worth approximately 34 marks.
• Section C has one case study/data response stimuli with questions worth approximately 36 marks.

Sources of information that may be useful

http://www.businessed.co.uk
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/subjects/zpsvr82

KS4 Description of the key skills, knowledge and understanding that are a prime focus of KS4 teaching in the subject area

Computer Science brings with it a range of theoretical and practical skills that examine how computers work and how programs are planned and written. Although computers are used for processing data and information, the study of Computer Science looks at creating such processes from scratch. This includes using a range of programming languages to solve problems, however, it is the solving of such problems that encompasses the main focus in the subject. Computational thinking (the ability to ‘think like a computer’ and formulate effective solutions to problems) is a key skill that learners will grasp during the study of Computer Science. The creation and understanding of algorithms to plan code and the ability to decompose problems down into smaller steps is a key part of understanding computer programming.

The GCSE also combines sciences and mathematics to understand how computers use binary to represent all data and grasp key concepts of computer hardware and software. How do hardware and software communicate? How does a CPU understand numbers, characters, images and sound? How do computers communicate with each other over networks and the internet? Issues around cyber security and prevention are also studied, looking at a range of threats to computer systems and how to tackle them.

Organisation of the KS4 curriculum (brief summary of long term plan of units and very approximate timings)

The course begins with learning key concepts of programming and algorithms. This includes creating algorithms to solve particular programs and then implementing these in a programming language. Intertwined with this theoretical concepts of computing are covered in preparation for the Computer Systems exam.

Throughout the two years, learners will become competent coders who are able to use decomposition to break problems down into smaller steps, plan how to solve these problems and draw effective results using Python programming languages as well as others. Much of the development that takes place focuses on ‘thinking’ how to go about creating these solutions to develop strong computational thinkers.

Assessment

Students sit two examinations at the end of Year 11
• Computer Systems Examination – 1 hour 30 minutes (50% of GCSE)
• Computational thinking, algorithms and programming (CTAP) – Examination – 1 hour 30 minutes (50% of GCSE)