Computer Science Department – Statement of Intent

At Washington Academy, our Computer Science curriculum is grounded in our commitment to equity, opportunity, and ambition for every learner, regardless of background, gender, sexual orientation, or ability. We believe that a high-quality computing education is essential in empowering all students to participate meaningfully in a digital world and to open every possible door to their future.

Our intent is to provide all students with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to become critical, creative, and responsible users of technology. In a world where technology is evolving at an ever-increasing pace, we are determined that all students—whether they arrive with extensive digital experience or limited access to technology—are fully equipped to meet these challenges with resilience and capability.

The computing curriculum at Washington Academy is carefully sequenced and designed using guidance from the National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE) and delivered through the OCR GCSE Computer Science specification at KS4. This ensures a coherent and progressive learning journey that prepares learners for continued study at KS5 and beyond.

Through a blend of practical application, theoretical understanding, and problem-solving, students engage with a wide range of key computing concepts. These include digital literacy, computational thinking, computer architecture, networks, programming, and the ethical implications of technology. Our curriculum is ambitious and inclusive, and it supports students in becoming digitally literate citizens who can think logically, evaluate critically, and act responsibly.

We embed literacy and numeracy across the curriculum by explicitly teaching Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary, incorporating structured writing tasks, and using practical data-driven tasks to reinforce mathematical reasoning. This approach not only strengthens core skills but ensures computing learning is transferable across subjects and real-life contexts.

Our core knowledge and skill development focuses on the following areas:

1. Digital Literacy – Creating, reusing, and repurposing digital artefacts confidently and responsibly.
2. Hardware – Understanding the components of computer systems and their real-world applications.
3. Software – Selecting and using appropriate applications to complete tasks effectively.
4. Computational Thinking – Applying decomposition, abstraction, pattern recognition and algorithms to problem-solving.
5. Logic – Using Boolean logic in programming and understanding its role in computing systems.
6. Data Representation – Exploring how data such as text, images, and sound are represented in binary.
7. Programming – Developing solutions using at least two programming languages.
8. Communication – Understanding how data is transmitted across networks and their societal importance.
9. Responsibility – Investigating the legal, ethical, and environmental implications of digital technology.
10. E-Safety – Promoting safe, respectful, and informed use of digital technologies.

Ultimately, our aim is to ensure that every student leaves Washington Academy equipped not only with a strong foundation in Computer Science but also with the digital resilience, confidence, and competence to thrive in further education, the workplace, and life.