#Being Prepared for Learning in Computer Science at Long Road At Long Road there are three Computer Science courses that can be studied:
- GCSE Computer Science
- AS Computing
- A2 Computing
All of these courses share the same core requirements but each may have additional requirements that are specific to that course.
##Study Expectations It is expected that all students will make time outside of lessons to complete work for their classes. This time may be spent completing homework assignments, practicing programming or revising and improving any notes they have made in lessons.
At a minimum it is expected that each student will spend between 4 and 4.5 hours per week outside lessons studying Computer Science at GCSE and AS Level. By A2, students should be spending between 6.5-7 hours per week.
Keep in mind that these are minimum expectations and that to achieve high grades significantly more time will need to be invested.
###AS Level and GCSE In a typical week an AS or GCSE student will be given the following assignments to complete:
- A written homework based on theory lessons
- A range of programming exercises that can be worked on both during and outside lessons
It is expected that all theory homework issued should be completed and submitted in accordance with our homework policy.
Learning to program is much more of a continuous activity and students are advised to spend approximately 30 minutes per day working on tasks from the programming exercises they have been issued.
###A2 Level In addition to studying additional theory topics, students at A2 level will also complete a project involving a lengthy piece of coursework. This project was started at the end of Year 12 and will not be completed until April next year.
Generally there will still be written homework based on theory lessons set every week in accordance with our homework policy. However, sometimes it will be necessary for students to focus their attention on the development of their project program or coursework write-up and therefore some weeks there will not be a theory homework issued.
####Project The project at A2 is based around the development of a computer program to solve a problem for a client. Normally this client is a family member so you may already be aware of this and have been involved in the initial stages of this process.
Because the project lasts all year a series of deadlines for each section of the coursework has been issued. These deadlines are designed to help students manage their time and also ensure that it is possible to provide feedback and guidance to each student. You can find a list of deadlines for the current year with the guidance notes for the project.
Please be aware that there are only two submission deadlines for each section:
- an initial deadline for the students to gain feedback and guidance on their work for a particular section
- a final deadline for the completed section
If the initial deadline is missed no individual feedback and guidance will be issued and if the final deadline is missed it is not possible for the work for that section to be marked or submitted - this is in accordance with our coursework policy.
For each section of the project, the class teacher will issue the section about one month ahead of the deadline and provide guidance and advice as well as devoting some class time each week to aid the students in completing the section.
Finally, many students find the project challenging, especially the programming aspect of it, and to be successful it may be necessary for individual students to spend significantly more time each week than the suggested minimum of 6.5-7 hours.
##Equipment to Bring Students should bring the following equipment to lessons:
- The textbook they have been issued (AS and A2 Computing only)
- A notepad
- Enough pens to ensure that they always have a working one
- A pencil, rubber, ruler and pencil sharpener
- A folder and dividers to organise their notes
In addition, students should always be able to access electronic files such as programs or notes they have written at home. We suggest that they use a service such as Dropbox or Google Drive to ensure that this is possible.
##Other Information for Parents and Carers
###Workshop Many students will find that they need to seek additional assistance to complete the assignments they have been issued with. We run drop-in workshops at the following times:
- Tuesday 9.00-9.45 a.m.
- Tuesday 3.25-4.10 p.m.
Normally attendance to these workshops is voluntary and students are free to come and go as they please. However, sometimes it may be necessary for a student to catch up on a missed test or they may have demonstrated that they need to be supervised in order for them to complete homework successfully. In these instances we reserve the right to insist that students attend.
###Other opportunities for assistance Sometimes students may not be able to attend workshop or they may come across a problem that can't wait until the following week. In these instances students are free to e-mail their class teacher for additional support or attempt to arrange an alternative time to get support at a break or lunchtime. Please keep in mind that it may not always be possible to arrange support at these times and attendance to workshop is strongly encouraged.
###Access to a computer Whilst it is possible to successfully complete the course without access to a computer at home, it is recommended that each student have access to a computer on which they are allowed to install software. You can find a list of the software requirements for the course on our Getting Started guide. In general, the software required for the course is either free or there is a free alternative.
If it is not possible for the student to have access to a computer at home there are computers in both the Learning Resource Centre (LRC) and Student Centre that are available for the students to use during study periods.
###Backing up of electronic files It is the student's responsibility to ensure that they have an up to date back-up of all of their work at all times. We suggest that they store their files on an service such as Dropbox or Google Drive and have an additional copy of their files stored elsewhere.
We spend quite a bit of time explaining the need for backing up files and remind the students frequently. We will not be sympathetic to a student who loses their work and doesn't have a back-up copy.