GCSE
The whole GCSE computer science course, matched to the OCR, AQA and Edexcel specifications. Pick this if you are working towards a GCSE.
Start in the simulatorF1. Programming basics
Sequence, output, functions, errors, variables, input, data types and arithmetic: the start of GCSE programming, with a robot that talks,…
10 lessons
F2. Decisions and loops
Blocks, selection with if, elif and match, Boolean operators, for and while loops and the patterns they make: the robot starts reacting to…
8 lessons
F3. Strings, lists and records
Strings taken apart and joined, character codes, lists and 2D arrays, records and random numbers: the robot's readings and messages as data.
8 lessons
F4. Functions and structured code
Writing functions, parameters and return values, scope, decomposition and abstraction, libraries and modules: a robot program broken into…
6 lessons
F5. Algorithms
What an algorithm is, flowcharts, pseudocode and trace tables, then the standard searches and sorts, heard on the robot's buzzer and…
10 lessons
F6. Robust programs
Validation, authentication, testing and debugging, then the languages and translators behind it all and the IDE: a robot that survives bad…
7 lessons
F7. Files and databases
Reading and writing files, relational databases and SQL: logging the robot's runs and asking questions of the log.
5 lessons
F8. Data representation
Bits and units, binary, hex, binary arithmetic, characters, images, sound and compression: the robot's camera pixels, LED colours and…
10 lessons
F9. Logic and computer systems
Logic gates and circuits, the von Neumann machine, the CPU and its performance, memory, storage, embedded systems and operating systems,…
9 lessons
F10. Networks
LANs and WANs, network hardware, performance, topologies, addresses and packets, DNS and the cloud, protocols and layers, with the robots…
9 lessons
F11. Cyber security
Threats and defences: malware, social engineering, network attacks, passwords, encryption, firewalls and secure programming, with the…
9 lessons
F12. Technology and society
The impacts of computing: privacy and the law, copyright and licences, the environment, the digital divide, accessibility, AI and bias,…
9 lessons
F13. Exam preparation
Getting the marks: how the papers work, command words, trace tables, pseudocode, programming and long answers, where marks are lost,…
9 lessons