Computing & Business

“As technology continues to progressively impact on all aspects of our lives, here at City Academy Birmingham  we focus on imparting computational thinking as well as digital literacy, creative and e-safety skills across our curriculum. 

Staff

Miss Dixon – Head of Department

Miss Lewis – Computing and Business Studies

Mrs Aslam – Business Studies

Mr Allen – Computing and Business Studies

We teach KS3 Computing which covers a range of both digital literacy, and computer science skills.  Pupils then have the option to study GCSE’s in Business Studies, Media Studies, and Computer Science and/or Level 2 iMedia (Creative ICT).

By providing a range of topics and subject within the faculty we:

• Ensure that all pupils have the opportunity to take part in challenging lessons that promote and nurture of computer science.
• Develop computational thinking; which can then be employed as cross-curricular  skill.
• Cultivate both independent and collaborative learners.
• Equip pupils to use technology with an open mind-set inclusive of moral, social and ethical drawbacks and benefits.
• Pupils are educated around the dangers and opportunities that Computer Science, inclusive of ICT contain.

KS3 Computing

KS4 (Years 9, 10, 11)

These courses are optional.

OCR Cambridge Nationals iMedia

4 Units of work 3 of which are course work. The units are selected based on the teaching groups strengths mainly around designing, creating and evaluating creative multimedia based artefacts.  The exam unit is the study of Preproduction skills (Unit R081).

OCR GCSE Business Studies

7 Units of work – Ranging from ‘The Role of business enterprise and entrepreneurship’ and ‘Business Planning’ to ‘Ethical and environmental considerations’ and ‘The interdependent nature of business’.  These 7 units will result in two exams paper 1 – Business activity marketing and people and paper 2 operations, finance and influences on business. Both exams are taken in year 11.

AQA GCSE Media Studies

4 units of study including an NEA (None Examination Assessment). Pupils are assessed on Media language, media representation, media industries and media audiences.   There are 3 assessment objective (AOs) over 2 exam papers.

OCR GSCE Computer Science

3 units of study including NEA; a 20 hour coding project. The other 2 units of study cover Component 1 covering topics such as System Architecture and System Software.  In year 11 pupils will complete their NEA which will allow pupils to showcase their understanding of algorithms, program design and techniques.