Computer Science at Ashford School is built around the principle that every child should have the opportunity to become a creator of technology, not just a consumer.
In a rapidly changing world, digital skills are a vital part of both work and home lives, and we aim to develop interest and understanding as well as encourage students to be creative and independent in how they approach tasks. This happens both in class and through a variety of national competitions that students enter into.
At Key Stage 3, we seek to improve pupils’ digital literacy, making them confident users of technology, and allowing them to begin creating programs for themselves, teaching the principles behind coding and encouraging creativity via a wide variety of projects. Students may then choose to continue their studies into GCSE and A-Level, during which they hone their programming skills and learn about the inside workings of technological devices and their uses in society.
At A-Level, students are required to create their own application with many choosing to indulge in their own interests by creating games. Many of our students develop a passion for the mixture of technological knowledge and creative problem solving that Computer Science entails, going on to study the subject further at university.
Computer Science is encouraged outside of the classroom as well as within. As part of our extensive co-curricular programme, the School organises and runs a popular Coding Club and Cybersecurity Club. Recently, one of Ashford School’s Cybersecurity enthusiasts travelled to the USA for the US Embassy-funded Future Cybersecurity Leaders Exchange Programme. You can read about this here.