British (UK)

The National Curriculum of England (UK) is a very structured curriculum that is designed to meet the needs of all students, stretching brighter children and supporting those who need it through differentiated teaching and learning activities. The curriculum extends and excites all students, whatever their interests or ability. Through it, teachers are able to identify, celebrate and nurture the talents and intelligences of students.

British education is renowned for concerning itself with the development of the whole personality.

In the British education system, students are taught to learn by questioning, problem-solving and creative thinking rather than by the mere retention of facts, hence giving them analytical and creative thinking skills that they will need in the working world. A variety of teaching and assessment methods designed to develop independent thought as well as a mastery of the subject matter is used.

The National Curriculum of England has a clearly defined series of academic and other objectives at every level. mydrasa focuses on Key stage 3 (Year 7-9), Key stage 4 IGCSE/GCSE (Year 10-11) and Key stage 5 A-Level (Year 12-13).

mydrasa added subjects related to Key stage 4 to Year 9, and added subjects related to Key stage 5 to Year 11 for student preparation.

IGCSE stands for the "International General Certificate of Secondary Education". It is a program leading to externally set, marked and certificated examinations from the University of Cambridge. Any student who takes an IGCSE subject will be gaining a qualification that is recognized globally.

The exam boards covered under the International GCSE are Cambridge, Edexcel, and Oxford AQA.

SUbjects

Subjects

Cambridge - Computer Science - 0478

  • Overview
  • Chapters

The aims describe the purposes of a course based on this syllabus. The aims are to develop:

· computational thinking, that is thinking about what can be computed and how, and includes consideration of the data required

· understanding of the main principles of solving problems by using computers

· understanding that every computer system is made up of sub-systems, which in turn consist of further

sub-systems

· understanding of the component parts of computer systems and how they interrelate, including software, data, hardware, communications and people

· skills necessary to apply understanding to solve computer-based problems using a high-level programming language.

  • 1: Data representation
    1.1: Binary systems
    1.1.1: Recognise the use of binary numbers in computer systems
    1.1.2: Convert positive denary integers & positive binary integers
    1.1.3: Show understanding of the concept of a byte & its use to measure memory size
    1.1.4: Use binary in computer registers for a given application
    1.2: Hexadecimal
    1.2.1: Represent positive numbers in hexadecimal notation
    1.2.2: The reasons for choosing hexadecimal notation to represent numbers
    1.2.3: Convert positive hexadecimal integers to and from denary
    1.2.4: Convert positive hexadecimal integers to and from binary
    1.2.5: Represent numbers stored in registers and main memory as hexadecimal
    1.2.6: Identify current uses of hexadecimal numbers in computing
    1.3: Data storage
    1.3.1: Sound (music), pictures, video, text and numbers are stored in different formats
    1.3.2: Identify and describe methods of error detection and correction
    1.3.3: Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) files, JPEG files, MP3 and MP4 files
    1.3.4: The principles of data compression applied to music/video, photos & text files
  • 2: Communication and internet technologies
    2.1: Data transmission
    2.1.1: Show understanding of what is meant by transmission of data
    2.1.2: Distinguish between serial and parallel data transmission
    2.1.3: Distinguish between simplex, duplex and half-duplex data transmission
    2.1.4: The reasons for choosing serial or parallel data transmission
    2.1.5: Show understanding of the need to check for errors
    2.1.6: Explain how parity bits are used for error detection
    2.1.7: The use of serial and parallel data transmission, in (USB) and (IC)
    2.2: Security aspects
    2.2.1: The security aspects of using the Internet & methods to minimise the risks
    2.2.2: Show understanding of the Internet risks associated with malware
    2.2.3: How anti-virus & other protection software helps to protect from security risks
    2.3: Internet principles of operation
    2.3.1: Show understanding of the role of the browser
    2.3.2: Show understanding of the role of an Internet Service Provider (ISP)
    2.3.3: What is meant by hypertext transfer protocol (http and https) and HTML
    2.3.4: Distinguish between HTML structure and presentation
    2.3.5: The concepts MAC address, (IP) address, Uniform Resource Locator (URL) & cookies
  • 3: Hardware and software
    3.1: Logic gates
    3.1.1: Use logic gates to create electronic circuits
    3.1.2: Understand & define the functions of NOT, AND, OR, NAND, NOR and XOR (EOR) gates
    3.1.3: Draw truth tables and recognise a logic gate from its truth table
    3.1.4: Recognise and use the following standard symbols used to represent logic gates
    3.1.5: produce truth tables for given logic circuits
    3.1.6: Produce a logic circuit to solve a given problem
    3.2: Computer architecture and the fetch-execute cycle
    3.2.1: Show understanding of the basic Von Neumann model for a computer system
    3.2.2: The stages of the fetch-execute cycle, including the use of registers and buses
    3.3: Input devices
    3.3.1: Describe the principles of operation of the input devices (how they work)
    3.3.2: Describe how these principles are applied to real-life scenarios
    3.3.3: Describe how a range of sensors can be used to input data into a computer system
    3.3.4: Describe how these sensors are used in real-life scenarios
    3.4: Output devices
    3.4.1: Describe the principles of operation of the output devices
    3.4.2: How these principles are applied to real-life scenarios
    3.5: Memory, storage devices and media
    3.5.1: The difference between: primary, secondary and off-line storage
    3.5.2: The principles of operation of a range of types of storage device and media
    3.5.3: How these principles are applied to currently available storage solutions
    3.5.4: Calculate the storage requirement of a file
    3.6: Operating systems
    3.6.1: Describe the purpose of an operating system
    3.6.2: Show understanding of the need for interrupts
    3.7: High- and low-level languages and their translators
    3.7.1: Show understanding of the need for both high-level and low-level languages
    3.7.2: The need for compilers when translating programs written in high-level language
    3.7.3: Show understanding of the use of interpreters with high-level language programs
    3.7.4: The need for assemblers when translating programs written in assembly language
  • 4: Security
    4.1: Security
    4.1.1: Show understanding of the need to keep data safe from accidental damage
    4.1.2: Show understanding of the need to keep data safe from malicious actions
    4.1.3: Show understanding of how data are kept safe when stored and transmitted
    4.1.4: Show understanding of the need to keep online systems safe from attacks
    4.1.5: Keeping (data/online systems) safe and real-life scenarios
  • 5: Ethics
    5.1: Ethics
    5.1.1: Show understanding of computer ethics
    5.1.2: Distinguish between free software, freeware and shareware
    5.1.3: The spread of electronic communication & computer systems ethical issues
  • 6: Algorithm design and problem-solving
    6.1: Problem-solving and design
    6.1.1: Show understanding that every computer system is made up of sub-systems
    6.1.2: Use top-down design, diagrams, pseudocode, flowcharts & library routines
    6.1.3: Work out the purpose of a given algorithm
    6.1.4: Explain standard methods of solution
    6.1.5: Suggest and apply suitable test data
    6.1.6: The need for validation and verification checks to be made on input data
    6.1.7: Use trace tables to find the value of variables at each step in an algorithm
    6.1.8: Identify errors in given algorithms and suggest ways of removing these errors
    6.1.9: Produce an algorithm for a given problem
    6.1.10: Comment on the effectiveness of a given solution
    6.2: Pseudocode and flowcharts
    6.2.1: Understand and use pseudocode for assignment, using ←
    6.2.2: Understand and use pseudocode, using the conditional statements
    6.2.3: Understand and use pseudocode, using the loop structures
    6.2.4: Understand and use pseudocode, using the commands and statements
    6.2.5: Understand and use standard flowchart symbols
  • 7: Programming
    7.1: Programming concepts
    7.1.1: Declare and use variables and constants
    7.1.2: Understand and use basic data types
    7.1.3: The concepts of sequence, selection, repetition, totalling and counting
    7.1.4: Use predefined procedures/functions
    7.2: Data structures; arrays
    7.2.1: Declare and use one-dimensional arrays
    7.2.2: The use of one-dimensional arrays, the use of a variable as an index in an array
    7.2.3: Read or write values in an array using a FOR … TO … NEXT loop
  • 8: Databases
    8.1: Databases
    8.1.1: Define a single-table database from given data storage requirements
    8.1.2: Choose and specify suitable data types
    8.1.3: Choose a suitable primary key for a database table
    8.1.4: Perform a query-by-example from given search criteria

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