Computer Science

OCR’s pioneering syllabus ensures we are at the forefront of the introduction of modern computing into the school curriculum. Coding skills are taught from Y5 and programming languages from Y7. Our students become familiar with robotics and basic AI algorithms as well acquiring the basic ICT skills we all need. We make use of Google Classroom and Cloud based document-sharing for homework and collaborative work. We offer qualifications at GCSE, AS and A level.

The computer suites are generally open during break and after school, in addition to timetabled lessons. The Computer Science department actively supports the photography, music composition and film-making courses within the school.

3D Modelling with Blender in Year 8

In the last half-term Year 8 students have been learning about 3D modelling – a topic that marries Computer Science with the Arts.

We started by creating basic geometric shapes such as planes, cubes and spheres, and then reshaped them into something more complex and added materials for a final touch.

Switched on Computing

The Switched on Computing team is challenging primary school children to design their own e-safety poster.

All the entries will be showcased on their website

The poster should:
1) provide advice about e-safety
2) be written for primary school children
3) be colourful and engaging

Prizes:

1st prize
The... winning poster will be professionally printed and presented to your school.

The school will receive £500 voucher to spend on an Rising Stars resources
The pupils will win a set of learn to code books worth £300.

2nd prize
The school will receive £200 voucher to spend on an Rising Stars resources.
The pupils will win a set of learn to code books worth £300.

3rd prize
The school will receive £100 voucher to spend on an Rising Stars sources.
The pupils will win a set of learn to code books worth £300.

Entries to be submitted can be JPEG, PDF, PowerPoint, or Word or a photograph of a drawing. All entries should be emailed to oliviatanner@risingstars-uk.com

Please go to www.switchedoncomputing.co.uk/esafety for further details.

Closing date: 31st July 2015.

The Red Button Challenge

Like the 1960s film by John Sturges from the American frontier, our magnificent seven walked in to conquer all or nothing at Cisco’s Headquarters.

Cisco’s annual schools’ challenge has run for several years as ‘The Red Button Challenge’. This year it is called ‘The Little Big Awards’ to... align it with the annual BIG (Business Innovation Gateway) Awards for innovators, entrepreneurs and businesses (www.thebigawards.co.uk).

The group presented their ideas about the MarketFinder app, at Cisco’s Headquarters on Friday 20th March and were amongst nine other high performing surrey schools competing for the prize.

The group consisted:
1. Rahman Aghazada
2. Taran Llewelyn Bradford (Computing Newsletters correspondent: Year 9 )
3. Gerard Glowacki
4. Bert Harle
5. Anna Kodicek
6. Danial Kamal Shahreen
7. Anais Venkatasawmy

The group ideas were based upon:
— MarketFinder is an app that allows you to find street markets in your area.
— You can discover new markets that you had never heard of before.
— Market holders can upload their markets onto our app and this will allow them to reach a larger audience.

As a whole group they presented their ideas with panache and with a slice of HCH humour.
The group received a certificate of participation for their tremendous efforts to research, develop and present their creative excellence after an intense interrogation by several judges.

The group are to be congratulated for all the efforts to work as a team.

Visit to Bletchley Park

We all found the visit to Bletchley Park of historical significance.
We saw Cottage 3, from where Alan Turing was able to decode the Nazi’s enigma machine.

From within the Chauffeur’s Hut, we were provided with a brilliant account of the historical events at Bletchley, and the importance why we should... remember the efforts of the men and women who successfully decoded messages during WW2.

Inside the grand house we saw the exhibition film trailer: The Imitation Game, Benedict Cumberbatch’s representation of Turing’s brilliant mind to decode the Nazi’s codes.

Imogen feel in love with Bletchley, she loved the history and the cyphering.

The park is still an extraordinary and special place even after all these years and one we all thought we to had to revisit again, but perhaps better with the summer sun.

An Hour of Code

On the 12th December, Year 3 and Year 4 took part in The Computer Science Education Week: An Hour of Code event. Over 17 million people worldwide also took part with the aim to introduce programming to those who had never tried it before. The event was supported by big names including Bill Gates, Mark... Zuckerberg and Black Eyed Peas star will.i.am.

The students programmed in a visual block language called Blockly and had to complete a number of scenarios based around Angry Birds and Plants vs Zombies.

For the majority of the students it was the first time they have tried any programming, yet the feedback from them was excellent and many of them have expressed an interest to carry on coding at home in their free time.

For more information go to www.code.org.

Festival of Code

In case you missed it, there was prominent coverage last month in The Times of Hampton Court House’s participation in the annual Festival of Code, which celebrates the computer programming skills of children aged 5 to 18. Gerard in Year 8 wrote a program to compare the correlation between government... data on land values, educational grades and internet download speeds. Gerard clearly made an impression on the Times reporter and was quoted at some length. And Bert (also Year 8) attended a week’s robotics course at Imperial College. Congratulations to them and indeed to everyone else who took part in extra-curricular activities over the summer.

Hampton Court House Leads the way in Computer Science

At the start of the 2011 school year, HCH changed its views on ICT and implemented a more computer science curriculum. This turned out to be the correct decision as in 2012 Michael Gove heavily criticised the national ICT curriculum and instructed schools across the country to start teaching more computing...