Computer Science

Applications Open: - Friday 28th November 2025

Applications Close: - Friday 6 February 2026 - Please note - If you do not complete your application fully by the deadline of Friday 6 February 2026, we may not be able to consider it until August when GCSE results are published.

How to Apply:

Internal students - Applications to join our Sixth Form, via Applicaa, can be made via this link Mayfield Grammar School, Gravesend (applicaa.com). PLEASE NOTE that you should use an e-mail address that you check regularly as the Applicca system will contact you with updates about your application.

External students - Year 11 Students from other schools applying to Mayfield Grammar School should apply via KentChoices using this link - https://www.kentprospectus.co.uk/login. Please note - After sending your application, you'll receive a welcome email from Applicaa asking for further information.

If you applied to us before the deadline but have not heard from us for a while please bear with us, we are working through the applications and will get back to you with our decision and advice as soon as we can. We will continue to send messages via Applicaa so please logon from time to time to check if we need some additional information from you

Applications After the deadline

Students who are interested in applying to Mayfield Grammar School for Sixth Form but have missed our application process can contact us once they have their GCSE results in August. After the publication of GCSE examinations results in August we ask that you make an appointment to discuss your application with the Sixth Form team. You need to call 01474 352896 or email admissions@mgsg.kent.sch.uk. Please check you have met our entry criteria for the subjects you want to study and read our Options Booklet under the Sixth Form tab on our website for our general entry criteria. If you meet our criteria, please get in touch, and bring your original documents for GCSE Results Summary and Birth Certificate as ID when you are offered an appointment.

Entry Requirements: -

Entry to the Sixth Form is dependent on demonstrating achievements which show general breadth of ability as well as depth in the specific courses chosen for study in the Sixth Form. For this reason you will need to have achieved all the following:

1. A minimum of 6 GCSEs at Grade 5 and above, preferably on the higher papers, in discrete subjects, with the exception of Combined Science, which counts as two subjects.

2. Grade 5 or above in GCSE English and GCSE Mathematics.

3. To have met the requirements of the individual subjects that you intend to study at A Level/Level 3, which are all, with the exception of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Further Mathematics and Languages, a minimum of Grade 6 at GCSE on the Higher papers. This is essential.

Essential Skills

This exciting course offers students the ability to learn computer programming and the technology that makes computers work. The essential skills for this include a logical and systematic approach to solving problems, a keen interest in technology and a good ability in Mathematics.

Years 1 and 2

There are three sections in this course, the Programming and System development component contains the majority of the content of the specification and is assessed in a written paper recalling knowledge and understanding. The second part is Computer Architecture, Data, Communication and Applications. The programming project component is a practical project based assessment with a task that is chosen by the teacher or learner and is produced in an appropriate programming language of the learner’s or teacher’s choice.

The written examination paper in Computer Architecture, Data, Communication and Applications includes these topics: Characteristics of contemporary processors; Software and development; Exchanging data; Data types structures and algorithms; Legal, moral and ethical issues.

The written examination paper in Programming and System development includes these topics: Elements of computational thinking; Problem solving and programming; Algorithms to solve problems and standard algorithms.

The programming project includes the following: This is an extended piece of written work and coding which is aimed to create a full application for a specific client, it follows this pattern: Discussion, Investigation, Design of the solution, Developing the solution, Testing and Evaluation

This is an exciting course which will enable students to develop skills that can be applied to solve real world scenarios.

The assessment is broken down into the following, the examination papers are taken at the end of the two year course.

Component 1 Examination Paper 40% final mark

Component 2 Examination Paper 40% final mark

Component 3 Non-Examination Assessment 20%

Lessons are a mixture of theory with practical lessons, the coding languages used are VB or C# as well as others which are included for specific topics.

Grade 6 in GCSE Computer Science

We strongly advise that students taking AL Science have at least a grade 6 in GCSE Mathematics.

University requirements

The majority of universities offer degree courses in Computer Science. The Computer Science A2 is accepted by the Russell Group as a useful A level for a wide range of courses from Biology to Civil Engineering.

Typical offers: Imperial: A*AAA – A*AA; Oxbridge: A*AA; Kent: BBB

Links to Further Education

Biology, Psychology, Engineering, Computer Science

Links to Careers

Computing related careers, software designer, project management.