Computer Science A Level

Applications open: 13 November 2025 at 4pm

Applications close: 02 April 2026 - applications are now officially closed, but we may still consider late applications

How to apply

Internal students - Apply via Applicaa using this link https://leighacademyminster.applicaa.com/

External students - 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.

Applications to Leigh Academy Minster’s Post-16 are managed through a system called Admissions+, powered by Applicaa. When using the portal for the first time, you will be prompted to self-register and create a user profile in order to complete the application. You will be required to supply your personal information, current place of education, predicted grades and then select your courses.

Entry Requirements: -

Admission to Level 3 programmes at Leigh Academy Minster is contingent upon strict entry requirements aimed at ensuring a high academic standard. These entry requirements are in place to guarantee that students entering Level 3 programmes are well-prepared and committed to the academic challenges and rigours associated with higher-level qualifications. Students will require five GCSEs at a grade 5 and above.

Prospective students are expected to have demonstrated a strong foundation in relevant Level 2 qualifications. All programmes have an entry threshold of at least a GCSE grade 5 or an equivalent qualification. Students wishing to study science and/or mathematics require a minimum GCSE grade 6 or higher. All students are expected to have achieved a Good or Strong Pass in English and mathematics.

All courses will run dependent on student numbers. Further information on each subject and its entry requirements can be found on the academy’s Post-16 Admissions platform.

See our website for more details - Leigh Academy Minster Website

View our Post 16 Booklet - here

Computer Science is a practical subject where subjects can apply the academic principles learned in the classroom to real-world systems. It is an intensely creative subject that combines invential and excitement and can look at the natural world through a digital prism. The aims of this qualification are to enable learners to develop:

* An understanding and ability to apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including: abstraction, decomposition, logic, algorithms and data representation

* The ablility to analyse problems in computational terms through practical experience of solving such problems, including writing programs to do so

* The capacity to think creatively, innovatively, analytically, logically and critically

* The capacity to see relationships between different aspects of computer science

* Mathematical skills

Potential topics that will be studied:

* The characteristics of contemporary processors, input, output and storage devices

* Software and software development

* Exchaning data

* Data types, data structures and algorithms

* Legal, moral, cultural and ethical issues

* Elements of comuptational thinking

* Problem solving and programming

* Algorithms to solve problems and standard algorithms; the learner will choose a computing problem to work through according to the guidance in the specification

* Analysis of the problem

* Design of the solution

* Developing the solution

* Evaluation

All units are assessed externally in four computer based exams. The learners are able to get their results as soon as they have sat the examinations. The examination is sat within a highly controlled assessment as in all externally assessed examinations.

Computer systems (01) is worht 140 marks and is a 2 hours and 30 minutes written paper equating to 40% of total A Level.

Alogrithms and programming (02) is also worth 140 marks and is a 2 hours and 30 minutes written paper 40% of the total A Level.

Programming project (03 or 04) 70 marks is a non-exam assessment and it worth 20% of the A-Level.

5 GCSE grades 5 A* to C including a minimum of B grade in Maths and Science

This qualification will provide a direct link to employment and university progression in computing; including software design, game development and computer programming. It will provide learners witha range of transferable skills which will facilitate personal growth and foster cross curriculum links in such areas as maths, science and design and technology. Computer Science is a very creative subject and skills such as problem solving and analytical thinking will be refined and explored as learners progress through the learning and assessment programme.