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Skinners School Academy Trust, The

Computing AS Level 3

Skinners School Academy Trust, The

, St John's Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN4 9PG

GCE A/AS Level or Equivalent
Level 3
Information and Communication Technology

Available start dates

Available start dates

Tuesday, 01 September 2026
The Skinners School Academy Trust
1 Year(s)
Full time
Daytime/working hours

Application Instructions

Applications Open: - 8th October 2025

Applications Close:- 20th August 2026

How to Apply: - Please contact The Skinners’ School directly to apply. We do not accept applications via KentChoices

Please see here for more information about our Sixth Form and to complete an application form.

Course Summary

This specification has been designed for students who wish to go on to higher education courses or employment where knowledge of Computer Science would be beneficial. One can study Computer Science and go on to a career in medicine, law, business, politics or any type of science. The content of this specification is up to date as well as shifting the emphasis in the direction of Computer Science and Computation. Students following this specification do not need to have any prior knowledge of Computer Science or ICT, although an interest in and/or previous experience of coding is essential.

The course is not about learning to use tools or just training in a programming language. Instead the emphasis is on computational thinking. Computational thinking is a kind of reasoning used by both humans and machines. Thinking computationally is an important life skill. Thinking computationally means using abstraction and decomposition. The study of computation is about what can be computed and how to compute it. Computer Science involves questions that have
the potential to change how we view the world. For example, we may be computing with DNA at some stage in the future, with computer circuits made of genes. This leads to the question, does the natural world ‘compute’?

Course Details




How will it be delivered and assessed?

Paper 1 - 1¾ hour On-screen Exam - 50% of AS level

Paper 1 is a practical, on-screen, examination which allows candidates to demonstrate their knowledge of the fundamental principles of the subject. The theoretical knowledge of programming and computation will be assessed as well as the student’s ability to program through a problem-solving scenario using pre-release material.

Students answer a series of short questions and write/adapt/extend programs in an online document provided by the exam board.

Paper 2 - 1½ hour Written Exam - 50% of AS Level

Paper 2 focuses on the hardware and software aspects of Computer Science, including the fundamentals of computer organisation and architecture.

Written examination consisting of compulsory short-answer and extended-answer questions.

Entry requirements

You should opt for this course only if you have a genuine interest in ICT and computers and you have performed well across all your GCSEs, achieving a minimum of Grade 6 in Mathematics. It would be helpful if you have studied Computer Science for GCSE, although prior knowledge is not essential. What is important is that you enjoy solving problems and using computers as a tool.

Your next steps...

A qualification in Computer Science will provide you with an essential skills-base. Keyboard and computer skills will be a pre-requisite for most further education or career paths, whatever the field. Should you wish to follow further education or employment in Computer Science you could consider areas such as software and hardware development, computer systems management, computer networking, communications, web design, and business management.

For more courses like this, check our courses page.