Skip to content
referalearnerFind my match

GCE A Level in Computer Science

at Ilford County High School, Ilford · school or sixth form

Level 3A levelsGCE A level2 yearsFull timeFree

What the college says

This new specification has been designed for students who wish to go on to higher education courses or employment where knowledge of Computing would be beneficial. 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 both by humans and machines. Thinking computationally is an important life skill. 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'? Experimental Computer Science can be done with computers where we can learn more about the natural world by observing the emergent behaviour of a colony of interacting software agents in a simulation. Computing/Computer Science is about designing new algorithms to solve new problems. In this sense Computer Science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes. Many great challenges lie in the future for Computer Scientists to solve. This course, with its emphasis on abstract thinking, general problem solving, algorithmic and mathematical reasoning, scientific and engineering-based thinking, is a good foundation for understanding these future challenges.

What you need to get on

Minimum requirements - Pathway A = 3 A Levels 1. Students must achieve at least 8 GCSE qualifications with an average grade/point score of 6 or higher. 2. At least 6 of the GCSE qualifications must be a grade 6 or higher. 3. Students must achieve a GCSE English and GCSE Mathematics at grade 5 or higher 4. The top 8 subjects must have been completed after May of the last academic year i.e. in the last 16 months GCSE Computer Science at Grade 7 or higher

How you are assessed

Academic subjects, mostly exams, three or four at once. The traditional route to university.

What this level means

The A-level-equivalent step, and what universities and employers ask for.

Is it open to 16 to 18 year olds?

Approved for 16 to 18 study on the government's Section 96 list.

Where it runs

  • Ilford County High School

    Fremantle Road Barkingside, Ilford, IG6 2JB

    DaytimeClassroom based
    Check the journey

Start dates

  • 1 September 2026 · Ilford

Who else teaches this exact qualification

Same qualification, different college. Entry requirements and how it is taught can differ a lot between them, which is the whole reason to compare.

See all 270 providers teaching it