Telephone - 01628 483 752
Company Registration No.07690054
Computing Department
ABOUT COMPUTING
Computing is the study of how computers and computer systems work and how they are constructed and programmed.
From the first Babbage computer, programming has relied on coding languages. Today, apps on a smartphone, games and websites all have to be written and coded by skilled programmers.
Computers appear to be advanced, yet they can only understand two orders: on and off. In fact, a computer is really just a collection of on/off switches so everything a computer does is a unique combination of on and off.
Forward thinking teachers in the 1970s taught students how to use punch cards to program. Students learnt that a binary code of zero (0) and one (1) was all that is needed. The binary code is grouped into bytes, groups of 8 digits like 11101001. Modern computers contain billions of bytes, which amounts to an unimaginably large number of combinations.
Thousands of programming languages have replaced the binary code, making it easy for people to write, read and understand the process. Each language comes with a special program that translates what we write into binary code.
There are many different languages each is designed to be used for a different purpose: some are for web development, others for writing desktop software, still others for solving scientific and numeric problems, and so on.
The subject, computing is about how to write programs as well as understanding how to use the vast array of programs already available on the internet.
COMPUTING AT GREAT MARLOW SCHOOL
Great Marlow School, in line with recommendations from government, has a syllabus that offers a high-quality computing education. Computing has links with mathematics, science, and design and technology. Students in GMS are taught the principles of information and computation, how digital systems work, and how to use this knowledge to program. Students will be prepared for work in the workplace of the digital age.
Some believe teaching computing is the equivalent of teaching someone how to drive and navigate a car. In the same way, every student should possess basic computing skills, and know how to use them.
Computing is the equivalent of teaching automotive engineering: how the clutch works, how to design new cars, and how to maintain existing ones.
There are three dedicated computing rooms, each equipped with 30 computers. All computers have up-to-date versions of software installed, an interactive whiteboard, printer and scanner. For use in lessons, there are sound recorders, video recorders and still cameras.