Your qualification is 'compiling'

We know you’re busy at the start of term but hope you can spare a few minutes for an update on GCSE (9-1) Computer Science and the Ofqual consultation.

In my previous blog, I summarised some of the activity that we had been undertaking to ensure that your voice was heard when reviewing the J276 specification.

Your feedback and continued support has continued to be immensely valuable. It has helped us refine our offer and make informed decisions. Our updated specification continues to ensure that both you and your students are at the forefront of our minds.

I would like to take this opportunity to add a personal thank you from both myself and also the other teams within OCR who use your feedback on a regular basis.

Working with Ofqual

We have confidence in our proposed approach to assessing the qualification. The stability you have asked for will be reflected within this.

In line with the outcomes of the Ofqual consultation, we have been working on ways to assess programming skills through examination. These ways should provide clear links to work that students undertake within the classroom. Reinforcing practical programming in the classroom is important to us.

Content updates

Our updated specification is still in draft form, and we are keen to hear your feedback. If you are interested in having a look at this content and filling out a short survey, please contact ProductTesting@ocr.org.uk. Your feedback will make a difference, and we would encourage you to take the time to complete it.

Resources

We continue to liaise with our endorsed publishers. This should help ensure that endorsed resources are updated in a timely manner for the updated specification.

We will be releasing a revised scheme of work and also updates to our resources to ensure full coverage of the specification is still there for you, which should make the transition as simple as possible for you and your departments.

Teacher networks

We are aiming to run 50 teacher networks in the autumn term. These will allow you to hear first hand about the updates which we have been working on. These will be delivered either by a subject advisor, or a subject ambassador.

With 50 networks planned, there should always be a network local to you for ultimate convenience!

Sign up for the networks using the link at the end of the blog.

Stay connected

If you have questions, then please submit your comments below. We want to continue to engage with you throughout this journey and there are lots of ways to make sure you are ‘in the loop’ and keep up-to-date with developments.

You can find out more about our updated specification here.

You can join the GCSE Facebook Group. Our subject advisors help support this group.

You can follow us on Twitter @OCR_ICT.

Sign-up for our free teacher networks in the autumn where we will be discussing our decisions with you providing the latest updates as they stand.

Finally, you can sign-up for email updates to ensure you are receiving the latest concise and informative newsletters and emails.

About the author

Ceredig Cattanach-Chell - Subject Advisor - Computer science

Ceredig joined OCR in September 2015 incorporating his breadth of experience from education to support the reform and development of the new GCSE 9-1 Computer Science and Entry Level R354. A keen advocate of the challenges faced within the classroom, Ceredig led on the concept and delivery of teacher delivery packs, which have become one of the flagships for the new GCSE’s success with teachers. Prior to joining OCR, Ceredig had eight years of education and teaching experience across a wide range of schools, including primary, secondary, academies and SEN sectors. Ceredig has a degree in Computer Science from Liverpool University and Post Grads from Liverpool Hope and Cambridge Universities. Outside of work, Ceredig is a keen modeller/painter, gamer and all-around geek. From wildlife to war games, his varied hobbies ensure that he is never just ‘sitting down watching the box’.