Computer Science GCSE

[Teenagetrials]

My daughter is in year 9 and needs to submit her GCSE options this term.

She is deciding between Computer Science and Geography. We are keen for her to do Computer Science as there is a large element of coding involved and we think this would stand her in good stead for the future. She is currently working at a grade 8 level in Maths, and would be expected to get an 8 or 9 at GCSE. She is concerned she might find GCSE Computer Science hard. Our view is that the knowledge Computer Science will give her for the future and a potentially lower grade at GCSE outweighs a potentially higher grade in Geography.

Does anyone have any experience they can share? Thanks

Computer science is a very good subject if she enjoys it but so is Geography. Can you explain what you mean by CS holding her in good stead for the future? If she decides to go on and study CS at uni, she doesn’t need a GCSE nor an A’level in CS to do it plus the knowledge she will gain in the GCSE will not be sufficient for her to get a job in programming.

Unless she has a keen desire to go into a Computer Science related career, it is far more important that she does a subject that she enjoys. Doing a subject because your parents want you to, is not a good reason. A grade in Computer Science will not be considered more favourably than one in Geography, so she should do the subject she thinks she will do better in.

My DS studied both at GCSE. I'll describe his experience of OCR Computer Science, but I imagine other exam boards are similar.

There is not actually that much coding in the CS GCSE. The main coding element is a 20 hour controlled assessment, but many of DS's classmates finished it in less than 10. The CA doesn't count towards your GCSE mark; you just have to complete it. The ones that were generally interested in coding were doing most of this outside of class. A large proportion of DS's class were students who weren't that interested but thought it would be a doss. They found it hard. The students who were genuinely interested found it not particularly hard. Unless your daughter is interested in going into a CS job (in which case doing well in Maths and picking up the CS elements as she goes along is an equally valid way of getting there) I can't see that CS gives you any more valuable knowledge for the future than geography.

My advice would be to back off and let your daughter make her own choice.

Do what she enjoys
Coding can be learnt anytime, if she's strong at maths it will be ok
She doesn't need computing at gsce to do it at university so she is not limiting her options

Your DD should choose the subject she’ll most enjoy.

Not having a computer science GCSE or even A level wouldn’t stop her getting a place on a computer science degree (should she decide to go down that route), the entry requirements are a high maths grade.

Thanks all - much appreciated. My thinking about standing her in good stead is around having a basic understanding of coding/IT as she progresses through life. But then again I suppose it all changes so quickly that, as you say, if she has an interest, she can pick that up at any point

My son is doing both Geography and Computing GCSE. So think she could do both if she wanted to.

My thinking about standing her in good stead is around having a basic understanding of coding/IT as she progresses through life.

Any knowledge is, of course, great. Knowledge of coding/IT is not more so than any other type of knowledge. If she studied geography she'd gain equally valuable (just different) knowledge that would also stand her in good stead in life.

I have a DC doing IGCSE computer science, can’t remember which board.
I wouldn’t advise if you are not a natural at coding, even if bright and able. The exam itself is roughly equally split between coding and theory. There is no text book for coding, you have to get it (or not !) and you have to do it yourself. The ones who are brilliant at coding tend to do a lot in their own time, to quote the teacher it is like playing a musical instrument, you need to practice every day.
They will only be in a steady place if they actually enjoy it. Good luck !

Both can lead to lucrative careers if you’re thinking of her future in terms of getting a well paid job. I have a good friend that did geography and then at Uni narrowed focus to geology. Went all the way to PhD. He currently works by travelling round the world to survey mining sites for rare minerals and metals. His salary is over €200k/yr (he’s been doing it 25yrs and is one of top 3 experts in world). He started out of course around €36k/yr.

You don't need GCSE Computer Science to study it at A-level or degree. My ds is a year older and is doing a course that doesn't have lots of coding so you need to check the course if that's what your after. People who are keen on coding will be teaching themselves out of class rather than doing formal qualifications right now

They are both good subjects but I'd let her pick tbh.

My daughter opted to do geography but it got vetoed by school and she got computer science. She will get a grade 9 in maths and currently predicted same in computing. From what she says it is very mathematical.

One issue you may face is there is a shortage of computer science teachers - in the last year we have had three, only one of which was good at teaching the subject - thankfully he's the one we now have but in the past the highest any student got was a 6.

I'ld go with what she prefers though I do think computing the more useful of the two and underrated. Both can be picked up later so don't think there's any big issue. There's only 2 girls in her class / 23 boys so big divide.

I get what pp say about her being able to pick CS up later but the truth is often girls don't. If she is interested in it I would encourage her to take it up in school. It is more likely to lead to a well paid career than geography. It is not an easy option so she would need to be prepared to work at it.

DD did Computer Science in yr 10 (school did it in y9& 10 rather than 10& 11).
She very much has a maths and science preference, and she found it a fairly 'easy' subject and got a great grade - however, as it was taken a year early her revision was concentrated on one subject, which would have been beneficial.

DS is currently choosing his options and very keen on CS as he enjoys the structure of coding. His strongest subject is humanities, and he will definitely take history and was swaying towards geography also. His teachers have advised caution as they said there is a lot of background reading/writing and it can become unwieldy, so I guess it depends what other subjects DD is taking?

Will she stay on for A Levels at her own school? Anecdotally, I’ve heard 6th form colleges favour CS over geography but I couldn’t back that up with evidence.. my sense would be it depends on what she wants to study next and enjoyment plays a key role in that..

Anecdotally, I’ve heard 6th form colleges favour CS over geography but I couldn’t back that up with evidence..

Sixth form colleges usually have entry criteria. I can't think of any where a GCSE in computer science would be preferred over one in geography (unless you were planning to study computer science at sixth form).

History has a lot of background reading and writing. Geography has much less.

I think it depends a bit how much she likes computing - like does she love it but not confident enough? If that is the case assuming there is suitable teaching I would take it now as her confidence probably isn't going to improve by A level and she would then be up against children with 2 years more knowledge than her so feel even more out of her depth. But if she's not that keen would stick with geography. My DD was very worried she would be behind so she did the seneca over the summer for gcse computing and says she now finds it easy and loves it.

One of my DC did both of these subjects in the reformed GCSEs and loved them both so ended up having a similar decision at A level . She got 9s in both so was equally able in both.Both are great subjects IMO but I would say you can still do coding without doing the CS GCSE so if it were hard to choose I would go for geography . At DD school you can still do Computer Science at A level without doing GCSE but I don’t think many , if not any, schools would allow you to do Geography A level without having done GCSE. You can also take computer science at university if you have maths A level . My DD was actually the top performer at GCSE computer science in the school but she decided not to do A level ( it was a really hard decision ) but instead chose maths which might enable studying computer science later on if she chooses to . She is however doing Geography A level . Geography as well as learning about our world ( both physical and human geography ) also has a lot of transferable skills. The other point, and as echoed by previous posters , is that good computer science teachers are like gold dust so might be worth checking out what the CS credentials are . My DD was lucky because she had two truly brilliant teachers who also ran weekly coding clubs ( which she attended from year 7) and an engineering club where they could program drones built ( although you don’t need to do that to get a top grade it’s just my DD enjoyed it) . At my other DC schools the computer science provision was awful - one DS was taught CS by a teacher who was really a maths teacher and only knew a bit more than the children he was teaching ( not his fault !) . Finally I would let your daughter choose which subject she loves best - that is the most important consideration . To really “get” computer science you have got to love it . Fortunately my daughter did . Another poster mentioned that sixth form colleges might favour CS . Actually here the local super selective grammar doesn’t take a CS predicted grade into account but does take Geography when making sixth form offers ( I have no idea why - both subjects are of equal challenge !) .

Reading back I think the message I haven’t given that I wanted to was that a lot of kids at both the schools I mentioned took CS because their parents thought it was the right thing to do . It didn’t always work out as well. Also My DD is very nerdy and a bit shy but she went into CS quite confident because because of having done the coding clubs . So if your DD hasn’t done that much I would spending a bit of time with a microbit / raspberry pi for fun .

I would check out your local 6th forms requirements for A levels - our 6th form which is one of the top in the country and very large - does let you do geography A level without the GCSE. Obviously if you are planning geography or computer science A levels it probably makes more sense to take them but neither is essential by us. I would also check the 6th forms record with computer science grades and teachers as there is a shortage, tend to earn a lot more in industry.

There is so much valuable advice here - thank you!

Hello OP
Lots of good advice here. Just want to make it clearer that in September just gone, the syllabus for all GCSE Computer Science courses changed syllabus.

There is now NO NEA (which was coursework/controlled assessment)

100% of the qualification grade is now based on two paper based exams. One of which is a problem solving paper that does involve a theoretical programming element.

There is a requirement to offer 10 hours worth of programming experience but this doesn’t count towards the final grade.

Just wanted to highlight this in case it helps with any decision making.

My DS had this same option choice and I think both are great choices. I can see a bias here though and the responses I think would be different if you had said DS not DD. I asked a friend (female) who did geography but is now a computer programmer in a large well known IT company and she said computer science at GCSE is the better option in her opinion.

I can see a bias here though and the responses I think would be different if you had said DS not DD.
I work in IT and I would personally be thrilled for more girls taking Computer Science. But I still stand by my previous answers that the most important thing is that OP's DD should take what she is most interested in and strongest in. I've not noticed any gender bias here at all. FWIW I think Geography is also traditionally a more "male" subject?

My DD Y10 is doing Cs gcse. She had it as a compulsory subject in Y7 and Y8, l lots had done some at Primary school when they had a coding club and used Scratch.

I've encouraged her because she has a natural aptitude for the coding. It's how her brain works. I thought it would be a good way for her to stay in the loop, especially being a girl, and sustain her interest, giving her more chance of choosing it as a future career option.

She loves the coding. There is a lot of theory which is boring to her but manageable. What they have to fit in to two years seems like less than some of the other GCSEs cap they've had time in their lessons to participate in a game design competition.

Depending on what other GCSEs your Dd is taking, it can be a nice break from the essay heavy subjects or content heavy subjects (like sciences) if she likes geography though, it would be a shame to cut off that avenue for her in case she wants to pursue it in future years.