A-level Computer Science
The full two-year AQA 7517 programme, sequenced exactly as taught: Year 12 (Sequences 1–9) builds programming, data structures, algorithms and systems foundations; Year 13 (Sequences 10–20) develops advanced programming, theory of computation, databases and functional programming, alongside the continuous NEA.
Independent platform
Year 12
Programming Fundamentals through to Communication, Networking & Responsible Computing — the foundational year, sequenced by cognitive dependency rather than specification order.
Sequence 1 — Programming Fundamentals
Data types, programming concepts, arithmetic operations, relational operators and Boolean logic. Establishes the programming foundations for the rest of the course. AQA 4.1.1.1–4.1.1.5, Lessons 1–4.
Sequence 2 — Core Programming Skills
Variables and constants, string manipulation, input/output, random number generation and file handling. Develops the practical programming skills needed for modular programming. AQA 4.1.1.6–4.1.1.10, Lessons 5–9.
Sequence 3 — Modular Programming
Procedures, functions, parameters, return values, local and global variables. Prepares students for larger software development in Year 13. AQA 4.1.1.11–4.1.1.14, Lessons 10–14.
Sequence 4 — Fundamental Data Structures
Arrays, records, files, Abstract Data Types (ADTs), queues, stacks and dictionaries. Provides the data organisation skills needed before searching and sorting. AQA 4.2.1–4.2.6, 4.2.10, Lessons 15–21.
Sequence 5 — Fundamental Algorithms
Flowcharts, pseudocode, linear search, binary search, bubble sort, insertion sort and algorithm efficiency. Develops algorithmic thinking ahead of advanced algorithms in Year 13. AQA 4.3, Lessons 22–29.
Sequence 6 — Computational Thinking
Decomposition, abstraction, pattern recognition, algorithmic thinking, evaluation and problem solving. The conceptual bridge between programming and software engineering. AQA 4.4 & 4.13 (Year 12 content), Lessons 30–35.
Sequence 7 — Data Representation
Binary, binary arithmetic, hexadecimal, character representation, images, sound, compression and storage calculations. AQA 4.5, Lessons 36–45.
Sequence 8 — Computer Systems & Architecture
Processor architecture, the fetch-decode-execute cycle, registers, memory, secondary storage, operating systems, translators and processor performance. AQA 4.6 & introductory 4.7, Lessons 46–55.
Sequence 9 — Communication, Networking & Responsible Computing
Networking fundamentals, hardware, protocols, the Internet, cybersecurity and ethical/legal/moral/cultural/environmental issues. Completes Year 12 and prepares for Year 13. AQA 4.7, 4.8 & 4.9, Lessons 56–63.
Year 13
Advanced Programming Techniques through to Examination Preparation, alongside the continuous NEA Development Programme (see the NEA Project Hub) — building towards the terminal examinations and the non-exam assessment.
Sequence 10 — Advanced Programming Techniques
Exception handling, stack frames and recursion. Builds on Year 12 functions/parameters and is foundational for robust NEA program design. AQA 4.1.1.9, 4.1.1.15, 4.1.1.16.
Sequence 11 — Programming Paradigms
Procedural review, Object-Oriented Programming and paradigm comparison. Object-oriented design directly informs NEA architecture. AQA 4.1.2.1–4.1.2.3.
Sequence 12 — Advanced Data Structures
Graphs, trees, binary search trees and hash tables, building on Year 12's arrays, ADTs, queues, stacks and dictionaries. AQA 4.2.7–4.2.9.
Sequence 13 — Advanced Algorithms
BFS, DFS, iterative tree traversal, Reverse Polish Notation, searching algorithm selection, merge sort and Dijkstra's algorithm — with explicit reasoning about correctness. AQA 4.3.1–4.3.9.
Sequence 14 — Theory of Computation I
Computational problem solving, algorithm construction, abstraction, information hiding, procedural/functional/data abstraction, problem reduction, decomposition, composition and automation. AQA 4.4.1–4.4.11.
Sequence 15 — Theory of Computation II
Finite state machines, mathematics for regular expressions, constructing and testing regular expressions, regular languages, BNF grammar and syntax diagrams. AQA 4.4.12–4.4.16.
Sequence 16 — Databases & Big Data
Relational databases, SQL querying/joins/aggregation, relational modelling, transactions and integrity, Big Data characteristics and challenges. AQA 4.10 & 4.11.
Sequence 17 — Functional Programming
Pure functions, immutability, higher-order functions, map/filter/reduce, lambda expressions and function composition — deliberately contrasted against the procedural and object-oriented work in Sequence 11. AQA 4.12.
Sequence 19 — Synoptic Integration
The major whole-course synoptic stage: analysing, designing, implementing/testing and evaluating solutions to unfamiliar problems, integrating Year 12 and Year 13 rather than introducing large amounts of isolated new content. AQA retrieval across Units 4.1–4.13.
Sequence 20 — Examination Preparation
An examination-readiness layer, not new content: command words, question interpretation, timed Paper 1/Paper 2-style practice, a whole-course mock examination, and self-assessment against named performance dimensions, across the whole specification.