Computer Science

Kilmartin Educational Services has offered several subjects as external subjects outside of the base school since 2002, including subjects with coursework/project requirements.

Kilmartin Educational Services offers Computer Science as an external subject outside of the base school under the guidelines of the State Examinations Commission (SEC).

To study an external subject at Kilmartin Educational Services, we require a Letter of Permission from the base school Principal stating:

1.Student has permission to sit the subject externally in the base school.

2. Base school Principal agrees to upload all relevant course/project work, authenticated by our class teacher.

3. Base school Principal will complete a P3 Form, signed by Julie Kilmartin, class teacher and base school sends to the SEC to register student for the exam.

*Enrolment onto our External subject programme is not complete until this letter of permission is on file in our college. 

P3 Requirements to Register for External Subject

- The base school completes Section A of the P3 form and then the form goes to Kilmartin Educational Services- the school where the coursework is done.

- Kilmartin Educational Services- where the coursework is done completes and signs Section B (teacher and principal) of the P3 Form.

- The school where the coursework is done returns the coursework and the P3 form to the base school. This can be done by hand or by registered post.

Computer Science Project

There is a project representing 30% of the Leaving Certificate marks. The project is usually announced in January of 6th year with submission in late March of 6th year.

The project has two components: Artefact & Report. The required languages and skills include BBC Microbit, Python, HTML, CSS & Java Script.

We have a fully operational laboratory. Dr Barry Ryan provides all software and hardware. There may be a requirement to purchase some hardware, such as sensors. Although some preparation can be done externally. The project must be written in the presence of Dr Barry Ryan.

As is our current practice, coursework must be conducted under the supervision of the class teacher. The teacher monitors the progress of all aspects of Practical Coursework. This is to verify that the work is the candidates own individual work and to guarantee student equity.

Applied Mathematics Classes

Attendance to weekly grinds is essential, if for whatever reason you cannot attend a grind you must inform KES and acquire a recording of the class missed. As part of the Computer Science course there are 4 Applied Learning Tasks. Students must attend in person, per the Circulars from the Department, students must complete coursework as a team. We have many such mini projects. Attendance in person is essential.

Project write up and homework will be tracked via assignments through Microsoft Teams that will have deadlines to meet. This allows monitoring of project progress for all stakeholders. This is to ensure not only compliance with Government Guidance, but also total fairness for all students.

There will also be scheduled exams throughout the academic year that are compulsory (Usually a Saturday/Sunday). Non-compliance with KES stipulations will force KES not to sign off on project component of the examination. KES teaches both the course and the project aspect of the syllabus. The actual written examination must be sat at their own base school.

There will be mandatory Courses throughout the holiday periods that external students will require to attend to ensure completion of coursework. As external students to do not have the same face time with tutors as in their base school it is necessary for externals to attend the mandatory Courses throughout the year, as advised by the class teacher

FAQS:

Question 1:

Do I need permission from my school principal to take this additional subject?

Answer 1:  

Yes, please contact them to get this permission, it is mandatory. We require a Letter of Permission signed by the base school Principal.

Question 2:

Can I attend this course solely online?

Answer 2:  

This course is hybrid; however, this course requires on-site monitoring and supervision of coursework. As Computer Science is a practical subject, we must strictly adhere to Government Circulars.

Question 3:

How often are the classes, and how long?

Answer 3:

1hr 15mins, every week. Mandatory on-site attendance for coursework. Classes continue to run during the holiday periods to ensure coursework is covered & allow adequate time for revision. In addition once the project is announced students must attend a 2 hour laboratory on Sunday's. Students diligently attend such.

Question 4:

Can the students’ school, or the State Examinations Commission access and monitor project work?

Answer 4:

Yes, to ensure inter-candidate equity and examinations integrity.

Question 5:

Do students sit in-house exams on a regular basis?

Answer 5:

Yes, it is compulsory for students to sit the regular in-house assessments to monitor progress, these exams are run on Saturday’s & Sundays throughout the year. The Exam itself has 3 parts - Section A & B are similar to filling in the Mathematics manuscript. Section C is a practical component. As the course is relatively new, students have also completed Section C using 10 years of United Kingdom AS & A - Level materials.

Question 7:

Do students have to do extra courses during the year?

Answer 7:

Yes, holiday courses are a requirement- based on the recommendation of the class teacher- this may include Summer/Mid Term/Christmas & Easter courses to ensure completion of syllabus.

Extra Information:

• Notes are provided by the teacher.
• Exams will be sat at the end of each term at an agreed day (usually a weekend day).
• If classes need to be rescheduled due to unforeseen circumstances parents and students will be informed and an alternative day for the class will be arranged.
• Parent – Teacher meetings are done via phone calls after term exams.
• Classes are run during school holidays (Halloween, Christmas (week 2), February midterm, Easter (week 1) this ensure the course content is covered comfortably and allows time for revision.