📋 GCSE Curriculum Coverage
This tool cross-references all Python Coach lessons and challenges against the major UK GCSE Computer Science specifications (AQA, OCR, Edexcel).
Excellent Coverage! All core programming concepts are covered in Lessons 1-27.
1. Fundamental Programming Concepts
| Specification Requirement |
Covered in Lesson(s) |
AQA |
OCR |
Edexcel |
| Use of sequence |
Throughout all lessons |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
| Use of selection (IF, ELIF, ELSE) |
Lesson 10: Selection (IF/ELIF/ELSE) |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
| Use of iteration (FOR/WHILE) |
Lesson 12: While Loops
Lesson 13: For Loops
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✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
| Data types: Integer, Real/Float, Boolean, Character/String |
Lesson 4: Data Types |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
| Casting/Type Conversion |
Lesson 6: Input Function |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
| Assignment operator (=) |
Lesson 3: Variables |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
| Arithmetic: +, -, *, /, //, %, ** |
Lesson 5: Arithmetic Operators |
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✓ |
✓ |
| Comparison: ==, !=, <, >, <=, >= |
Lesson 10: Selection (IF/ELIF/ELSE) |
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✓ |
✓ |
| Boolean/Logical: AND, OR, NOT |
Lesson 11: Boolean Logic |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
| Input/Output (e.g., print/input) |
Lesson 1: Print Statements
Lesson 6: Input Function
|
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
2. Data Structures
| Specification Requirement |
Covered in Lesson(s) |
AQA |
OCR |
Edexcel |
| Arrays (1D Lists) |
Lesson 14: Lists & Arrays |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
| Arrays (2D Lists) |
Lesson 16: 2D Lists |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
| Dictionaries / Records |
Lesson 19: Dictionaries |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
| String manipulation (e.g., length, sub-string, concatenation) |
Lesson 7: String Concatenation
Lesson 8: String Methods
Lesson 9: Indexing & Slicing
|
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
3. Procedures and Functions
| Specification Requirement |
Covered in Lesson(s) |
AQA |
OCR |
Edexcel |
| Defining and calling functions/procedures |
Lesson 17: Functions |
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✓ |
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| Function parameters |
Lesson 17: Functions |
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✓ |
✓ |
| Return values |
Lesson 17: Functions |
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✓ |
✓ |
| Local vs global scope |
Lesson 18: Local vs Global Scope |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
4. File Handling
| Specification Requirement |
Covered in Lesson(s) |
AQA |
OCR |
Edexcel |
| Opening, writing to, closing a file (W, A modes) |
Lesson 20: Writing to Files |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
| Reading from a file (R mode, readlines) |
Lesson 21: Reading from Files |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
5. Testing and Reliability
| Specification Requirement |
Covered in Lesson(s) |
AQA |
OCR |
Edexcel |
| Validation (e.g., presence, length, type, range) |
Lesson 26: Validation |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
| Error Handling (TRY/EXCEPT) |
Lesson 23: Error Handling |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
6. Algorithms (Searching & Sorting)
| Specification Requirement |
Covered in Lesson(s) |
AQA |
OCR |
Edexcel |
| Linear Search |
Lesson 22: Linear Search |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
| Binary Search |
Lesson 24: Binary Search |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
| Bubble Sort |
Lesson 25: Bubble Sort |
✓ |
✓ |
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7. Other Relevant Concepts
| Specification Requirement |
Covered in Lesson(s) |
AQA |
OCR |
Edexcel |
| Authentication/Passwords |
Lesson 27: Authentication |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
| Comments |
Lesson 2: Comments |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
| Formatting (good practice, indentation) |
Throughout all lessons |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
13. Database Operations (Board-Specific)
Note: Database operations (like SQL, CRUD) are not covered by the core Python lessons, as these are board-specific topics (e.g., OCR J277-2.3, AQA 3.4.1.3). The focus is on core Python programming.
| Specification Requirement |
Covered in Lesson(s) |
AQA |
OCR |
Edexcel |
| SQL / CRUD operations |
Not Covered |
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✓ |
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