This resource maps where GCSE Computer Science content aligns with topics students study in Maths, Science and Business. Use Edit Mode to hide subject cards that aren't relevant to a particular topic row, and to add your own curriculum links from other subjects (e.g. English, Geography, Art).
Binary & Denary Conversion
Unsigned binary integers, place values (128–1), binary ↔ denary conversion, binary addition, overflow.
Trace binary additionPlace Value & Number Bases
Powers of 10 place-value system; same positional principle in base-2; index notation (2⁰, 2¹ … 2⁷).
Compare base-10 vs base-2 columnsDigital Signals (Physics)
Why digital systems use binary (high/low voltage); signal vs noise advantage of digital over analogue.
Oscilloscope voltage demoData-Driven Decisions
How businesses store and transmit data digitally; reliability of digital records vs paper-based systems.
Case study: stock systemsHexadecimal
Hex as shorthand for binary; conversion between hex, binary and denary; colour codes and MAC addresses.
Colour picker hex challengeWorking in Different Bases
Extending place-value understanding to base-16; multiplying by powers of 16; mental arithmetic with larger bases.
Base conversion worksheetColour & Light Spectrum
How RGB hex values relate to the visible light spectrum; additive colour mixing in Physics optics unit.
RGB LED colour mixingBranding & Digital Design
Hex colour codes in brand guidelines; consistency of digital colour across marketing materials.
Brand colour palette taskUnits of Data Storage
Bits, nibbles, bytes, KB, MB, GB, TB; calculating file sizes for images and sound.
File size calculatorStandard Form & Large Numbers
Working with very large values (e.g. 1 TB = 10¹² bytes); converting between units using powers of 10 and 2.
Unit conversion problemsSI Prefixes
Kilo, mega, giga prefixes in Science; comparing data units with physical measurement units (kg, MHz).
Prefix matching exerciseCloud Storage Costs
Comparing cloud storage plans (cost per GB); business decisions around data storage and scalability.
Cloud provider comparisonCharacter Encoding (ASCII / Unicode)
How characters map to binary values; ASCII table; why Unicode is needed for international character sets.
Decode a secret messageSequences & Mapping
One-to-one mapping (function concept); character ↔ number as an example of a mathematical function.
Function machines with ASCII—
Limited direct link. Optional: encoding in DNA (base-4 system using A, T, C, G) as a biological parallel.
DNA as data storageGlobalisation & Localisation
Why Unicode matters for international businesses; localising software and websites for global markets.
Website localisation case studyImages & Sound Representation
Pixels, resolution, colour depth, metadata; sampling rate and bit depth for sound; calculating file sizes.
Pixel art → binary gridArea, Grids & Proportionality
Image dimensions as width × height; proportional reasoning when resizing; calculating area (pixels).
Resolution ratio problemsWaves — Sound & Light
Frequency, amplitude and wavelength in Physics waves unit; sampling as discrete approximation of continuous waves.
Sampling frequency demoDigital Media & Marketing
Image quality vs file size trade-offs in web design and advertising; compression for faster page loads.
Optimise an ad image taskCPU Architecture (FDE Cycle)
Von Neumann architecture; ALU, CU, registers, buses; fetch-decode-execute cycle; clock speed, cores, cache.
FDE cycle trace activityAlgorithms & Sequences
Sequential instruction processing as an ordered algorithm; clock speed measured in Hz (frequency).
Frequency/period calculationsElectricity & Components
Electrical circuits powering processors; voltage, current, resistance; energy consumption of computing hardware.
Circuit building with logic gatesTechnology & Productivity
How processor improvements drive business efficiency; Moore's Law and technology investment decisions.
Tech upgrade cost–benefitBoolean Logic
AND, OR, NOT gates; truth tables; combining gates; simplifying Boolean expressions.
Truth table challengeLogic & Proof
Logical connectives (and, or, not) in mathematical reasoning; Venn diagrams for set operations matching Boolean logic.
Venn → truth table mappingLogic Gates (Electronics)
Physical logic gates in circuits; combining gates to build half-adders; transistors as switches.
Build a half-adder circuitDecision-Making Models
IF-THEN decision rules in business processes; decision trees mapping to AND/OR conditions.
Decision tree for product launchMemory & Storage
RAM vs ROM; volatile vs non-volatile; magnetic, optical, solid-state storage; virtual memory.
Storage comparison tableCapacity & Comparison
Comparing storage capacities using inequalities and ratio; cost-per-GB calculations.
Best-buy storage problemMagnetism & Materials
Magnetic storage and ferromagnetic materials; optical storage and laser physics; semiconductor properties in SSDs.
Material properties investigationIT Procurement
Choosing storage solutions for a business; balancing cost, speed, capacity and reliability in procurement.
Server vs cloud cost analysisNetwork Topologies & Protocols
Star, mesh topologies; TCP/IP, HTTP, FTP; packet switching; IP/MAC addressing; DNS.
Packet routing simulationGraph Theory (Extension)
Networks as graphs with nodes and edges; shortest path problems; routing as an optimisation problem.
Dijkstra's shortest pathElectromagnetic Waves
Wi-Fi and radio frequencies on the EM spectrum; fibre optics and total internal reflection.
EM spectrum poster activityE-Commerce & Communication
How networks enable online business; impact of internet on business models; cloud-based collaboration.
E-commerce business planCyber Security & Threats
Malware, phishing, SQL injection, brute force; firewalls, encryption, authentication, penetration testing.
Spot the phishing emailProbability & Combinatorics
Password strength as combinatorics (permutations); probability of brute-force success; expected attempts.
Password crack-time calculator—
Limited direct link. Optional: biometric authentication linking to Biology (fingerprints, iris patterns, DNA).
Biometrics discussionData Protection & GDPR
Legal responsibilities for customer data; cost of data breaches; reputation and trust in business.
Data breach impact analysisSearching Algorithms
Linear search, binary search; comparing efficiency; when each is appropriate.
Card-sort search racesInequalities & Halving
Binary search as repeated halving (link to bisection method); logarithmic vs linear growth; log₂(n) steps.
Halving intervals on number lineScientific Method
Systematic searching as controlled experimentation; eliminating variables; efficiency in experimental design.
Fair test planning parallelMarket Research Methods
Searching databases for market data; filtering and sorting customer records; efficiency in data retrieval.
Database search scenarioSorting Algorithms
Bubble sort, merge sort, insertion sort; comparing time complexity; trace tables for sorting.
Unplugged sorting with cardsOrdering & Comparing
Ordering integers, decimals, fractions; comparison operators; understanding efficiency (n² vs n log n).
Efficiency growth comparison graphClassification & Taxonomy
Sorting and classifying organisms in Biology; hierarchical classification as a sorting system.
Classify species using keysOperations & Efficiency
Sorting inventory, orders, priority; lean production and eliminating waste through efficient processes.
Warehouse sorting optimisationVariables, Data Types & Operations
Integer, real, Boolean, string, character; assignment, arithmetic operators, string operations; casting.
Type-casting challengeAlgebra — Variables & Expressions
Variables as unknowns; substitution into expressions; integer vs decimal (real) number types; BIDMAS / operator precedence.
Substitution into code expressionsFormulas & Calculations
Using formulas (F = ma, V = IR); substituting values; rearranging equations — same skill as evaluating code expressions.
Formula → pseudocode translationFinancial Calculations
Revenue = price × quantity; profit margins; using variables in business formulas and spreadsheets.
Profit calculator programSelection & Iteration
IF/ELIF/ELSE; FOR loops, WHILE loops; nested structures; flowcharts; dry-running with trace tables.
Trace table exercisesIteration & Trial and Improvement
Iterative methods for solving equations; trial and improvement as a loop; sequences generated by rules.
Iterative equation solverExperimental Repetition
Repeating experiments (iteration); conditional outcomes based on results (selection); recording in tables.
Results table → trace tableDecision-Making & Workflows
Business flowcharts for processes; IF conditions in quality control; iterative product development cycles.
QC flowchart designArrays / Lists & Data Structures
1D and 2D arrays; indexing; traversal; records; common operations (append, remove, length).
Array manipulation tasksMatrices & Coordinates
2D arrays as matrices; row/column indexing; coordinate pairs for grid references.
Grid reference challengesData Tables & Recording
Recording experimental data in tables (rows = records, columns = fields); systematic data organisation.
Experiment → 2D array mappingDatabases & Spreadsheets
Customer records as arrays of data; spreadsheet rows/columns; querying and filtering business data.
Spreadsheet data challengeEthical & Environmental Impact
E-waste, energy consumption of data centres; digital divide; privacy and surveillance; AI ethics; open source vs proprietary.
Ethical dilemma debateStatistics & Data Handling
Interpreting data on e-waste, energy use, internet access; mean, median, charts; misleading statistics.
Analyse e-waste data setEnergy & Environment
Energy consumption of technology; carbon footprint of servers; rare earth metals in electronics; recycling.
Carbon footprint calculationEthics, Legislation & CSR
Data Protection Act / GDPR; Computer Misuse Act; corporate social responsibility; stakeholder impact.
CSR report on a tech firmLegislation
Data Protection Act 2018; Computer Misuse Act 1990; Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988; Freedom of Information Act.
Match the law to the scenario—
Limited direct link. Optional: analysing statistical data on cybercrime rates and trends over time.
Cybercrime trend graphsEthics in Science
Parallels with ethics in scientific research (consent, data handling, animal testing); responsible innovation.
Ethics comparison discussionLegal Environment of Business
How legislation affects business operations; compliance costs; consequences of data breaches for businesses.
Compliance audit simulation