APD Tutors / A-Level Computer Science
A-Level Computer Science Tutor
One-to-one A-level Computer Science tutoring from a tutor who studies it at degree level and got an A*. It is the subject most tutoring services will not touch. We do, and it is where our founder specialises.
No commitment · Places are limited
Where A-level Computer Science marks actually go
Computer Science splits into two very different demands: writing and reasoning about code, and a broad body of theory. Students who are strong at one are often weak at the other, and the grade needs both. Marks go missing in a few predictable places.
- Programming and algorithms. Writing code under exam conditions, tracing algorithms by hand, and pseudocode that has to be exact.
- The coursework project. A substantial programming project marked on analysis, design, testing and documentation, not just on working code.
- Theory. Data representation, Boolean logic, CPU architecture, networks and databases, where the breadth catches students out.
How the papers are structured
Computer Science is assessed differently from the other sciences. Most boards set two written papers, one focused on programming and algorithms and one on theory, plus a non-exam assessment: a programming project worth a significant share of the grade. AQA, OCR and Eduqas all run this shape, but the exact weightings and the programming language differ, so we work to your child's board and language. The programming paper is often sat on-screen in the language the school teaches, commonly Python, and writing correct code without a compiler to lean on is a skill in itself. Because the boards diverge so much here, preparing against the wrong specification wastes weeks, which is why pinning down the exact board and language is the first thing we do. The project is where students lose the most, because it rewards planning and documentation as much as code that runs.
Where good students still lose grades
Strong coders still miss the grade, usually on the project and on exam technique rather than on the code itself.
- Project scope. Students over-build the code and under-write the analysis, testing and evaluation that actually carry the marks.
- Programming under time. Writing correct code on paper or on-screen is a different skill from coding at home with a compiler to lean on.
- Tracing and pseudocode. Dry-running an algorithm and writing precise pseudocode are exam skills in their own right.
- Theory breadth. The written papers reward wide, accurate recall, not depth in a single favourite topic.
The coursework project decides more than students expect
The programming project runs through Year 13 and is worth a large share of the grade. Students treat it as a coding task and lose marks on everything around the code: the analysis of the problem, the design decisions, a proper test plan and an honest evaluation. Strong programmers routinely under-score because they build an ambitious system and then write two pages about it. We help your child scope the project so it is finishable, then document it the way the mark scheme actually rewards. Starting this early, rather than in the last term, is the single biggest thing that protects a Computer Science grade.
What we actually do
Every student starts with a diagnosis: current grade, target grade, exam board, and the specific topics leaking marks. From there the work is deliberate.
- Daily one-to-one tutoring, up to 5 hours a week, on the topics that actually move the grade.
- Predicted papers and exam questions written to sit at the difficulty of this year's real paper.
- Marked mock exams with examiner-style feedback, so the first full paper your child sits is not in the exam hall.
Emil, one of our founders, studies Computer Science & AI at the University of Edinburgh and got all A* at A-level. He leads our Computer Science teaching, so your child learns from someone doing this at degree level right now.
92% of our students achieve A or A*. On average they move up two grades.
Related subjects
Many of our Computer Science students take one of these alongside it. We cover all six on the same programme.