Python for GCSE Computer Science

May 26, 2026

Why Python?

Python is required for GCSE Computer Science. It's beginner-friendly and used in real programming. Learning Python teaches you fundamental coding concepts that apply to all programming languages.

Variables and Data Types

A variable stores data. Python has several data types:

• Strings: name = "John"
• Integers: age = 16
• Floats: height = 5.8
• Booleans: is_student = True

Loops

For loops repeat code a set number of times:

for i in range(10):
  print(i)

While loops repeat until a condition is false:

while count < 10:
  print(count)
  count = count + 1

Functions

Functions are reusable blocks of code that perform a specific task. They make code cleaner and easier to maintain:

def greet(name):
  print("Hello, " + name)

greet("Alice")

Lists and Dictionaries

Lists store multiple values in order:

numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
print(numbers[0]) # prints 1

Dictionaries store key-value pairs:

student = {"name": "John", "age": 16}
print(student["name"]) # prints John