Computing
Intent
In an increasingly more digital world, where technology is embedded everywhere, we want our students to be masters of technology rather than slaves to it, creating their own content rather than simply consuming it. We aim to teach our students, through careful modelling and specific teaching, how to make use of technology positively and respectfully, incorporating and encouraging the application of our school values of respect, curiosity, honesty and kindness throughout.
Our priorities are the safeguarding of our students and the nurturing of their natural curiosity in an accessible and inclusive manner, allowing them to problem-solve and explore their ideas in creative and varied ways. We want our children to understand that their actions have a wider impact and we want to teach them to confidently and independently navigate through an online world, keeping both themselves and other safe. We are aware that children come to us with a range of experiences with technology and our goal is to make our Computing teaching varied, well-resourced and completely accessible and inclusive.
Implementation:
Our curriculum is from the National Centre for Computing Education’s curriculum which is funded by the Department for Education. The curriculum is designed to cover the National Curriculum core areas of learning: computer science, information technology and digital literacy, whilst also promoting responsible digital citizenship. The curriculum content has been organised into a Curriculum Journey Map to help both children and teaching staff to understand the progression of skills, knowledge and understanding from year to year, including where children will be heading with their learning when they move onto secondary school. Learning tasks are designed to foster independence and to encourage curiosity and exploration, allowing students to ask questions, investigate and be creative in finding solutions using technology. There are also collaborative opportunities provided to foster teamwork, cooperation, and mutual respect among pupils, encouraging them to recognise and value each other's contributions.
Children in all year groups have a timetabled lessons and we use a set of iPads and laptops for these lessons. We regularly review and update the resources to reflect changing technologies, ensuring they facilitate collaboration and creativity without compromising safety and security.
Computing lessons do not always rely on direct use of the technology and can be taught through “unplugged” lessons, allowing for the timetabled computer suite session to be used for cross-curricular learning as well. This gives our children the opportunity to apply what they have learnt in different contexts and to build on their prior learning. Computing naturally lends itself well to other subjects including but not limited to maths, science and design technology, and this allows for consolidation and more frequent application of learnt skills.
We explicitly teach our children the importance of e-Safety through both Computing and PSHE lessons across the academic year and raise the profile of online safety during key points in the year, such as Safer Internet Day and Anti-Bullying week.
Impact:
Through the implementation of our Computing teaching we expect that our students will understand the importance of respectful interactions online, demonstrating empathy and support towards others and recognising the impact of their actions and words in a digital environment. They can demonstrate a commitment to stand up against cyberbullying, discrimination and any form of online abuse or mistreatment. Children of all ages know how to keep themselves safe when using technology, commensurate with their developmental stage and cognitive abilities.
Our students enjoy their Computing lessons and feel it is accessible and relevant to them. They are curious and inquisitive, displaying a willingness to explore, experiment, and problem-solve using digital tools and technologies. Teachers have high expectations for their students, adjusting expectations to ensure all children can be successful and are able to demonstrate progress in their learning. Children are able to use digital and technological vocabulary accurately and demonstrate progression in their technical skills, building on prior learning. Children will be confident using a range of hardware and software and will produce high-quality meaningful outcomes that suit the purpose.