We understand that giving children a secure understanding of the computing curriculum, including e-safety, will be paramount to their success in later life as technology continues to advance and become a larger part of everyone’s life. We strive for our children to leave our school as digitally literate citizens with an excellent understanding of computer science and information technology. They will also be aware of how to use technology safely as part of their everyday lives. Our whole curriculum is shaped by our school vision which aims to enable all children, regardless of background, ability, additional needs, to flourish to become the very best version of themselves they can possibly be. We teach the National Curriculum, supported by a clear skills and knowledge progression. This ensures that skills and knowledge are built on year by year and sequenced appropriately to maximise learning for all children. Although ‘technology’ is no longer a stand-alone part of the EYFS curriculum we are committed to ensuring technology is available within provision and to contributing to children’s understanding of e-safety from the earliest age. Through our curriculum we aim to inspire a lifelong love of play, design, code and invention with technology.
Our Computing curriculum is carefully designed to be progressive over time. Its structure allows the whole school to work progressively on areas of the curriculum at the same time. For example, each year group begins the year by further developing their understanding of digital literacy. In the second half term, pupils understanding of digital literacy is furthered through ‘My Online Life’ – a series of lessons, which the children study throughout the school, and progresses their understanding of e-safety and how to keep safe online. Later in the year, the children look in-depth at Computer Science and Information Technology through thematic units where the learning builds year-on-year. Finally, in the second half term of summer the children work on all of their computing skills gained over the year on various projects. The timing of these allows the children to reason with their understanding and master their skills. In addition to the core curriculum offer technology is a key part of every child’s life in school. In order to deliver Computing lessons effectively, laptops and iPads are used within the classroom allowing children to practise skills in a range of contexts. We add to this offer with other forms of technology – for example programming technology and other hardware specific to the skills which children need to develop. Although studying e-safety specifically for a number of weeks, links are made with online safety through other curriculum areas including PSHE and assemblies. We whole-heartedly believe that children must see the importance of online safety at all times in the year, not just during weeks where it is studied in class.
We follow the Teach Computing resources from the National Centre for Computing Education which ensures that our computing curriculum is progressive. All learning objectives have been mapped to the NCCE’s taxonomy of ten strands, which ensures that units build on each other from one-year group to the next. Every year group learns through units within the four same themes, which combine the ten strands from the NCCE’s taxonomy. Links are made regularly with other national curriculum subjects; however, children have a designated Computing lesson each week as we are determined not to water down the important skills children must know. In order to support pupils, staff and parents in the safe use of technology the school uses an E-Safety / Acceptable Use Policy which is updated annually. Our ‘Golden Rules’ of Be Kind, Be Safe, Be Driven are equally applicable to technology.
The effect to which our Computing curriculum is successful is measured by the extent to which children live out our intent for the subject ‘with a lifelong love of technology’. Children will have developed skills which enable them to be creative in their use of technology and understand how to stay safe online.
Our Computing work is celebrated and assessed for impact through:
Use of the school assessment tracker
Whole school displays
Pupil questionnaires
Whole school themed weeks/days
Governor and staff monitoring
