Computing

Our Computing curriculum is based around our core values:  Successful, Happy, Included, Nurtured and Enriched, and follows the National Curriculum guidance for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.  Whilst the Early Years Curriculum no longer requires discrete teaching of Computing we still ensure that all pupils in EYFS have opportunities to use Computing to enhance their learning journey.

At our school we want pupils to be masters of technology and not slaves to it. Technology is everywhere and will play a pivotal part in students' lives. Therefore, we want to model and educate our pupils on how to use technology positively,responsibly and safely. We want our pupils to be creators not consumers and our broad curriculum encompassing computer science, information technology and digital literacy reflects this. We want our pupils to understand that there is always a choice with using technology and as a school we utilise technology to model positive use. We recognise that the best prevention for a lot of issues we currently see with technology/social media is through education.

Building our knowledge in this subject will allow pupils to effectively demonstrate their learning through creative use of technology. We recognise that technology can allow pupils to share their learning in creative ways. We also understand the accessibility opportunities technology can provide for our pupils.

Our knowledge rich curriculum has to be balanced with the opportunity for pupils to apply their knowledge creatively which will in turn help our pupils become skilful computer scientists.

We encourage staff to try and embed computing across the whole curriculum to make learning creative and accessible. We want our pupils to be fluent with a range of tools to best express their understanding and hope that by Upper Key Stage 2, children have the independence and confidence to choose the best tool to fulfil the task and challenge set by teachers.

To become confident and effective users of technology, we aim for children to:

• Be critical thinkers and able to understand how to make informed and appropriate digital choices in the future.
• Understand the importance that computing will have going forward in both their educational and working life and in their social and personal futures.
• Understand how to balance time spent on technology and time spent away from it in a healthy and appropriate manner.
• Understand that technology helps to showcase their ideas and creativity. They will know that different types of software and hardware can help them achieve a broad variety of artistic and practical aims.
• Show a clear progression of technical skills across all areas of the National curriculum - computer science, information technology and digital literacy.
• Be able to use technology both individually and as part of a collaborative team.
• Be aware of online safety issues and protocols and be able to deal with any problems in a responsible and appropriate manner
• Have an awareness of developments in technology and have an idea of how current technologies work and relate to one another.
• Meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the National curriculum for Computing.

In Focus Provision children will have the opportunity to:

• Engage in activities to develop skills linked to personal targets.
• Use Computing to support their growing range of skills, providing them with opportunities to express themselves and produce pieces of work that are unique to them.
• Develop their communication skills through the use of technology.
• Explore and develop personal interests around the use of technology.
• Develop their awareness of cause and effect and how they can have an effect on their environment.
• Share and present their learning using technology.
• Develop their roles as Digital Citizens at an age and stage appropriate to their individual needs and interests.

 In EYFS children will have the opportunity to:

• Use technology to enhance their learning across the curriculum.
• Explore personal interests and child initiated learning opportunities.
• Explore alternative methods of recording and sharing their learning.
• Explore their roles as Digital Citizens at an age and stage appropriate to them.

In Key Stage 1 children will have the opportunity to:

• Understand what algorithms are; how they are implemented as programs on digital devices; and that programs execute by following precise and unambiguous instructions
• Create and debug simple programs
• Use logical reasoning to predict the behaviour of simple programs
• Use technology purposefully to create, organise, store, manipulate and retrieve digital content
• Recognise common uses of information technology beyond school
• Use technology safely and respectfully, keeping personal information private; identify where to go for help and support when they have concerns about content or contact on the internet or other online technologies.

In Key Stage 2 children will have the opportunity to:

• Design, write and debug programs that accomplish specific goals, including controlling or simulating physical systems; solve problems by decomposing them into smaller parts
• Use sequence, selection, and repetition in programs; work with variables and various forms of input and output
• Use logical reasoning to explain how some simple algorithms work and to detect and correct errors in algorithms and programs
• Understand computer networks including the internet; how they can provide multiple services, such as the world wide web; and the opportunities they offer for communication and collaboration
• Use search technologies effectively, appreciate how results are selected and ranked, and be discerning in evaluating digital content
• Select, use and combine a variety of software (including internet services) on a range of digital devices to design and create a range of programs, systems and content that accomplish given goals, including collecting, analysing, evaluating and presenting data and information
• Use technology safely, respectfully and responsibly; recognise acceptable/unacceptable behaviour; identify a range of ways to report concerns about content and contact