Intent
At Skyswood Primary and Nursery School, we believe that Computing is a crucial part of the teaching and learning across the curriculum. Through our broad and inspiring Computing programme of study, we aim to provide our children with the valuable life-skills that will prepare them for their future in an ever-changing world.
To plan the learning and skills progression for the children, we use the Teach Computing scheme of work, created on behalf of the National Centre for Computing Education. This splits Computing into 4 main areas of learning in each year group: Computing Systems and Networks, Creating Media, Data and Information, and Programming.
As the online world continues to develop and change at great speed, we encourage children to make informed choices about when and where to use technology to the best effect. At Skyswood, we teach all pupils to utilise new technology in a socially responsible and safe way in order to flourish in the modern digital age. Through our strong parent partnerships, we encourage parents and carers to regularly discuss online safety rules with their children.
It is our expectation that when pupils leave Skyswood, they will be well equipped in computational thinking and be able to apply this knowledge in their everyday lives and in their future workplace.
Implementation
Our scheme of work from the National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE) supports the teaching of computing knowledge and skills through carefully sequenced learning units in a spiral curriculum. This style of curriculum design ensures that skills and knowledge are built on year by year. Pupils revisit each theme through a new unit that consolidates and builds on prior learning within that theme. Using this structure means the amount of knowledge that is forgotten is reduced, that connections can easily be made within a theme and that learning is maximised for all children.
At Skyswood, pupils are taught Computing through one-hour discrete lessons each week, as well as having time to use and apply these skills across other curriculum areas. Through the use of a wide variety of resources, we ensure that children experience a range of technologies including the use of laptops, desktops, iPads, Chromebooks, Interactive Whiteboards and visualisers.
Pupil review is central to learning in Computing and our children are strongly encouraged to reflect on the outcomes of their work. Formative assessment is used throughout lessons and these assessments are vital in ensuring that teachers adapt their teaching to suit the needs of the pupils that they are working with. The learning demonstrated through independent tasks is used for summative assessment, as well as providing the next steps for pupils. This allows the teachers and Computing subject leader to understand the number of children who are accessing the curriculum at an appropriate level, which children need to be challenged in greater depth and which children need extra support to access and enjoy the curriculum.
Teachers and support staff have been given training from a National Computing Hub school advisor, as well as receiving support through the sharing of best practice within school. This training and support ensures that teachers have the confidence and subject knowledge enhancement to deliver inspiring computing lessons.
Our children are greatly enthusiastic about Computing and they achieve well in the subject.
Impact
As a result of our Computing curriculum, we want children to be confident and enthusiastic in their use of technology, with pupils equipped for the next stage in their learning journey. By the end of Key Stage Two, children will have developed a strong foundation of computational thinking and understanding. They will have a deeper awareness of how to use their knowledge and skills on a daily basis, both inside and outside of the school environment.
We expect pupils to have made significant progress towards the objectives within each area of learning, with the vast majority of children reaching age related expectations or above for Computing.
When children leave Skyswood, our aim is for pupils to be equipped with the digital skills needed to safely benefit from, participate in and contribute to the digital world.
Mrs Caroline Rich is the Computing Co-ordinator within the school. At Skyswood, our exciting Computing Curriculum incorporates new developments in technology and challenges the children to excel in the subject.
Computing enhances and enriches all areas of the curriculum and should not be considered as a subject in isolation.
Attainment targets for Key Stage One:
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understand what algorithms are, how they are implemented as programs on digital devices, and that programs execute by following precise and unambiguous instructions
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create and debug simple programs
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use logical reasoning to predict the behaviour of simple programs
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use technology purposefully to create, organise, store, manipulate and retrieve digital content
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recognise common uses of information technology beyond school
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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
Attainment targets for Key Stage Two:
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design, write and debug programs that accomplish specific goals, including controlling or simulating physical systems; solve problems by decomposing them into smaller parts
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use sequence, selection, and repetition in programs; work with variables and various forms of input and output
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use logical reasoning to explain how some simple algorithms work and to detect and correct errors in algorithms and programs
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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
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use search technologies effectively, appreciate how results are selected and ranked, and be discerning in evaluating digital content
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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
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use technology safely, respectfully and responsibly; recognise acceptable/unacceptable behaviour; identify a range of ways to report concerns about content and contact