The Computing Curriculum at Woolaston Primary

Intent

Within an ever changing and technological world, Woolaston Primary understands and values the importance of teaching Computing to all children from a young age. We acknowledge that future generations will rely heavily on their computational confidence and digital skills in order to support their progress in leading rich and productive lives and becoming life-long learners.

Therefore, it is our school’s aim to equip children with the relevant skills and knowledge that is required to understand the three core areas of Computing (Computer Science, Information Technology and Digital Literacy) and to offer a creative, engaging and challenging approach to providing teaching of this subject. Our school’s key learning behaviours, which are linked to the values and vision, are taught, modelled and encouraged in and through Computing lessons to ensure our children become well informed and resilient individuals.

Computing is an integral part to a child’s education and everyday life. Consequently, we intend to support our pupils to access and understand the core principles of this subject whilst promoting independence and resilience. Whilst ensuring they understand the advantages and disadvantages associated with online experiences, we want children to develop as respectful, responsible and confident users of technology, aware of measures that can be taken to keep themselves and others safe online.

We do this by:

• Instilling an enthusiasm and appreciation of Computing via engaging and well-planned lessons, allowing children to use their skills to create and develop new ideas.
• By developing computational (problem solving) thinkers in our EYFS provision, which provides the foundational experiences that the children will need to move into following a scheme of work, which follows the National Curriculum and provides progression and a breadth of knowledge across all year groups.
• Ensuring that teaching staff continue to access the opportunities to attend subject relevant CPD in order to deliver sessions with confidence.
• Identifying real world examples and creative challenges in which pupils can explore and extend their understanding of the fundamental principles and concepts of Computing. We teach our children about cultural diversity and what it is to be globally aware.
• Ensuring that pupils develop a respectful and responsible attitude towards using information and communication technology, especially with regards to their own and other’s safety.
• Providing a safe space in which pupils can navigate and interact with the digital world, whilst exploring their own personal expression and identity.

Implementation

At Woolaston Primary, Computational Thinking is at the heart of the computing curriculum and therefore we begin by providing our EYFS children with activities which promote computational thinking and link closely to the Characteristics of Effective Learning. So by aligning EYFS provision to Computational Thinking, we use the same vocabulary as used by our colleagues in KS1 which ensures progression as the children move into their next year group.

In Key stage 1 and 2, we follow the ‘Teach Computing’ scheme of work which covers all aspects of the Primary curriculum (Year 1 - 6). This scheme was chosen as it has been created by subject experts and based on the latest pedagogical research. It provides an innovative progression framework where computing content (concepts, knowledge, skills and objectives) has been organised into interconnected networks called learning graphs.

The curriculum aims to equip young people with the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to thrive in the digital world of today and the future. The curriculum is broken down into 3 strands: computer science, information technology and digital literacy, with the aims of the curriculum reflecting this distinction.

This scheme of work gives full coverage of the National curriculum for computing aims to ensure all pupils:

A key part of implementing our computing curriculum is to ensure that safety of our pupils is paramount. We take online safety very seriously and we aim to give children the necessary skills to keep themselves safe online. Children have a right to enjoy childhood online, to access safe online spaces and to benefit from all the opportunities that a connected world can bring them, appropriate to their age and stage. Online safety and responsible use of technology are topics covered in computing and PSHE lessons, assemblies and during events such as Safer Internet Day and are closely linked to our values.

Impact

In order to demonstrate that we have accomplished our aims, pupils at Woolaston Primary will:

• Be enthusiastic and confident in their approach towards Computing.
• Present as competent and adaptable ‘Computational Thinkers’ who are able to use identified concepts and approaches in all of their learning.
• Be able to identify the source of problems and work with perseverance to ‘debug’ them.
• Create and evaluate their own project work.
• Have a secure understanding of the positive applications and specific risks associated with a broad range of digital technology.
• Transition to secondary school with a keen interest in the continued learning of this subject