Computing
Subject Leader: Mr Cooper
In Computing we give children the opportunities to acquire skills and knowledge in the subject. Computing as a stand-alone subject teaches skills of sequencing and logic. But it also encourages school values and life skills: to be systematic; to persevere when testing and debugging; to work collaboratively and develop their imaginations. Alongside this is our teaching and use of technology in school. Understanding how to use online resources and stay safe online are important life skills - none more so than for children. Our technology in school is also used to enhance other subjects in the National Curriculum.
Sequenced Learning
Development of Coding Skills
From the Early Years Foundation Stage pupils learn about logic and sequencing. Use of Beebots allows the children to gain their first programming skills and the principles of testing and debugging. They then progress to using apps such as Kodable and Scratch Jr. to develop and consolidate these skills.
In Key Stage 2, children design programs largely based on cross-curricular learning. They use Scratch as a programming language and could be writing code to create a quiz about a country in Geography or the Ancient Egyptians in History; or they might be sequencing and blending music and animation together when working on a project in Music, such as the Carnival of the Animals.
Our 1-1 set of Chromebooks allows children to develop excellent computing skills.
Technology and Online Learning
We use the Chrome operating system at school. All children from years 2 to 6 work on a one device per user basis. This is the crux of high quality learning using technology. Within the Chrome-based system is Google for Education and all children have the opportunity to use a full suite of tools online. Children practise their typing and word processing skills. They can develop desktop publishing ability with Google Draw and manage all their files and folders in individual accounts. Each child in Key Stage 2 is enrolled in their own online classroom, where the children share ideas and receive notifications from their teachers.
All this is done with internet safety in mind. Every two years a whole unit of teaching is dedicated to teaching all children in the school to be safe online. This culminates in a revision and re-drafting of the schools E-Safety Charter. It is written by the children so that they have ownership and understanding of their responsibilities when working online.
Endpoints
Through the use of the intent, implementation and impact approach below, we have designed an action plan that aims to achieve specific endpoints. Children should leave school understanding the logical approach needed to become competent programmers. They should have acquired the knowledge and skills to be able to use a variety of computer hardware and applications or programs on that hardware. Every pupil will have used the subject to enhance their knowledge across the curriculum and developed skills that allow them to continue to do this. All children will have been made aware of how to use the internet safely and responsibly.
Subject Action Plan
Curriculum Map