Our Computing Curriculum

Computing Curriculum Intent

At Chambersbury, we strive to make our children masters of technology. In an ever-changing digital world, we aim to give our pupils the life-skills that will enable them to embrace and utilise new technology in a socially responsible and safe way. We want our pupils to be able to operate in the 21st century workplace and we want them to know the career opportunities that will be open to them if they study computing.

Our computing curriculum focuses on a progression of skills in digital literacy, computer science, information technology and online safety to ensure that children become competent in safely using, as well as understanding, technology. These strands are revisited repeatedly through a range of themes from EYFS to Year 6 to ensure the learning is embedded and skills are successfully developed. We encourage staff to embed computing across the whole curriculum to make digital learning creative and accessible. Our intention is that computing also supports children’s creativity and cross-curricular learning to engage children and enrich their experiences in school.

We want children to become autonomous, independent users of computing technologies, gaining confidence and enjoyment from their activities. Not only do we want them to be digitally literate and competent users of technology but through our computing lessons we want them to develop resilience, problem-solving and critical thinking skills. We want our pupils to have a breadth of experience to develop their understanding of themselves as individuals within their community but also as members of a wider global community and as responsible digital citizens.

Implementation

We have based our computing curriculum on Rising Stars Switched on Computing programme as it provides clear skill progression and cohesion with the rest of our curriculum. In addition to this, the detailed planning ensures that quality first teaching can be delivered by any member of staff. However, this programme has been altered to reflect the emerging needs of our children. This curriculum has been shaped by our school vision which aims to enable all children, regardless of background, ability or additional needs, to flourish to become change makers within their community. 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.

Our computing curriculum has been broken down into 6 strands of learning:

1. Programming - Planning, writing and testing computer programs for digital devices, from Bee Bots to tablets.
2. Computational Thinking – Identifying sequences and creating algorithms (using programmes inc. scratch, code.org etc.)
3. Creativity – Using digital programmes to create, manipulate and edit images and music (using programmes inc. Paint, Audacity and Inkscape)
4. Computer Networks – Progressing from researching and collecting information digitally to understanding physical networking and creating HTML.
5. Communication & Collaboration – Exploring how digital technology helps us to stay connected (inc. email, blogging, gaming etc.)
6. Productivity – Recording and analysing data (ranging from saving files, inputting data to excel to using decomposition.)

E-safety & Digital Citizenship

At Chambersbury, e-safety and digital citizenship is at the heart of each lesson taught within the computing curriculum. These include explicit lessons at the start of each topic as well as starters throughout the unit. This teaching is also covered within PSHCE lessons and dedicated weeks. Online safety procedures are regularly communicated with all staff and parents.

Impact

The implementation of this curriculum ensures that when children leave Chambersbury Primary School, they are competent and safe users of ICT with an understanding of how technology works. They will have developed skills to express themselves and be creative in using digital media and be equipped to apply their skills in Computing to different challenges going forward.

We want learners to discuss, reflect and appreciate the impact computing has on their learning, development and wellbeing. Finding the right balance with technology is key to an effective education and a healthy life-style. We feel the way we implement computing helps children realise the need for the right balance and one they can continue to build on in their next stage of education and beyond.

The way pupils showcase, share, celebrate and publish their work will best show the impact of our curriculum. We also look for evidence through reviewing pupil’s knowledge and skills digitally through tools like Google Classroom and observing learning regularly. Progress of our computing curriculum is demonstrated through outcomes and the record of coverage in the process of achieving these outcomes.