Computing - The most important lesson!

Computing Manager: Mrs Banks 

Intent

At All Saints we understand that technology is everywhere and will play an important part in students' lives. We aim to deliver high-quality teaching and learning across the curriculum to enable all children to achieve their personal best and to become independent users of computing technologies, gaining confidence and enjoyment from their activities. We develop a curriculum that is accessible to every child regardless of age or stage and promote inclusion throughout the curriculum. We provide a supportive environment for all children to flourish in a range of different activities to promote their digital critical thinking, as well as their technical skills. We promote the use of technology safely, respectfully and responsibly. This gives students a sense of enjoyment in their learning, as well as preparing them with the skills and knowledge for the next stages of their education, and life in modern Britain.

Implementation

At All Saints C of E Primary, computing is provided through our Cornerstones Curriculum. Cornerstones offers fantastic, interesting projects intended to engage all children into every subject. We also have explicit computing lessons which may be used to ensure the children have the digital literacy skills needed for a task. Computing is taught throughout a series of topics across year groups following the National curriculum.

• Our learning is linked across the curriculum (allowing children to practise their skills for a variety of purposes and audiences) through things such as:
  • Research
  • Presentations
  • creating digital content about a topic
• We monitor progress of the children through regular assessment
• we ensure that every lesson taught within school contains a challenge for the children to complete to extend and expand upon their main learning.
• Any children that we identify as needing to catch up will be offered intervention and support to ensure they make progress with their peers.

As a school, our curriculum is designed to meet the needs of the children and is therefore adapted and changed according to the needs, skills and abilities of the children, to keep the teaching and learning relevant in a technologically advancing world.

Impact

At All Saints C of E Primary School, the staff have high expectations of all children and believe every child can achieve their best. Because of this and the curriculum we offer, the children are competent and safe users of computing with an understanding of how technology works. They are resilient, have the skills to express themselves and are confident when faced with challenges. Our children enjoy learning and understand how they can keep themselves safe online by showing tolerance and mutual respect for others. We ensure that our Computing curriculum is progressive and inclusive as it allows children to develop fundamental skills and equips all pupils to use computational thinking and creativity to understand and change the world. As stated in the national curriculum:

…Computing has deep links with mathematics, science, and design and technology, and provides insights into both natural and artificial systems….

…Computing also ensures that pupils become digitally literate – able to use, and express themselves and develop their ideas through, information and communication technology – at a level suitable for the future workplace and as active participants in a digital world….

We aim for all Year 6 pupils to leave school with digital literacy and confidence in both using technologies for work and study, but also understanding the science and systems behind it, as active participants of a digital world.

Computing Club

We have hosted a KS2 computing club for children from year 3 to year 6. We had 16 spaces available and the response was so amazing, Mrs Banks is thinking about running it again in the Summer!

The children have learned how to code instructions using Scratch and have worked collaboratively to problem solve and find solutions. Every has had amazing fun and is excited to carry on their learning in the future.