Computing

Click here for: Computing Long Term Overview 

Computing Curriculum 

At the Glebe, our Computing curriculum aims to instil a sense of enjoyment around using technology and to develop pupil’s appreciation of its capabilities and the opportunities technology offers to, create, manage, organise, and collaborate. Tinkering’ with software and programs forms a part of the ethos of our computing curriculum as we want to develop pupils’ confidence when encountering new technology, which is a vital skill in the ever evolving and changing landscape of technology. Through our curriculum, we intend for pupils not only to be digitally competent and have a range of transferable skills at a suitable level for the future workplace, but also to be responsible online citizens. We have adopted Kapow Computing as our Computing scheme of work as it aligns with our vision for the subject.

Our Computing curriculum enables pupils to meet the end of Key Stage Attainment targets outlined in the National curriculum. When used in conjunction with our RSE & PSHE curriculum, our Computing curriculum, also aligns with all the objectives of the DfE’s Education for a Connected World framework. This guidance was created to help equip children for a life in the digital world, including developing their understanding of appropriate online behaviour, being discerning consumers of online information, copyright issues and healthy use of technology. Our curriculum progression map shows the knowledge and vocabulary that is taught within each year group, for each unit and how this knowledge develops year on year to ensure attainment targets are securely met by the end of each key stage.

Intent
Our aim is for all children to become autonomous, independent users of computing technologies, gaining confidence and enjoyment from their activities. We aim to use technology to support learning across the curriculum and to ensure that our curriculum is accessible to every child. Not only do we want all of our pupils to be digitally literate and competent users of technology, but through our computer science lessons, we want them to develop creativity, resilience, problem-solving and critical thinking skills. We aim for every child 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. We want our children to be creators and innovators not just mere consumers of digital content. The children at The Glebe School are taught to understand that technology is an integral part of modern life and the key to the future is to harness and understand technology’s potential. Computing is a constantly evolving subject that involves solving complex problems, being able to collaborate with others, learn from mistakes and refine solutions.

Our computing curriculum is designed to be easy to follow, with logical sequenced steps that will equip all children with the essential skills and knowledge they need to use technology safely and creatively. It has numerous cross circular links with art, mathematics, science, PSHE and design and technology. When planning, we ensure that children can build on their understanding, as each new concept is taught, with opportunities for children to consolidate and reapply their skills and knowledge throughout the year. Each computing unit is planned to provide new challenges and variety, to ensure high engagement. There is a strong emphasis on improving computing/digital vocabulary, core fundamental digital skills and computational concepts. Our computing units are organised into a series of hour long whole-class lessons, with the children working together on the same lesson content at the same time. Every unit has reflection and assessment points, this ensures that all children can process and articulate the concepts within the lesson before moving to the next lesson, with no pupil left behind. The children create their own digital learning journals that record their understanding and tell their own story of the content they create. These journals and the content the children create, illuminate their progression as digital storytellers, problem solvers and showcase mastery of computing. The journals are shared with parents/carers via Seesaw.

E-safety is an extremely important part of keeping children safe at The Glebe School. We promote and model a balanced digital life, recognising that amongst the many positives that technology has to offer, risks exist and children need to be taught to manage their digital lives properly. We strive to model and educate our children to use technology creatively, positively, responsibly and safely. Our curriculum supports the key aims of the government’s Internet Safety Strategy (Digital Literacy / UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) framework) of supporting children to stay safe and make a positive contribution online, as well enabling teachers to develop effective strategies for understanding and handling online risks.

We believe there are core digital skills that children must possess if they are to meet our school’s vision of independence, creativity and a healthy digital life.

• All children must have a basic understanding of coding and how the internet works.
• All children must be able to evaluate online information and be social media savvy.
• All children must understand online safety rules and know how to report and block.
• All children must be proficient with word processing and able to use cloud storage.
• All children must be able to create visually engaging content/presentations in order to present learning to others.
• All children must have experience of online collaboration and using communication tools.
• All children must be taught the concept of personal archiving and possess their own digital portfolio of work.

 

Implementation

Implementation

Our Computing curriculum is categorised into five key areas – computing systems and networks, programming, creating media, data handling and online safety. Pupils revisit each area throughout KS1 and KS2. Each time a key area is revisited, it is covered in greater complexity. Upon returning to each key area, prior knowledge is revisited to ensure retention in long term memory and each key area is built upon to develop increasingly sophisticated understanding.

A key part of 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 offer, appropriate to their age and stage. Children build online resilience using the ‘Online Safety’ Unit of work within the Kapow curriculum. We teach the Online Safety Unit at the beginning of each year and revisit these objectives during the year. We take part in collaborative curriculum days such as FAB Week and Safer Internet Day which are celebrated each year in the autumn and spring terms.  The Online Safety unit aims to support and broaden the provision of online safety education, so that children understand the benefits and risks of being online, how to remain safe, keep personal information secure and recognise when to seek help in different situations. Our online safety unit of work is empowering, builds resilience, effects positive culture changes and promotes the development of safe and appropriate long-term behaviours.

At the Glebe, Computing is taught weekly. Computing lessons incorporate the following elements: retrieval practice; explicit teaching of new vocabulary; teacher modelling and questioning and a range of plugged and unplugged learning tasks – some independent and some undertaken in partnerships.

Each unit of learning includes teacher videos to develop excellent subject knowledge and support teachers’ ongoing professional development. All teachers at The Glebe are robustly supported to have strong subject knowledge across the computing curriculum and to know how new learning builds on prior understanding and towards future knowledge and skills.

SEND

Lessons incorporate a range of teaching strategies from independent tasks, paired and group work as well as unplugged and digital activities. We use adaptive teaching to ensure all children make progress in the lesson and nobody is left behind. Differentiated guidance is available for every lesson to ensure lessons can be accessed by all pupils and opportunities to support pupils and stretch pupils’ learning are available when required. Knowledge Organisers for each unit support pupils in building a foundation of factual knowledge by encouraging recall of key facts and vocabulary.

We participate in annual events such as national Computing week, safer Internet day, and anti-bullying week and technology themed competitions. We invite experts to come into school for assemblies and workshops to allow children to be inspired and see how these skills can be transferred into careers.

 

Home Learning Links
The children at our school have access to a wide variety of resources that enable them to continue the learning of computing at home. For example; Seesaw accounts. Through this platform, the children are able to complete set tasks and save their work virtually so that it can be shared both in school and at home with teachers and parents. We also have a school Facebook and Twitter account. Here we can communicate with parents and carers to further extend lines of communication.

Computing vocabulary
At The Glebe, we aim to develop children’s working vocabulary and have a carefully mapped out computing vocabulary progression map. The children of The Glebe are excited to learn new words and take delight in being able to use them in their day to day working in the classroom and at home.

Teaching and Learning
The following is our story of Teaching and Learning with technology across Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.
Teacher’s planning is differentiated to meet the range of needs in each class. A wide range of teaching and learning styles are employed to ensure all children are sufficiently challenged. Children may be required to work individually, in pairs or in small groups according to the nature of the task. Different outcomes may be expected depending on the ability and needs of the individual child.

Computing Science in KS1
In Key Stage 1, the children will learn about algorithms, following them and creating them. They will learn about turning algorithms into programs on digital devices including programmable robots and toys. They will create and debug simple programs (using coded animation and storytelling) and use logical reasoning to predict the outcomes and errors.

Information Technology in KS1
In Key Stage 1, the children will learn how to confidently use a range of digital devices, peripherals and apps. They will create and edit digital content, learn about files, folders, saving work and handling information. They will use a range of apps to develop computing creativity by creating and illustrating digital books, editing digital images, recording/editing videos, producing digital music and geometrical art. They will learn to collaborate, communicate, problem solving and present their knowledge using digital media. They will explore the common uses of information technology beyond school.

Digital Literacy in KS1
The children in Key Stage 1, will be exploring technology in the real world, internet safety, personal information and where to go for help and support when they have concerns about content or contact on the internet or other online technologies. Our teaching supports the key aims of the government’s Internet Safety Strategy (Digital Literacy) of supporting children to stay safe and make a positive contribution online, as well as enabling teachers to develop effective strategies for understanding and handling online risks. The framework has been produced by the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS).

Computing Science in KS2
In Key Stage 2, the children will build on their knowledge and design skills to create and debug complex algorithms and programs, including controlling or simulating physical systems and create interactive toys. They will use a variety of programming apps, master visual programming and be introduced to text-based programming. They will use sequence, selection, and repetition in programs, use logical reasoning to explain how some simple algorithms work and correct errors in algorithms and programs. They will be exploring how computer games work then develop interactive games and simple mobile apps. They will explore computational thinking at greater depth, which include algorithmic thinking, evaluation, decomposition, abstraction and generalisation. Children will be taught to understand computer networks, crack codes, how the internet works and the opportunities the web can offer for communication and collaboration. They will learn about using search technologies effectively, learn how search results are selected and ranked and how this can be manipulated.

Information Technology in KS2
In Key Stage 2, the children will learn to express their creativity by planning and creating multimedia content and in doing so learn about combining software/apps (including internet services) and media types on a range of digital devices. They will learn advanced digital skills by creating video, manipulating images, publish on the web, content for mobile devices, how to present work, data handling and collaborate on project based activities. They will learn research skills and how to be discerning in evaluating digital content. They will learn about the latest technology trends and themes, learn about digital careers and develop project management skills. They will investigate computer networks (including school network), internet services and the Web.

Digital Literacy in KS2
The children in Key Stage 2 will continue to explore at a deeper level the themes of; technology in society, internet safety, risks, personal information, help and support, digital content, digital communication, social media and a healthy balanced lifestyle. They will create online safety digital resources and learn about communication and collaboration by collectively creating content, use email, create and write online content. Our teaching supports the key aims of the government’s Internet Safety Strategy (Digital Literacy) of supporting children to stay safe and make a positive contribution online, as well as enabling teachers to develop effective strategies for understanding and handling online risks. The framework has been produced by the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS).

Impact

Teachers continually evaluate children’s learning through both formative and summative assessment opportunities. In each lesson, teachers ensure children are assessed against the learning objectives and planning is responsive to gaps and misconceptions. Each unit has a knowledge catcher and a unit quiz used at the start and the end of a unit to assess the retention of new knowledge and vocabulary. The impact of our computing curriculum can clearly be seen in projects that children create as well as presentations created as digital content on Seesaw and using e-books. Programs that children write code for are saved digitally and accessed by teachers to ensure achievement of learning objectives. Children have the opportunity to self-assess the content they have created, as well as peer-assess. In each year group, children use previously learned skills and apply them to new software and coding programs.

After the implementation of our Computing curriculum, pupils will leave the Glebe equipped with a range of skills to enable them to succeed in their secondary education and be active participants in the ever-increasing digital world. The expected impact of our Computing curriculum is that the children will:

• Be critical thinkers and able to understand how to make informed and appropriate digital choices in the future.
• Understand the importance that computing will have going forward in both their educational and working life and in their social and personal futures.
• Understand how to balance time spent on technology and time spent away from it in a healthy and appropriate manner.
• Understand that technology helps to showcase their ideas and creativity.
• Show a clear progression of technical skills across all areas of the National curriculum – computer science, information technology and digital literacy.
• Be able to use technology both individually and as part of a collaborative team.
• Be aware of online safety issues and protocols and be able to deal with any in a responsible and appropriate manner.
• Have an awareness of developments in technology and have an idea of how current technologies work and relate to one another.
• Meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the National curriculum for Computing.

 

Computing Curriculum Documents

• Computing progression of knowledge and vocabulary
• National Curriculum Computing – KS1 and KS2
• Computing policy
• Internet use policy
• E-safety policy

 

Identifying More Able Pupils in Computing
All staff have high aspirations to challenge and motivate children of all abilities. In Computing, pupils who are identified as More Able are challenged within lessons in school and are additionally offered external workshops and challenges; as well as encouraged to attend extra-curricular activities. To help identify pupils who are More Able, the following markers have been adapted:

More Able Markers to look for in Computing:

• Sees and suggests new solutions and opportunities within lessons.
• Demonstrates curiosity and resilience when using technology.
• Uses new apps/technology (hardware/software) at home to further learning.
• Uses own skills and knowledge to help support (and ‘teach’) peers.
• Uses technology to help solve problems and understands when it also creates problems.
• Considers the limitations of technology and looks for ways to overcome these limitations.
• Considers the purpose to which information is processed and communicated and how the characteristics of different kinds of information influence its use.
• Uses technology in innovative ways to support learning in other subjects.
• Understands the positive impact using technology has in supporting the learning of less able children.
• Uses skills and knowledge of Computing to design, create and ‘debug’ programs when only given a specified outcome.
• Continually refining solutions to improve work or the content they have created.
• Consider some of the social, economic and ethical issues raised by the use of technology both in and out of school.

Digital Leaders at The Glebe Primary