Computing

Introduction

An excellent, working knowledge of computing and IT is an important part of equipping children for future learning and future work. We believe in teaching children the key knowledge and skills to enable them to use technology to complement and improve their work and life experiences.

Rationale

Our computing curriculum is designed to give children the ability to use computers and software and to become digitally literate. In our modern society, where new technology is being introduced and developed constantly, it is important that children have an insight into how digital systems work and how they can use programming to effect changes. They also need the skills to be able to respond to developments in technology and gain new knowledge.

Curriculum Intention

Our curriculum is designed to cover the full range of National Curriculum objectives for KS2 & KS3. National Curriculum objectives for Computing are outlined by Key Stage, not year group or phase. Accordingly, pupils will achieve progression by repeating key stage objectives from one year group to the next, but in increasingly complex contexts or with increasingly complex tasks. This applies particularly to the e-safety and programming elements of the Computing curriculum.

Our curriculum is designed to maximise the use of efficient and intuitive technology and therefore focuses on using block-based programming software in KS2, before advancing to written code in KS3. Our aims within computing align with the National Curriculum.

We aim to ensure that all pupils:

· Can understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, logic, algorithms and data representation

· Can analyse problems in computational terms, and have repeated practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve such problems

· Can evaluate and apply information technology, including new or unfamiliar technologies, analytically to solve problems

· Are responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology

We recognise that children in our academy use a wide range of technology in a range of contexts and need to be equipped with a solid understanding of internet safety.

Our computing curriculum will teach children:

· Algorithms — Be able to comprehend, design, create, and evaluate algorithms

· Computer networks — Understand how networks can be used to retrieve and share information, and how they come with associated risks

· Computer systems — Understand what a computer is, and how its constituent parts function together as a whole

· Creating media — Select and create a range of media including text, images, sounds, and video

· Data and information — Understand how data is stored, organised, and used to represent real-world artefacts and scenarios

· Design and development — Understand the activities involved in planning, creating, and evaluating computing artefacts

· Effective use of tools — Use software tools to support computing work

· Impact of technology — Understand how individuals, systems, and society as a whole interact with computer systems

· Programming — Create software to allow computers to solve problems

· Safety and security — Understand risks when using technology, and how to protect individuals and systems

Implementation: How will we implement our computing curriculum?

Computing is a significant part of everyone’s daily life and we want our children to be at the forefront of new technology. Children will have opportunities to use a range of technology both within computing lessons and across the curriculum.

Impact: How will we evaluate the impact of the computing curriculum?

A pupil’s attainment is evaluated at the end of each unit, using formative and summative assessment.