Computing
Intent
All pupils at St. Andrew’s have the right to have rich, deep learning experiences that balance all the aspects of computing. With technology playing such a significant role in society today, we believe ‘Computational thinking’ is a skill children must be taught if they are to be able to participate effectively and safely in this digital world. A high-quality computing education equips pupils to use creativity to understand and change the world. Computing has deep links with mathematics, science, and design and technology, and provides insights into both natural and artificial systems. At St. Andrew’s, pupils are introduced to a wide range of technology, including Chromebooks, iPads and interactive whiteboards, allowing them to continually practise and improve the skills they learn. This ensures that they become digitally literate so that they are able to express themselves and develop their ideas through information and computer technology, both at a level suitable for the future workplace and as active participants in a digital world.
Parenting in a Digital World - Advice for Parents
The aims of our Computing curriculum are to develop pupils who:
- Are responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology.
- Know how to keep themselves safe whilst using technology and on the internet and be able to minimise risk to themselves and others.
- Become responsible, respectful and competent users of data, information and communication technology.
- Can evaluate and apply information technology, including new or unfamiliar technologies, analytically to solve problems.
- Can analyse problems in computational terms, and have repeated practical experience writing computer programs in order to solve such problems.
- Can understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, logic, algorithms and data representation.
- Become digitally literate and are active participants in a digital world.
- Are equipped with the capability to use technology throughout their lives.
- Understand the importance of governance and legislation regarding how information is used, stored, created, retrieved, shared and manipulated.
- Have a ‘can do’ attitude when engaging with technology and its associated resources.
- Utilise computational thinking beyond the Computing curriculum.
- Understand the Online Safety messages that can keep them safe online.
Implementation
Our Computing progression model is broken down into three strands that make up the computing curriculum. These are Computer Science, Information Technology and Digital Literacy. Computer Science underlines the knowledge and skills relating to programming, coding, algorithms and computational thinking. Information Technology includes the knowledge and skills relating to communication, multimedia and data representation and handling. Digital Literacy is an understanding of the knowledge and skills relating to online safety and uses for technology. We follow an adapted version of the Purple Mash scheme of work from Year 1-6, ensuring consistency and progression throughout the school. Units cover a broad range of computing components such as coding, spreadsheets, Internet and Email, databases, communication networks, touch typing, animation and online safety.
Impact
Our Computing curriculum is planned to demonstrate progression and build on and embed current skills. We focus on progression of knowledge and skills in the different computational components and measure the impact of our curriculum using the following methods:
- An ongoing assessment against the planned Computing outcomes
- Children can understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, logic, algorithms and data representation
- Children can analyse problems in computational terms, and have repeated practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve such problems
- Children can evaluate and apply information technology, including new or unfamiliar technologies, analytically to solve problems
- Children are responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology
- Pupil discussions about their learning