Purpose of Study:  A high-quality computing education equips pupils to use computational thinking and 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. The core of computing is computer science, in which pupils are taught the principles of information and computation, how digital systems work, and how to put this knowledge to use through programming. Building on this knowledge and understanding, pupils are equipped to use information technology to create programs, systems and a range of content. 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.

Aims:   The national curriculum for computing aims 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?

Intent:

At Grange Junior School Computing is taught as a subject in its own right designed to ensure all pupils (including disadvantaged and SEND) can follow a clear ambitious progression to ensure skills, knowledge and understanding are built upon and secured across the key stage. Computing is also used to support and enrich other areas of the curriculum, leading to high quality outcomes. Through Computing, children learn to make links between the virtual and on-line world and the real world. Computing fosters children’s creativity, developing their sense of personal identity as well as an understanding and respect for other programmers, craftsmen and designers across the world and through time.  Children also learn the importance of keeping themselves and other safe in a virtual world. The school is also providing the opportunity to work virtually from cloud based learning using Google Classroom to ensure learning can happen regardless across the curriculum given the current COVID-19 pandemic

Implementation:

The Computing long term plan ensures a coherent, broad and balanced curriculum is offered across the Key Stage. Units of work are planned, by the subject manager, often linking to other curriculum areas. A sequence of lessons build upon skills, knowledge and understanding. Staff development, informed by monitoring, ensures that teachers have good subject knowledge to enable them to deliver high quality lessons, leading to high quality outcomes. Through close links with all other curriculum area, children can make the links of how and why computing fits into everyday life and can influence all other areas of learning.    Through carefully planned Safer Internet safety lessons and assemblies, children learn lifelong skills in using computing safely. Teacher’s will provide lessons using Google Classroom in ICT time and class time to ensure the children are all secure with the platform. Should any further lockdowns occur, all online learning will take place using the virtual classroom.

Impact:

The Computing subject manager carries out termly monitoring through checking assessments have been completed and viewing examples of children work saved electronically.  Discussions are also held with teachers to ascertain professional development requirements and changes to planning required to meet the needs of the children in each cohort.  At the end of a unit of work, children are assessed against the key skills, using the school’s agreed assessment for foundation subjects. Children have planned opportunities to share and celebrate their work with their families and a written report is provided annually. Google classroom ensures our children can have quality lessons and resource available and thus reducing the impact of loss of learning from any future lockdown scenarios.