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, especially disadvantaged pupils, those with SEND, those who are known (or previously known) to children’s social care and those who face other barriers to their learning and/or well-being (though carefully planned support and scaffolding) can follow a clear ambitious progression to ensure skills, knowledge and understanding are built upon and secured across the key stage. The curriculum ensures children of all abilities are challenged. Computing is also used to support and enrich other areas of the curriculum, leading to high quality outcomes and to make children more resilient in computing. Through Computing, children learn to make links between the virtual and on-line world and the real world, ensuring that children are nurtured to enable them to use computers in everyday life. 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 others safe in a virtual world.

Implementation:

The Computing long term plan ensures a follow a coherently planned and sequenced curriculum so that pupils build knowledge and skills sequentially and cumulatively across the Key Stage meeting the aims of the National Curriculum. A broad and balanced curriculum is offered across the Key Stage. We currently follow The Teach Computing scheme of work, often linking to other curriculum areas where appropriate.  Each unit follows a sequence of lessons which build upon skills, knowledge and understanding and the units are sequenced to ensure progression and coverage across the Key Stage.  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 areas, 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, using materials from NSPCC,  TEACH computing and assemblies, children learn lifelong skills in using computing safely. Computing is taught weekly or fortnightly – depending on coverage needed.

Impact:

The Computing subject manager carries out termly monitoring by checking assessments have been completed and viewing examples of children work saved electronically and in computing books.  Discussions and feedback from teachers are used 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.

• Children will achieve ARE in computing;
• Children will be able to understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, logic, algorithms and data representation;
• Children will be able to analyse problems in computational terms and have repeated practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve such problems;
• Children will be able to evaluate and apply information technology, including new or unfamiliar technologies, analytically to solve problems;

• Due to this, children should be responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology;

• Children will feel confident in using technology throughout their lives, setting them up for a future in an ever-growing digital world.