Computing

Intent

Through our ambitious Computing curriculum at Christ Church, we want to model and educate our pupils with the necessary life-skills that will enable them to embrace and utilise new technology in a socially responsible, positive and safe way. Our ambition is for our pupils to operate in the 21st century workplace, through understanding the necessary computing skills to make them educated digital citizens that have a positive impact in society. We recognise that technology can allow pupils to share their learning in creative ways. We also understand the accessible opportunities technology can provide for our pupils. Our knowledge rich, spiral curriculum is inclusive and balanced with the opportunity for all pupils to apply their knowledge creatively which will in turn help our pupils become skilful digital citizens. 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 the online world, to access safe online spaces and to benefit from all the opportunities that a connected world can bring them, appropriate to their age and stage of development.

Implementation

Our pupils will have a range of experiences throughout their school lives that follow a spiral curriculum, to build on previous knowledge and apply this to new areas of learning. This allows pupils to ‘know more, remember more and do more’. Each year group covers the same topic at the same time but the skills and knowledge are progressively more challenging as children move through the school.

Topics are: Computing systems and networks, Creating media, Programming, Data & information, Creating media and Programming.

Our scheme of work for Computing is adapted from the ‘Teach Computing’ Curriculum and covers all aspects of the National Curriculum. This scheme was chosen as it has been created by subject experts and based on the latest pedagogical research. It provides an innovative progression framework where computing content (concepts, knowledge, skills and objectives) has been organised into interconnected networks called learning graphs.  This allows pupils to expand their understanding of themselves as individuals within their community, the wider global community and as responsible digital citizens in the world. We seek to inspire a love of computing and to equip every child with the skills necessary to use technology to become independent learners. The teaching style that we adopt is as active and practical as possible.

Each class can visit the computing suite if the lesson lends to using the technology. However, the Computing Curriculum can be delivered in the classroom or around the school grounds depending on the unit of work. 

• Our spiral sequencing of lessons offers cross-curricular links to music, art, writing and photography, maths and number skills.

• Our Computing Curriculum starts from our Early Years Foundation stage with them using:  Beebots to program using directional language, the interactive whiteboard to access learning, collecting data and voice recording software.

• Children have opportunities to showcase their computing skills through the: LEAD curriculum, Collective Worship each day and homework projects.

• Our PSHE lessons also have a direct link with our online safety.

Impact

We want our pupils to become autonomous, self-sufficient users of computing technologies, gaining confidence and enjoyment from their activities. A high quality computing education aims to develop a range of programming and technological skills that are transferable to other curriculum areas, including Science, Mathematics, English and History. We want the use of technology to support learning across the entire curriculum and to ensure that our curriculum is accessible to every child. Our expectation is that all children will be digitally literate and competent users of technology, who are able to develop creativity, resilience and problem-solving skills.

As pupils progress through KS1 and KS2 children will become increasingly confident in:

• The application of their digital skills,

• Being efficient and effective communicators, collaborators and analysts,

• Showing imagination and creativity in their use of Computing in different aspects of their learning and life beyond school.

• E-safety and the risks involved when using the internet.

Our scheme of work for Computing is adapted from the ‘Teach Computing’ Curriculum and covers all aspects of the National Curriculum. This scheme was chosen as it has been created by subject experts and based on the latest pedagogical research. It provides an innovative progression framework where computing content (concepts, knowledge, skills and objectives) has been organised into interconnected networks called learning graphs.  This allows pupils to expand their understanding of themselves as individuals within their community, the wider global community and as responsible digital citizens in the world. We seek to inspire a love of computing and to equip every child with the skills necessary to use technology to become independent learners. The teaching style that we adopt is as active and practical as possible.

Each class can visit the computing suite if the lesson lends to using the technology. However, the Computing Curriculum can be delivered in the classroom or around the school grounds depending on the unit of work.