Computing

Rationale For Our Curriculum

At Springdale, we understand the immense value technology plays not only in supporting the Computing and whole school curriculum but overall in the day-to-day life of our school.

We believe that technology can provide:

  • Enhanced collaborative learning opportunities

  • Better engagement of pupils

  • Easier access to rich content

  • Support conceptual understanding of new concepts

  • Support the needs of all our pupils

Computing skills are a major factor in enabling children to be confident, creative and independent learners. To provide children with every opportunity available to allow them to achieve this, we offer a curriculum that integrates ICT across all subject areas, ensuring that pupils become digitally literate and digitally resilient. Technology is ever evolving and we aim to develop pupils who can use, express themselves and develop their ideas through information and communication technology at a suitable level for the future workplace and as active participants in a digital world.

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Intent

At our school we want pupils to be MASTERS of technology. Technology is everywhere and will play a pivotal part in students' lives. Therefore, we want to model and educate our pupils on how to use technology positively, responsibly and safely. We want our pupils to be creators not consumers and our broad curriculum encompassing computer science, information technology and digital literacy reflects this. We want our pupils to understand that there is always a choice with using technology and as a school we utilise technology (especially social media) to model positive use. We recognise that the best prevention for a lot of issues we currently see with technology/social media is through education. Building our knowledge in this subject will allow pupils to effectively demonstrate their learning through creative use of technology.

We recognise that technology can allow pupils to share their learning in creative ways. We also understand the accessibility opportunities technology can provide for our pupils. Our knowledge rich curriculum has to be balanced with the opportunity for pupils to apply their knowledge creatively which will in turn help our pupils become skillful computer scientists.

We encourage staff to try and embed computing across the whole curriculum to make learning creative and accessible. We want our pupils to be fluent with a range of tools to best express their understanding and hope by Upper Key Stage 2, children have the independence and confidence to choose the best tool to fulfil the task and challenge set by teachers.

 

Implementation

We use and follow the Purple Mash scheme of work from Year 1-6, ensuring consistency and progression throughout the school. The Purple Mash scheme of work enables clear coverage of the computing curriculum whilst also providing support and CPD for less confident teachers to deliver lessons. The Purple Mash Lessons are broken down into weekly units, usually with two units taught per half-term. Units are practical and engaging and allow computing lessons to be hands on. Units cover a broad range of computing components such as coding, spreadsheets, Internet and Email, Databases, Communication networks, touch typing, animation and online safety.

We have created a comprehensive progression document for staff to follow to best embed and cover every element of the computing curriculum. The knowledge/skills statements build year on year to deepen and challenge our learners.

When teaching computing teachers can follow the children’s interests to ensure their learning is engaging, broad and balanced. Teachers ensure that ICT and computing capability is also achieved through core and foundation subjects and where appropriate and necessary ICT and computing should be incorporated into work for all subjects where possible. Through our Purple Mash subscription our teachers can deliver thematic, cross curricular lessons that also follow children’s interests and provide flexibility. Purple Mash has an online portal of age appropriate software, games and activities as well as topic materials and materials to support children’s learning in other subject areas for all key stages.

Computing teaching is practical and engaging and a variety of teaching approaches and activities are provided based on teacher judgement and pupil ability. Teachers and pupils are aware of the importance of health and safety and pupils are always supervised when using technology and accessing the internet.

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Impact

We encourage our children to enjoy and value the curriculum we deliver. We will constantly ask the WHY behind their learning and not just the HOW. We want learners to discuss, reflect and appreciate the impact computing has on their learning, development and well being.

Finding the right balance with technology is key to an effective education and a healthy life-style. We feel the way we implement computing helps children realise the need for the right balance and one they can continue to build on in their next stage of education and beyond. We encourage regular discussions between staff and pupils to best embed and understand this.

The way pupils showcase, share, celebrate and publish their work will best show the impact of our curriculum. We also look for evidence through reviewing pupil’s knowledge and skills digitally through tools like Purple Mash and observing learning regularly.

Progress of our computing curriculum is demonstrated through outcomes and the record of coverage in the process of achieving these outcomes.