Intent

At Goldenhill Primary Academy, we understand the immense value that technology plays not only in supporting the Computing and whole school curriculum but overall in the day-to-day life of our school. Our aims are to fulfil the requirements of the National Curriculum for Computing whilst also providing enhanced collaborative learning opportunities, engagement in rich content and supporting pupil’s conceptual understanding of new concepts which support the needs of all our pupils.

Our Computing curriculum aims to develop the heart and mind of every child. Our aim is to provide a broad and balanced curriculum whilst ensuring that pupils become digitally literate and digitally resilient. Technology is ever evolving and we aim to develop pupils who can use and express themselves, develop their ideas through, information and communication technology at a suitable level for the future workplace and as active participants in a digital world.

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.
• Understand and follow the SMART E-Safety rules.
• Understand the E-Safety messages can keep them safe online.
• Know who to contact if they have concerns.
• Apply their learning in a range of contexts, e.g. at school and at home.

Implementation:

To ensure high standards of teaching and learning in computing, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school. Our implementation of the computing curriculum is in line with 2014 Primary National Curriculum requirements for KS1 and KS2 and the Foundation Stage Curriculum in England. This provides a broad framework and outlines the knowledge and skills taught in each key stage.

Computing teaching will deliver these requirements through termly units. 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 underlines the knowledge and skills relating to communication, multimedia and data representation and handling. Digital Literacy underlines the knowledge and skills relating to online safety and technology uses all of which are covered weather combined or discreetly.

From Year 1-6, we use Teach Computing alongside Purple Mash and have adopted a personalised curriculum to best suit the needs of the children at Goldenhill whilst ensuring consistency and progression throughout the school. In Early Years, children follow the Barefoot curriculum to enable them to develop their computational thinking skills whilst introducing children to key computing vocabulary to set the foundations for their computing knowledge and application.

Each year group will complete 5-6 units of learning throughout the year. Units are practical and engaging and allow computing lessons to be hands on. Units cover a broad range of computing components such as coding, use of Microsoft word and aspects of computing needed to aid future careers. Each year group from year 1-6 has a physical computing unit through either Coding Mice in Year 1 and 2 and Micro: bits in Year 3-6.

When teaching computing teachers can follow the children’s interests to ensure their learning is engaging, broad and balanced. Teachers should 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 using our wide range of interactive ICT resources.

Computing teaching is practical and engaging and a variety of teaching approaches and activities are provided based on teacher judgement and pupil ability. We have a wide range of resources to support our computing teaching. Pupils may use laptops or iPads independently, in pairs or in a group with the teacher. Teachers and pupils are also aware of the importance of health and safety and pupils are always supervised when using technology and accessing the internet.

Our pupils are fully encouraged to engage with ICT and technology outside of school responsibly. Each teacher and pupil have their own unique Purple Mash login and password. Computing work can be stored and saved using pupil log in details and homework or ‘2do’s’ can also be set for pupils to access and complete tasks at home that link with their current class learning.

We provide a variety of opportunities for computing learning inside and outside the classroom. Computing and safeguarding go hand in hand and we provide a huge focus on internet safety inside and outside of the classroom and teach units at least half termly following the National Online Safety Curriculum through National College. The Computing co-ordinator alongside class teachers will plan additional internet safety lessons and activities to take part in following a specific yearly theme. Internet Safety assemblies are also held as well as parent internet safety workshops and parent home activities.

Impact:

Our Computing Curriculum is high quality, well thought out and 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 alike other subjects discreet vocabulary progression also form part of the units of work.

If children are keeping up with the curriculum, they are deemed to be making good or better progress.

We measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:

• Pupil discussions and interviewing the pupils about their learning (pupil voice).
• Monitoring with our subject computing lead visits.
• Opportunities for dialogue between teachers.
• Photo evidence and images of the pupil’s practical learning.
• A reflection on standards achieved against the planned outcomes.
• Learning walks and reflective staff feedback (teacher voice).
• Dedicated Computing leader time.
• Monitoring of children’s work.