Computing
Miss Beadle
Computing Lead
By the time our children leave Gillshill Primary School we will have equipped them with a breadth of knowledge, skills and practical experiences to give them a secure foundation for their secondary school learning. Our Computing curriculum will have instilled in them a love and enjoyment of Computing, and an understanding of how to stay safe whilst using online services.
Children will have gained key knowledge and skills in the three main areas of the computing curriculum:
- computer science (programming and understanding how digital systems work),
- information technology (using computer systems to store, retrieve and send information)
- digital literacy (evaluating digital content and using technology safely and respectfully).
The objectives within each strand support the development of learning across the key stages, ensuring a solid grounding for future learning and beyond.
Computing Intent
In line with the 2014 National Curriculum for Computing, our aim is to provide a high-quality computing education which equips children to use computational thinking and creativity to understand and change the world. The curriculum will teach children key knowledge about how computers and computer systems work, and how they are designed and programmed. Learners will have the opportunity to gain an understanding of computational systems of all kinds, whether or not they include computers.
By the time they leave Horizon schools’, children will have gained key knowledge and skills in the three main areas of the computing curriculum:
- computer science (programming and understanding how digital systems work),
- information technology (using computer systems to store, retrieve and send information)
- digital literacy (evaluating digital content and using technology safely and respectfully).
Implementation
At Horizon Academy Trust, computing is taught using a blocked curriculum approach when possible. This ensures children are able to develop depth in their knowledge and skills over the duration of each of their computing topics. Knowledge and skills are mapped across each topic and year group to ensure systematic progression. Employing cross-curricular links motivates pupils and supports them to make connections and remember the steps they have been taught.The implementation of the curriculum also ensures a balanced coverage of computer science, information technology and digital literacy. The children will have experiences of all three strands in each year group, but the subject knowledge imparted becomes increasingly specific and in depth, with more complex skills being taught, thus ensuring that learning is built upon. For example, children in Key Stage 1 learn what algorithms are, which leads them to the design stage of programming. In Key Stage 2, this knowledge is built on where they design, write and debug programs, explaining the thinking behind their algorithms.
Teachers are supported in delivering the curriculum by the subject leader and using a bought, online programme of study.
Impact
The curriculum subject leader is responsible for monitoring and evaluating. The information gathered from this process informs the impact that the teaching has for that curriculum area. Judgements are based upon book scrutinies, pupil voice discussions, outcomes of assessments and the quality of teaching and learning. Governors undertake regular learning walks for their subject responsibility and receive a termly report from the subject leader identifying strengths and areas for development. Each unit of work is assessed using our 1-3-5 Recap process; this is based on the theory of spaced retrieval. It means that the knowledge is revisited as part of the assessment process 1 week, 3 weeks and 5 weeks after the unit has been taught. The results of the recap are reported within Computing books.Our aim is that at the end of each school year, pupils will have gained new Computing skills and knowledge which they can use in their future. Children are encouraged to consider uses of devices and online services beyond school and teachers assess their ability using discussion to this effect. Their resilience and independence in using software is assessed through discussion and end product, recorded by class teachers and monitored by the subject leader.
By the time our children leave Gillshill Primary School, we will have equipped them with a breadth of knowledge, skills and practical experiences to give them a secure foundation for their secondary school learning. Our Computing curriculum will have instilled in them a love and enjoyment of Computing, and an understanding of how to stay safe whilst using online services.
Computing_Curriculum_Journey.pdf
Computing_Essential_Knowledge.pdf
Computing_Knowledge_and_skills_progression_.docx
Computing_Vocabulary_Progression.pdfComputing EYFS - KS1 Foundational Knowledge.pdf
