“Computing is not about computers anymore. It is about the living.”
Nicholas Negroponte
COMPUTING AT HIGHFIELDS PRIMARY ACADEMY
INTENT
At Highfields Primary Academy, we want pupils to be masters of technology rather than slaves to it. Technology is all around us and will play an important part of the lives of our pupils, both now and in the future. Therefore, we want to model and educate our pupils of how to use technology positively, responsibly, safely and independently. We want to encourage pupils to be creators rather than consumers and our curriculum (encompassing computer science, information technology and digital literacy) reflects this.
We recognise the best prevention for many issues linked to technology/social media is through education. We want pupils to understand there is always a choice when using technology and we will utilise technology (especially social media) to model these positive uses.
We recognise that technology can allow pupils to share, collaborate and communicate in a variety of ways. Our knowledge based curriculum has to be balanced with opportunities for our pupils to creatively apply their knowledge; this in turn helps pupils become computer scientists. We want our pupils to become fluent with a range of tools and hope that by the end of Key Stage 2, they will have the confidence to choose the best tools to become problem solvers and fulfil the task/challenge set by staff.
IMPLEMENTATION
Our Computing curriculum is based around these threshold concepts for children at Highfields to:
- be digitally literate
- be a responsible digital citizen
- be computational thinkers
- analyse problems
- understand how systems work
- critically analyse and evaluate technologies
- use technology, programs creatively
The curriculum is continuously reviewed by the Subject Leader alongside the staff who feedback. We encourage staff to try and embed computing across the whole curriculum and their expectations of the pupils are driven by the comprehensive subject progression grid that has been written with the three core areas of Computing in mind. The knowledge and skills build year on year to deepen thinking and challenge our pupils.
- Computer Science – the understanding of coding and programming across a range of physical devices and digital resources.
- Information Technology – the range of skills required to operate and manipulate specific programs, systems, and content.
- Digital Literacy – the knowledge required to use technology safely and to evaluate and react to any potential risks of the online/digital world.
The National Curriculum provides the basis for the progression grids and this content is then supplemented by additional resource banks, such as: NCCE, Scratch and Barefoot. We also participate in ‘Internet Safety Week’ in which each class is provided with age appropriate texts and tasks. Cross-curricular opportunities are identified where appropriate to ensure that computing is not just seen as a standalone area.
Computing in the Early Years
We recognise that technology is important for our children to have experience of as they live in an ever-digitalised world. In EYFS, children will have opportunities to take photographs with a camera or tablet, play games on the interactive whiteboard, watch video clips, listen to music, explore mechanical toys, use a Beebot or search for information on the internet.
IMPACT
Our computing curriculum is planned to demonstrate progression and build on and embed knowledge. We focus on progression of knowledge and skills in the three areas identified above as well as the threshold concepts.
Computing Curricuum Overview
National Curriculum
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.
Attainment
By the end of each key stage, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study.
Schools are not required by law to teach the example content in [square brackets].
Subject Content
Key stage 1
Pupils should be taught to:
- understand what algorithms are; how they are implemented as programs on digital devices; and that programs execute by following precise and unambiguous instructions
- create and debug simple programs
- use logical reasoning to predict the behaviour of simple programs
- use technology purposefully to create, organise, store, manipulate and retrieve digital content
- recognise common uses of information technology beyond school
- use technology safely and respectfully, keeping personal information private; identify where to go for help and support when they have concerns about content or contact on the internet or other online technologies.
Key stage 2
Pupils should be taught to:
- design, write and debug programs that accomplish specific goals, including controlling or simulating physical systems; solve problems by decomposing them into smaller parts
- use sequence, selection, and repetition in programs; work with variables and various forms of input and output
- use logical reasoning to explain how some simple algorithms work and to detect and correct errors in algorithms and programs
- understand computer networks including the internet; how they can provide multiple services, such as the world wide web; and the opportunities they offer for communication and collaboration
- use search technologies effectively, appreciate how results are selected and ranked, and be discerning in evaluating digital content
- select, use and combine a variety of software (including internet services) on a range of digital devices to design and create a range of programs, systems and content that accomplish given goals, including collecting, analysing, evaluating and presenting data and information
- use technology safely, respectfully and responsibly; recognise acceptable/unacceptable behaviour; identify a range of ways to report concerns about content and contact.