Computing Curriculum Statement

Intent

At Verwood C of E First School and Nursery, it is our aim to instil a love of computing in all our children.

Our computing curriculum equips children with life-long skills needed to embrace and utilise new technology in a responsible, positive and safe way. We recognise that technology is everywhere and will play a huge role in our children’s lives. We therefore want our children to become autonomous, independent users of computing technologies gaining confidence and excitement from their activities. Our broad curriculum balances digital literacy (evaluating digital content and using technology respectfully and safely), computer science (programming and understanding how digital systems work) and information technology (using computer systems to store, retrieve and send information). Through this the children develop their problem solving and critical thinking skills and develop their resilience; challenge themselves and experiment in a safe and secure way.

Technology is used across all subjects, with IT integrated into school life in a way which actively supports and motivates lifelong learners. This helps children to make links between their subject knowledge and the wider world, prepares them for a rapidly developing technological environment and showcases how technology can be used in new and creative ways. Our intention is that computing supports children’s creativity and learning, engaging and enriching their experience at Verwood First School and beyond.

Implementation

Computing is taught every week with the curriculum carefully planned to ensure progression throughout a child’s computing journey. The implementation of our curriculum ensures all three strands (digital literacy, computer science and information technology) are covered, with experience of all strands in each year group. The key knowledge and skills covered increase in complexity and depth, ensuring prior learning is built upon; for example, children in key stage one learn what an algorithm is, and begin to read and debug code a line at a time. This leads them to programming in key stage two, where children design and write programs for a purpose, debugging their own code.

The computing curriculum at Verwood C of E First is carefully planned and structured to ensure that current learning is linked to previous learning; the children are given the opportunity to develop a depth of learning which will allow them to manipulate and transfer knowledge. The school’s approaches are informed by current pedagogy.

Teachers have identified the key knowledge and skills of each computing area and these are mapped across the school, ensuring that knowledge builds progressively and that children develop skills systematically. Existing knowledge is checked, ensuring that teaching is informed by the children’s starting points. Tasks are designed to provide an appropriate challenge to all learners, in line with the school’s commitment to inclusion.

The teaching of computing is interactive, allowing opportunities for children to work in the classroom, IT suite and beyond. Cross curricular links are made where appropriate and staff’s explicit use of technology means that children’s real-life experiences of technology grow. Home Learning is set via online platforms and digital maths and reading platforms are regularly used within school. This reinforces digital literacy and prepares children for a lifetime of learning and using technology, within a digital society.

In the Early Years Foundation Stages computing is infused throughout a child’s day. Although not explicitly taught to the children aspects essential to computing feature in the personal, emotional and social development and expressive arts and design areas of the curriculum, as well as understanding the world. Children explore ho0w things work and discuss screen time in relation to physical and emotional health as well as develop their resilience and creativity.

Impact

Through the high quality first teaching of computing taking place we will see the impact of the subject in different ways.

Pupil voice shows that children are confident and able to talk about what they have learnt in computing using subject specific vocabulary. Dialogue with children also demonstrates that they enjoy computing and are able to recall their learning over time. Learning is of good quality and demonstrates pupils are acquiring knowledge, skills and vocabulary in an appropriate sequence. As confident, safe users of technology, children will learn lessons from computing to influence the decisions they make in their lives in the future. Assessments and monitoring will show standards in computing will be high and will match standards in other subject areas.