Computing
Intent
At St Mary's we want our pupils to be MASTERS of technology and not slaves to it. 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 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 skilful 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
At St Mary's, we are primarily following the Purple Mash scheme of work but incorporate other material to best suit the needs of our children.
Computing units are categorised into elements of Digital Literacy, Computer Science and Information Technology.
Children complete computing units as laid out in the Purple Mash scheme of work, but digital literacy is embedded in all subjects and is used on a daily basis to enhance and support the learning of other curriculum areas.
The school uses a suite of core applications linked to the scheme, which enable children to develop and progress their skills through-out school.
Children have access to iPads in the classroom to support all areas of the curriculum.
In Computing lessons, children use laptops, which allows them to practice basic mouse and keyboard skills in each session.
Teachers follow a clear progression of skills which ensure all pupils are challenged inline with their year group expectations and are given the opportunity to build on their prior knowledge.
The role of parents is recognised and they are involved in understanding how to keep their children safe at home.
Impact
At St Mary's children will 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.
Progress of our computing curriculum is demonstrated through outcomes and the record of coverage in the process of achieving these outcomes.
