Lessons are hands-on, which enables pupils to become digitally literate – at a level suitable for the future workplace and as active participants in a digital world. Computing has deep links with mathematics, science, and design and technology through the wide use of physical systems. By the time they leave Parsloes Primary School, children will have gained new knowledge and skills in the areas of communication, multimedia, programming and digital literacy and research.
Implementation
At Parsloes Primary School, Computing is taught using a blocked curriculum that ensures children are able to develop depth and progression in their knowledge and skills over the duration of each topic. Teachers implement this using the Borough Framework, which often richly links year groups to their topics. Knowledge and skills are mapped out across each topic and year group to ensure a systematic progression across topics. We have a Computing suite, two class sets of ipads, three class sets of chrome books and twelve digital cameras to ensure year groups have opportunities to use a range of devices – as specified by the NC.
The Computing curriculum is also enhanced by wider community clinks, such as ‘Discovery with 3 Network’ workshops for each year group, tailored to the topic they are teaching that term. By employing cross-curricular links such as these, but in addition with data handling in Maths and physical systems in DT, motivates and supports children to make connections.
The implementation of the curriculum also ensures a balanced coverage of the 4 main strands of Computing: Digital Literacy, Programming, Multimedia and Data, 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 EYFS will be introduced to some core vocabulary, such as click, move, drag, select, which leads them to children in Key Stage 1 learning what algorithms are, which leads them to the design stage of programming in Key Stage 2, where they design, write and debug programs, explaining the thinking and concepts behind their algorithms.
Computing Overview 2020-2021
