Each pupil at Shirley Manor has the right to a wealth of rich, deep learning experiences within the subject area of computing. As technology plays such a significant role in society today, we believe ‘Computational Thinking’ is a skill children must be taught if they are to be able to participate safely and effectively in this digital world.
The core of computing is Computer Science alongside basic skills. Pupils are introduced to a wide range of technology, including desktop computers, iPads, Chrome Books BeeBots, Micro-bits and interactive whiteboards, allowing them to continually practise and improve the skills they learn. This ensures they become digitally literate so that they are able to express themselves and develop their ideas through information and computer technology– at a level suitable for their next step into high school and the future workplace as active participants in a digital world.
We teach a curriculum that enables children to become confident users of technology who can:
- Understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of Computer Science, including logic, algorithms and data representation
- Analyse problems in computational terms, and have repeated practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve such problems
- Evaluate and apply information technology analytically to solve problems
- Communicate ideas well by utilising appliances and devices throughout all areas of the curriculum.
- Have the basic skills needed to be computer literate in an ever developing digital world
The Computing national curriculum is made up of 3 main components; computer science, information technology and digital literacy.
How our computing curriculum is constructed
For years 1 – 6, we follow the National Curriculum as defined by the Department for Education.
The computing curriculum is underpinned by providing our children with wider opportunities, independent learning and basic skills.
Computing is taught discretely in Years 1-6 in one lesson each week. Some topics will require them to use the ICT suite, some will require them to use iPads in classrooms and others won’t require any technology at all and so are taught ‘barefoot’, usually in classrooms. Sometimes, the lessons will link to a particular topic. A body of key knowledge in the form of ‘Must Know Facts’ is established for each computing unit. The unit is planned in a way so that these facts are recapped and revisited to encourage retention.
Why? We teach computing in this way so that aspects of the units taught are revisited through their time at Shirley Manor. The Whole school overview below shows where things are repeated in each year group to ensure that knowledge and skills are recapped on throughout their journey at school.