Warwick Road Primary School

Computing

As with literacy, numeracy and health & wellbeing, digital literacy should be placed at the heart of all learning, and not limited to the technologies curricular area. Our aim is that learners should experience opportunities to develop their digital literacy across all curricular areas, using a range of digital tools and applications. Digital literacy refers to an individual's ability to find, evaluate, and clearly communicate information through typing and other media on various digital platforms. It is evaluated by an individual's grammar, composition, typing skills and ability to produce text, images, audio and designs using technology.

Being digitally literate means that pupils will be able to use more than just use technology. They will be able to use their digital skills to support and develop their learning throughout the curriculum. It means they’ll have the skills needed to thrive in a digital world.

What makes a computing specialist?

Computing specialists at Warwick Road have:

Excellent communication skills
Creativity
Strong maths and numerical reasoning skills.
Excellent technology knowledge and skills
An ability to anticipate and analyse problems
A systematic approach to work and problem solving
Meticulous attention to detail
The ability to organise and classify large amounts of information
Basic knowledge of programming and coding

How and what we learn at Warwick Road

Our computing curriculum is designed in a way that allows pupils to transfer key knowledge to long-term memory. We use a platform called Purple Mash to ensure learning is sequenced so that new knowledge and skills build on what has been taught before and towards defined end points.

EYFS

We deliver learning for all of the areas through purposeful play and learning experiences, with a balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities. We recognise that children learn and develop in different ways and at different rates. We value all areas of learning and development equally and understand that they are inter connected and ensure:

Children should be given opportunity to be creative through all areas of computing. At Warwick Road, we can support children’s thinking and help them to make connections by showing genuine interest, offering encouragement, clarifying ideas and asking open questions. Children can access resources freely and are allowed to move them around the classroom to extend their learning.
A focus on getting the basic skills right early, with high emphasis placed on communication, early number, phonics, vocabulary skills Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED).
A focus on ensuring pupils are well rounded, thoughtful and able to work in a variety of group and individual situations with thoughtfulness and resilience.
A focus on building happy, confident learners.

It is important in the foundation stage to give children a broad, play-based experience of IT and computing in a range of contexts, including off-computer activities and outdoor play.

Computing is not just about computers. Early years learning environments should feature IT scenarios based on experience in the real world, such as in role play. Children gain confidence, control and language skills through opportunities such as ‘programming’ each other using directional language to find toys/objects, creating artwork using digital drawing tools and controlling programmable toys.

Outdoor exploration is an important aspect and using digital recording devices such as video recorders, cameras and microphones can support children in developing communication skills. This is particularly beneficial for children who have English as an additional language.

KS1

By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils are taught to:

understand what algorithms are, how they are implemented as programs on digital devices, and that programs execute by following a sequence of instructions
write and test simple programs
use logical reasoning to predict the behaviour of simple programs
organise, store, manipulate and retrieve data in a range of digital formats
Communicate safely and respectfully online, keeping personal information private, and recognise common uses of information technology beyond school.

KS2

By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils are taught to:

design and write 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; generate appropriate inputs and predicted outputs to test programs
use logical reasoning to explain how a simple algorithm works 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
describe how internet search engines find and store data; use search engines effectively; be discerning in evaluating digital content; respect individuals and intellectual property; use technology responsibly, securely and safely
Select, use and combine a variety of software (including internet services) on a range of digital devices to accomplish given goals, including collecting, analysing, evaluating and presenting data and information.

Subject LTP

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Enhanced Curriculum Experiences

Computing skills are taught both discretely and across the wider curriculum, supporting other areas of learning across the school. Children have experiences of all three strands in each year group right from the beginning of school, but the subject knowledge imparted becomes increasingly specific and in depth. As children move through school, they actively build on their learning from previous years, with more complex skills being taught.

To ensure our young computer scientists become life long learners, we plan for a rich and innovative environment that every child has access to. This includes key vocabulary, a range of computing equipment and high quality programmable devices. In order to develop computing capital and apply their skills, children are provided with a broad range of meaningful contexts, enriching the classroom environment and encouraging oracy through discussion, discovery and presentation. These opportunities ensure they can see the purpose and reason for computing beyond the classroom.

Knowledge organisers