Computing

Intent

"We are currently preparing students for jobs that don't yet exist, using technologies that haven't been invented, in order to solve problems we don't know are problems yet."

- Richard Riley

At Great Wishford Primary School, we aim to instil a sense of enjoyment around using technology and to develop pupil's appreciation of its capabilities and the opportunities technology offers to create, manage, organise and collaborate.  Tinkering with software and programs forms a part of the ethos of the Kapow computing scheme that we use at Great Wishford, developing pupil's confidence when encountering new technology, which is a vital skill in the ever evolving and changing landscape of technology.  Through our curriculum, we intend for pupils not only to be digitally competent and have a range of transferrable skills at a suitable level for the future workplace, but also to be responsible online citizens.  

Implementation

In accordance with the National Curriculum 2014, our children learn to develop their skills in communication,  online safety, problem solving, control, coding and computational thinking. They are encouraged to engage in new initiatives and to discuss and share good practice in ICT. Successes are celebrated along the way.  The computing national curriculum has further been broken down in to progressive skills for each year group to follow.

When teaching computing as discreet lessons staff are able to use our scheme of work the 'Kapow Scheme', designed to fulfil the statutory requirements outlined in the National Curriculum 2014. 

We teach computing through five key areas:

Computing systems and networks: Identifying hardware and using software, while exploring how computers communicate and connect to one another.

Programming: Understanding that a computer operates on algorithms, and learning how to write, adapt and debug code to instruct a computer to perform set tasks.

Creating media: Learning how to use various devices - record, capture and edit content such as videos, music, pictures and photographs.

Data handling: Ensuring that information is collected, recorded, stored, presented and analysed in a manner that is useful and can help to solve problems.

Online safety: Understanding the benefits and risks of being online — how to remain safe, keep personal information secure and recognising when to seek help in difficult situations.

Kapow Primary’s Computing scheme of work has been designed as a spiral curriculum with the following key principles in mind:

• Cyclical: Pupils revisit the five key areas throughout KS1 and KS2. 
• Increasing depth: Each time a key area is revisited, it is covered with greater complexity.
• Prior knowledge: Upon returning to each key area, prior knowledge is utilised so pupils can build on previous foundations, rather than starting again. 

At Great Wishford we believe that computing has links to a variety of other subjects such as mathematics, science and design and technology.  We believe that, as an essential part of the curriculum, computing is a subject that not only stands alone but is woven in and should be an integral part of all learning. 

We recognise the need to continually maintain, update and develop our resources and to make progress towards a consistent, compatible system by investing in resources that will effectively deliver the strands of the national curriculum and support the use of Computing across the school. This includes:

• Interactive whiteboards with sound in every classroom.
• A class set of iPads, a class set of laptops available for use throughout the school.
• Beebot devices for programming activities.

Impact

After the implementation of the Computing and E-Safety curriculum, children at Great Wishford will be digitally literate and equipped to use technology effectively, respectfully and safely. Children will be able to question and understand both the strengths of positive behaviour choices and the consequences of poor behaviour choices made when using the internet and be knowledgeable on how to keep themselves safe online as they begin their journey into an adult world.