Intent of our Computing Curriculum
The subject of Computing at St Alban & St Stephen Catholic Primary School enables pupils to embrace and utilise new technology in a socially responsible, safe and creative way, in order to understand and change the world. With technology playing such a significant role in our modern-day society, we believe ‘Computational thinking’ is a vital skill children must be taught if they are to be able to participate effectively and safely in this digital world.
Computing lessons at St Alban & St Stephen, ensure that technology is accessible to all children, regardless of circumstance, and supports our pupils on their journey to becoming creative, confident and autonomous users of technology. We strive to establish a sense of digital literacy, where pupils are able to express themselves and develop their ideas through a range of technology at a deep and meaningful level, not only for their everyday lives and education, but also for their future workplace, careers and as active participants in a digital world. It is important that children become both users and creators of technology, using it responsibly and safely to support their learning and research in other areas of the curriculum. It is with the breadth of experience provided within our Computing curriculum that enables pupils to develop their sense of responsibility as a member of our school community, our wider global community and as a digital citizen.
Computing at St Alban & St Stephen Catholic Primary School enables pupils to explore the natural links between Maths, Science and Design and Technology, whilst nurturing skills of resilience, problem-solving, creativity and critical thinking: learning behaviours which we, at St Alban & St Stephen hold in high regard. The program of study we have chosen to teach computing lessons –KAPOW computing enables the teachers to deliver high quality computing lessons with clear skills progression and challenge.
Through our Computing curriculum, the children will experience the following:
- Competence in coding for a variety of practical and inventive purposes, including the application of ideas within other subjects.
- The ability to connect with others safely and respectfully, understanding the need to act within the law and with moral and ethical integrity.
- An understanding of the connected nature of devices.
- The ability to communicate ideas well by using applications and devices throughout the curriculum.
- The ability to collect, organise and manipulate data effectively.
Through our in-depth and carefully sequenced lessons, both stand alone and through other areas of the curriculum, pupils’ Computing skills and concepts are clearly transferable and are structured to successfully equip pupils for both their future learning and future life.
The key Computing skills and concepts are:
- Code
- Connect
- Communicate
- Collect
Implementation of Computing
All learning will start with revisiting prior knowledge and making meaningful connections. Staff will model explicitly the subject-specific vocabulary, knowledge and skills relevant to the learning to allow them to integrate new knowledge into larger concepts. Curriculum quizzes are used to review learning and check that children know more and remember more.
In lessons, computing skills are taught in a cross-curricular way wherever possible. However, to help us deliver appropriate and challenging provision, some content may be delivered in discrete lessons to maximise the pupils’ successes when using the necessary software.
Computing assessment is ongoing throughout the relevant units to inform teachers with their planning, lesson activities and differentiation. Summative assessment is completed at the end of each unit where computing objectives have been covered.
Online Safety
At St Alban & St Stephen Catholic Primary School, we take online safety extremely seriously and have made this a focus within the school. Online safety is taught throughout the year as part of both our Computing, PSHE and RHE lessons, as well as during regular assemblies and Online Safety Week activities in February. This is to ensure all pupils are aware of how to use technology safely both in and out of school and know who to approach if they have any worries or concerns about anything they have seen online. We ask all parents and pupils to sign our Online Safety Acceptable Use Agreement.
Online Safety Acceptable Use Agreement Pupil and Parent
The progression of online safety skills and knowledge ensures that children receive age-appropriate teaching to help to keep themselves safe online.
E Safety Progression of Skills
Impact of Computing
Pupil voice is also used to enable leaders to assess the impact of the computing curriculum and whether pupils have a greater understanding of how to access and use information technology with a greater degree of confidence and competence. All computing work is saved online and is carefully monitored across all year groups once a term.
Our pupils leave St Alban & St Stephen Catholic Primary School with the knowledge to understand, stay safe and flourish in a technology-rich world and they value the transference of these skills into their every-day life, in education and beyond.
Look at the documents below to see how computing is taught across all year groups at St Alban & St Stephen Catholic Primary School:
Progression of Knowledge & Skills
Whole School Curriculum Coverage
Useful Links:
General Subject Areas:
BBC Bitesize KS1 – https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zyhbwmn
BBC Bitesize KS2 – https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zvnrq6f
Google Doodle – https://csfirst.withgoogle.com/c/cs-first/en/create-your-own-google-logo/create-your-own-google-logo/create-your-own-google-logo.html
STEM Ideas – https://www.stem.org.uk/primary/resources/collections/computing
Creating Media:
Sketchpad – https://sketch.io/sketchpad/
Pixlr – https://pixlr.com/
J2E’s JIT5 Animate – https://www.j2e.com/jit5
Programming:
Bee-Bot Online – https://beebot.terrapinlogo.com/
Google Earth – https://earth.google.com/web/
Scratch – https://scratch.mit.edu/
Lightbot – https://lightbot.com/
Trinket – https://trinket.io/
Micro:bit – https://makecode.microbit.org/
Turtle Academy – https://turtleacademy.com/playground
Blocky Games – https://blockly.games/
Computer Systems and Networks:
Traceroute – https://traceroute-online.com/
Kidsemail – https://www.kidsemail.org/
Typing Club Jungle – https://www.typingclub.com/sportal/program-3.game
Online Safety:
Below are some links that children themselves can access for help when navigating the tricky subject of online safety,
Reception – Year 2
Below are a number of links that are tailored for children in the younger year groups.
https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/5_7/
https://www.netsmartzkids.org/
https://www.childnet.com/resources/smartie-the-penguin
Year 3 – Year 6
Below are links more suitable for older children.
https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/8_10/
https://www.nsteens.org/