Computing
Computing Intent, Implementation and Impact
Intent
Park Road Community Primary School believe that the teaching of Computing should instil a sense of enjoyment around technology and develop pupils’ appreciation of its capabilities. Through teaching, pupils will understand the opportunities technology offers to create, manage, organise and collaborate.
Pupils will enjoy opportunities to ‘tinker’ with software and programs allowing them to develop their confidence when encountering new technology – a vital skill in our ever evolving and changing landscape.
Through the curriculum, we intend for pupils to not only become digitally competent and have transferable skills which eventually can be used in the future workplace, but also become responsible online citizens.
The school use the Kapow Scheme of Work, which enables pupils to meet end of key stage attainment outlines in the national curriculum.
Implementation
The National Curriculum Purpose of study states:
A high-quality computing education equips pupils to use computational thinking and creativity to understand and change the world. Computing has deep links with mathematics, science and design and technology, and provides insights into both natural and artificial systems. The core of computing is computer science, in which pupils are taught the principles of information and computation, how digital systems work and how to put this knowledge to use through programming. Building on this knowledge and understanding, pupils are equipped to use information technology to create programs, systems and a range of content. Computing also ensures that pupils become digitally literate – able to use, and express themselves and develop their ideas through, information and communication technology – at a level suitable for the future workplace and as active participants in a digital world.
The Kapow Primary scheme of work is designed with three strands which run throughout:
- Computer science
- Information technology
- Digital literacy
The National Curriculum mapping document shows which units cover each National Curriculum attainment target as well as each strand.
The Progression of Skills document shows the skills that are taught within each year group and how these skills develop year on year to ensure attainment targets are met securely by the end of each key stage.
The Kapow Primary scheme is organised into five key areas, creating a cyclical route through which pupils can develop their computing knowledge and skills by revisiting and building on previous learning:
- Computing systems and networks
- Programming
- Creating media
- Data handling
- Online safety
The implementation of the Kapow Primary Computing scheme ensures broad and balanced coverage of the National Curriculum requirements, and ‘Skills Showcase’ units provide pupils with the opportunity to learn and apply transferable skills. Meaningful units have been created to link to other subjects such as science, art and music to enable the development of further transferable skills and genuine cross-curricular learning.
Lessons incorporate a range of teaching strategies form independent tasks, paired and group work as well as unplugged and digital activities. This variety means that lessons are engaging and appeal to those with a variety of learning styles. Differentiated guidance is available for every lesson to ensure that lessons can be accessed by all pupils and opportunities to stretch pupils’ earning are available when required. School have created their own knowledge, skill and understanding organisers to support teachers in their delivery, which in turn will support pupils in building a factual knowledge by encouraging recall of key facts and vocabulary.
Park Road recognise that strong subject knowledge is vital for staff to deliver highly effective and robust computing curriculum. Within Kapow, each unit of lessons includes a teacher video to develop this subject knowledge and support ongoing CPD. Further CPD opportunities are also available by regular Webinars from Kapow. Staff are supported by the computing subject leader to access CPD and develop their own skills and confidence.
Computing is timetabled once per week, more often than not; however, at teachers’ discretion, if more appropriate, teachers may choose to block sessions. Online safety is also taught through Kapow, with a lesson at the start of every unit. In addition, further lessons may be taught, if a matter requiring a responsive learning opportunity arises. The school celebrate Safer Internet Day each year. The schools PSHE curriculum covers online safety also.
In school, pupils have access to Chromebooks, with all children from Y2 having their own login, and iPads. The school has enough resources for all pupils to use a device 1:1 if required.
Impact
The impact of the curriculum can be constantly monitored through both formative and summative assessment opportunities. Each lesson includes guidance to support teachers in assessing pupils against the learning objectives and each unit has a unit quiz and knowledge catcher which can be used at the start and/or end of the unit.
With use of the scheme, pupils should leave school equipped with a range of skills to enable them to succeed in secondary education and be active participants in the ever-increasing digital world.
Park Road’s expected impact is that children will:
- be critical thinkers and able to understand how to make informed and appropriate digital choices in the future
- understand the importance that computing will have going forward in both their educational and working life and in their social and personal futures
- understand how to balance time spent on technology and time spent away from it in a healthy and appropriate manner.
- understand that technology helps to showcase their ideas and creativity. They will know that different types of software and hardware can help them achieve a broad variety of artistic and practical aims
- show a clear progress of technical skills across all areas of the National Curriculum – computer science, information technology and digital literacy
- be able to use technology both individually and as part of a collaborative team
- be aware of online safety issues and protocols and be able to deal with any problems in a responsible and appropriate manner.
- have an awareness of developments in technology and have an idea of how current technologies work and relate to one another
- meet the end of key stage expectations outlines in the National Curriculum for Computing
Click on the National Curriculum image for the National Curriculum programme of study for Computing.
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