Computing

Computing Vision

At Fryern Infant and Junior schools we believe that Computing should equip our pupils with the skills and knowledge of the computing and online environments in order to enhance their ability to organise and enquire further into the world around them. We do this by delivering sessions derived from the National Curriculum programme of study. We aim to provide Computing sessions that build on pupils’ ambitions, curiosity and resilience. We aim to create respectful online citizens who are reflective about the appropriate use of computers.

It is of great importance to us in this rapidly developing digital world, that pupils become digitally literate – able to use, and express themselves and develop their ideas through, information and communication technology whilst being responsible and safe computer users who are aware of the dangers and threats in online communities. In order to capitalise on pupil motivations, we provide pupils with opportunities to build their cross-curricular interests into computing sessions where they can be creative within programming sessions. As well as thinking creatively, we aim to ensure that programming sessions provide opportunities for pupils to think logically and systematically. When using cross- media interfaces in video and captured images, we also aim to foster team work and collaboration.

Intent

During Computing education at Fryern, we intend to:

Introduce children to a range of software and hardware, and open children’s eyes to the possibilities that these allow for
Develop children’s awareness of the internet as a resource, alongside an understanding of how to navigate the risks of being online.
Prepare children for their future use of technology both as programmers and software users at secondary school and beyond.
Allow children the chance to experiment with technology both independently and in collaborative contexts.

Implementation

The subject leader allocates the curriculum units developed through the National Centre for Computer Education. Teachers liaise with specialist Computing instructors from our affiliated Computer Xplorers company. Together, they ensure that the curriculum stays relevant and up to date, adapting the NCCE skills progression to suitable curricular themes. Our curriculum ensures that a variety of skills and topics are covered, including online safety, which is a high priority.
Currently, each teacher in each year group teaches computing as a stand-alone weekly lesson. The subject leader liaises with teachers across each year group to coordinate Computer Xplorers technical support and monitor how planning is implemented.
When appropriate and relevant, the computing curriculum is linked to other curriculum areas to provide context for tasks, though often, the lessons are specific to the Computing curriculum.
The curriculum is delivered using banks of laptops. These laptops are installed with software that has been matched to the curriculum, often available for free. In addition, individual Spell shed and Timestable Rockstars logins allow children to access online tools which can be used in school or at home.
The curriculum units allow children the flexibility to extend their learning through open ended software application. All children are taught the key skills for each unit and some are able to develop their skills further by experimentation and testing of ideas.
A rubric of assessment objectives is used to monitor and assess pupils’ successes in order to be passed on to subsequent teachers and to inform reporting.

National Curriculum Aims for Computing

The National Curriculum for computing aims state that a programme of study should ensure that all pupils: can understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, logic, algorithms and data representation. That they can also analyse problems in computational terms, and have repeated practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve such problems. Pupils can also evaluate and apply information technology, including new or unfamiliar technologies, analytically to solve problems and are responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology. In order to deliver on these aims, our curriculum has subdivided the aims into four domains of knowledge and application of skills which are:

What is a computer?

Presenting information and multimedia
Interpreting and using Data
Programming and algorithms

Running throughout the curriculum are taught the skills that enable pupils to access computers and networks and understand online communities referred to in the National Curriculum as Digital Literacy. These skills are important in developing pupils’ ability to use passwords and consider safe and appropriate use of Information Technology. The Fryern curriculum is delivered over six half termly modules.

Specifically relating to the National Curriculum, in Key stage 1, our pupils are taught to:

understand what algorithms are; how they are implemented as programs on digital devices; and that programs execute by following precise and unambiguous instructions
create and debug simple programs
use logical reasoning to predict the behaviour of simple programs
use technology purposefully to create, organise, store, manipulate and retrieve digital content
recognise common uses of information technology beyond school
use technology safely and respectfully, keeping personal information private; identify where to go for help and support when they have concerns about content or contact on the internet or other online technologies.

In Key Stage 2, our pupils are taught to:

Design, write and debug programmes 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.
Use logical reasoning to explain how some simple algorithms work 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.
Use search technologies effectively, appreciate how results are selected and ranked, and be discerning in evaluating digital content.
Select, use and combine a variety of software (including internet services) on a range of digital devices to design and create a range of programs, systems and content that accomplish given goals, including collecting, analysing, evaluating and presenting data and information.
Use technology safely, respectfully and responsibly; recognise acceptable/unacceptable behaviour; identify a range of ways to report concerns about content and contact.

Impact

As a result of our whole school computing curriculum, pupils of Fryern School will:

Have an understanding of how computer systems work, including networks and the internet.
Be able to create algorithmic programs through creative design and problem solving to achieve a desired outcome.
Be familiar with and able to use a range of everyday and specialist software and hardware.
Be able to manage online accounts safely and productively.
Be able to conduct themselves safely online, being aware of the risks they might encounter.
Be able to search for information carefully with an awareness of reliability and accuracy.
Be able to use IT for a range of purposes, making good decisions about software choice and application.
Enjoy the opportunities which technology makes available to them.

Successes will be monitored through:

Summative assessment at the end of each unit which identifies children working below or above expected levels in the key objectives.
Discussion with staff about their successes in computing and how the curriculum can be further enhanced in subsequent terms.
Discussion with children to explore their own self-perceived strengths and areas for improvement in computing.