Computing

"Computers are magnificent tools for the realization of our dreams, but no machine can replace the human spark of spirit, compassion, love, and understanding"

Louis V. Gerstner, Jr.

Our Curriculum Intent

We believe that a high-quality computing education enables pupils to develop and use logical thinking and creativity to better understand the world. Computing has links with mathematics, science, and design and technology.

We want our children to take advantage of ICT and computing to support them both with their learning as well as for potential employment in the future. We teach about balance and discuss the benefits and risks associated with ICT and computing both within computing lessons as well as as part of our PSHE curriculum.

Curriculum

Our school curriculum is based on the national curriculum. We are members of the Teach Computing network and use the resources developed by the Raspberry Pi Foundation and the National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE) when teaching our computing curriculum

The learning in key stages 1 and 2 is based on a concept of a spiral curriculum. This means that each of the themes is revisited regularly (at least once in each year group), and pupils revisit each theme through a new unit that consolidates and builds on prior learning within that theme. This style of curriculum design reduces the amount of knowledge lost through forgetting, as topics are revisited yearly.

The curriculum has been written to support all pupils. Each lesson is sequenced so that it builds on the learning from the previous lesson, and where appropriate, activities are scaffolded so that all pupils can succeed and thrive. Learning objectives are incorporated within one of 10 strands:

Algorithms — Be able to comprehend, design, create, and evaluate algorithms
Computer networks — Understand how networks can be used to retrieve and share information, and how they come with associated risks
Computer systems — Understand what a computer is, and how its constituent parts function together as a whole
Creating media — Select and create a range of media including text, images, sounds, and video
Data and information — Understand how data is stored, organised, and used to represent real-world artefacts and scenarios
Design and development — Understand the activities involved in planning, creating, and evaluating computing artefacts
Effective use of tools — Use software tools to support computing work
Impact of technology — Understand how individuals, systems, and society as a whole interact with computer systems
Programming — Create software to allow computers to solve problems
Safety and security — Understand risks when using technology, and how to protect individuals and systems

Online safety

We teach online safety both within our planned computing curriculum and our PSHE curriculum, as some topics are better suited to personal, social, health, and economic (PSHE) education; and citizenship.

KS1 curriculum unit summaries

Term 1	Term 2	Term 3	Term 4	Term 5	Term 6
	Computing systems and networks	Creating media	Programming A	Data and information	Creating media	Programming B
Year 1	Technology around us Recognising technology in school and using it responsibly.	Digital painting Choosing appropriate tools in a program to create art, and making comparisons with working non-digitally.	Moving a robot Writing short algorithms and programs for floor robots, and predicting program outcomes.	Grouping data Exploring object labels, then using them to sort and group objects by properties.	Digital writing Using a computer to create and format text, before comparing to writing non-digitally.	Programming animations Designing and programming the movement of a character on screen to tell stories.
Year 2	Information technology around us Identifying IT and how its responsible use improves our world in school and beyond.	Digital photography Capturing and changing digital photographs for different purposes.	Robot algorithms Creating and debugging programs,and using logical reasoning to make predictions.	Pictograms Collecting data in tally charts and using attributes to organise and present data on a computer.	Making music Using a computer as a tool to explore rhythms and melodies, before creating a musical composition.	Programming quizzes Designing algorithms and programs that use events to trigger sequences of code to make an interactive quiz.

KS1 curriculum mapped to the National Curriculum*

1.1

1.2

1.3

1.4

1.5

1.6

2.1

2.2

2.3

2.4

2.5

2.6

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

✓

*Our computing curriculum references
1.1 Technology araound us
1.2 Digital painting
1.3 Moving a robot
1.4 Grouping data
1.5 Digital writing
1.6 Programming animations
2.1 Information technology around us
2.2 Digital photography
2.3 Robot algorithms
2.4 Pictograms
2.5 Making music
2.6 Programming quizzes

LKS2 curriculum unit summaries

Term 1	Term 2	Term 3	Term 4	Term 5	Term 6
	Computing systems and networks	Creating media	Programming A	Data and information	Programming B
Year 3	Connecting computers Identifying that digital devices have inputs, processes, and outputs, and how devices can be connected to make networks.	Stop-frame animation Capturing and editing digital still images to produce a stop-frame animation that tells a story.	Sequencing sounds Creating sequences in a block-based programming language to make music.	Branching databases Building and using branching databases to group objects using yes/no questions.	Events and actions in programs Writing algorithms and programs that use a range of events to trigger sequences of actions.
Year 4	The internet Recognising the internet as a network of networks including the WWW, and why we should evaluate online content.	Audio production Capturing and editing audio to produce a podcast, ensuring that copyright is considered.	Repetition in shapes Using a text-based programming language to explore count-controlled loops when drawing shapes.	Data logging Recognising how and why data is collected over time, before using data loggers to carry out an investigation.	Repetition in games Using a block-based programming language to explore count-controlled and infinite loops when creating a game.

UKS2 Curriculum unit summaries

Computing systems and networks

Creating media

Programming A

Data and information

Creating media

Programming B

Year 5

Systems and searching

Recognising IT systems around us and how they allow us to search the internet.

Video production

Planning, capturing, and editing video to produce a short film.

Selection in physical computing

Exploring conditions and selection using a programmable microcontroller.

Flat-file databases

Using a database to order data and create charts to answer questions.

Vector drawing

Creating images in a drawing program by using layers and groups of objects.

Selection in quizzes

Exploring selection in programming to design and code an interactive quiz.

Year 6

Communication and collaboration Identifying and exploring how data is transferred and information is shared online.

Webpage creation

Designing and creating webpages, giving consideration to copyright, aesthetics, and navigation.

Variables in games

Exploring variables when designing and coding a game.

Introduction to spreadsheets

Answering questions by using spreadsheets to organise and calculate data.

3D modelling

Planning, developing, and evaluating 3D computer models of physical objects.

Sensing

Designing and coding a project that captures inputs from a physical device.

LKS2 curriculum mapped to the National Curriculum*

3.1

3.2

3.3

3.4

3.5

3.6

4.1

4.2

4.3

4.4

4.5

4.6

Design, write and debug 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

✓

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

✓

*Our LKS2 computing curriculum reference

3.1 Connecting computers
3.2 Stop-frame animation
3.3 Sequencing sounds
3.4 Branching databases
3.5 Desktop publishing
3.6 Events and actions in programs
4.1 The internet
4.2 Audio production
4.3 Repetition in shapes
4.4 Data logging
4.5 Photo editing
4.6 Repetition in games

UKS2 curriculum mapped to the National Curriculum*

National curriculum coverage - Years 5 and 6

5.1

5.2

5.3

5.4

5.5

5.6

6.1

6.2

6.3

6.4

6.5

6.6