Intent

Within an ever-changing and technological world, Brenzett Primary understands and values the importance of teaching Computing from a young age. We acknowledge that future generations will require strong computational confidence and digital skills in order to support their progress within their chosen career paths. 

Therefore, it is our school’s aim to equip children with the relevant skills and knowledge that is required to understand the three core areas of Computing (Computer Science, Information Technology and Digital Literacy) and to offer a broad and balanced approach to providing quality first teaching of this subject.

Computing is an integral part to a child’s education and everyday life. Therefore, we intend to support our pupils to access and understand the core principles of this subject through engaging opportunities within discreet lessons and across the wider curriculum.

Implementation

The Computing curriculum is continuously reviewed through monitoring and evaluation by the Subject Leader. Teachers demonstrate a high level of enthusiasm for the subject content and their expectations of the pupils are driven by the subject progression grids. These have been written with the three core areas of Computing in mind:

  Computer Science – the understanding of coding and programming across a range of physical devices and digital resources.

• Information Technology – the range of skills required to operate and manipulate specific programs, systems, and content.
• Digital Literacy – the knowledge required to use technology safely and to evaluate and react to any potential risks of the online/digital world. 

The National Curriculum provides the basis for the progression grids and this content is then supplemented to support planning. The core of which comes from the NCCE Scheme. Our online safety is covered based on the Education for a Connected World framework using Project Evolve’s scheme.  Stem, Scratch, Barefoot, eLIM, Amazing ICT and CAS also provide supplementary resources to support additional content.

We also participate in ‘Internet Safety Week’ in which each class is provided with age appropriate texts and tasks. Cross-curricular opportunities are identified in order to ascertain links between termly topics and to ensure that Computing is not just seen as a stand-alone 

area. Staff are encouraged to share any gaps in their knowledge and skill sets to inform appropriate and individualised training/CPD.

 In our teaching of Computing, we endeavour to expose students to a variety of software, programs, and equipment in order to offer a range of appropriate challenges and experiences. 

Specific vocabulary for each year group is outlined in the progression grids and this is regularly modelled by teachers within their lessons. Spaced repetition and chunking within the curriculum allows pupils to develop their recall of embedded knowledge and ensures that each year group works on an aspect of each the three areas of Computing.

Sessions are adapted to meet the requirements of a specific cohort and lesson content is frequently reviewed by class teachers and the subject lead. Our schemes of work remain flexible and children share their thoughts on their ‘computing learning journeys’ to help enable sessions to be adapted to their interests and needs.

Impact

Within Computing, we encourage a creative and collaborative environment in which pupils can learn to express and challenge themselves.

The success of the curriculum itself will be assessed via the analysis of yearly progress data, conducting regular pupil voice sessions, lesson observations and skills audits. This will then inform future adaptions of the schemes of work and help to ensure that progression is evident throughout school.  

We expect pupils at Brenzett Primary School will:

• Be enthusiastic and confident in their approach towards Computing.
• Present as competent and adaptable ‘Computational Thinkers’ who are able to use identified concepts and approaches in all of their learning.
• Be able to identify the source of problems and work with perseverance to ‘debug’ them.
• Create and evaluate their own project work.
• Have a secure understanding of the positive applications and specific risks associated with a broad range of digital technology.
• Transition to secondary school with a keen interest in the continued learning of this subject.