Computing

Subject Leader - Mrs L. Eveson

Curriculum Intent

At Pheasey Park Farm Primary School, we want to equip our children with the necessary skills and creativity required to change the world.  Children will use Maths, Science and Design Technology skills in order to understand computing systems.  We want them to be digitally literate on a range of systems so that they can be active participants in the digital world.  Online safety and developing digital resilience are key aspects of the curriculum.  Children at Pheasey Park Farm Primary School use education technology to support collaboration across the curriculum.  Our children are equipped to recognise and overcome the challenges of the modern world. 

Implementation

To ensure high standards of teaching and learning in Computing, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school. We ensure that Computing has the same importance given to it as the core subjects, as we feel this is important in enabling all children to gain ‘real-life’ experiences.

Computing is taught on alternate weeks with half termly topics, focusing on knowledge and skills stated in the National Curriculum. Year group staff plan sequences of lessons using our curriculum coverage and progression of knowledge and skills documents. These ensure full coverage of the National Curriculum objectives and a logical progression in the knowledge and skills taught year upon year. They also allow teachers to re-visit knowledge and skills taught in previous year groups to assess children’s understanding before moving on. This approach directly coincides with Ofsted’s inspection framework which states:

“People learn new knowledge when new concepts are connected in their minds with what they have already learned. It is more appropriate, therefore, to understand the way knowledge is stored as a complex, interconnected web or ‘schema’. Every time a pupil encounters a word they have previously learned, but applied in a new context, it adds to the complexity of their understanding of that concept. In other words, they develop a deeper understanding of that concept and enhance their capacity to use that concept in their own thinking.”

Some children may require extra support in the classroom and opportunities for consolidation and reinforcement. Activities within Computing lessons will be differentiated to meet the needs of all pupils. Children’s deeper thinking will be evaluated using open-ended questions and they will be encouraged to follow lines of thought independently.

Additional opportunities will be available to support the Computing curriculum such as workshops, visiting experts, competitions and extra-curricular clubs.

Impact

Our Computing curriculum is designed to ensure that pupils’ computing knowledge and skills are embedded throughout their time at our school. The progression of knowledge and skills document provides clear targets for pupils at each stage of their learning which enables teachers to provide learning opportunities at the appropriate level.

The impact of our Computing curriculum will be measured through teacher assessment, school leader monitoring and subject leader monitoring. Outcomes in Computing digital floor books will evidence a broad and balanced Computing curriculum and demonstrate children’s acquisition of identified key knowledge.

Teachers will assess children’s learning at the beginning and throughout each Computing lesson through questioning and discussion. Following the lesson, teachers will informally assess children’s understanding during marking of work, providing verbal or written feedback individually or as a group/class. Teachers will use these assessments to inform and adapt their planning of further Computing knowledge and skills and to address any misconceptions.

Children’s attainment will be considered and recorded termly to identify whether they are working below, at or above the expected level. Teachers will use a range of sources such digital Computing work, questioning, marking and planning when making these judgements. There will also be opportunities for moderation sessions across the school and the Trust to ensure accuracy of these judgements. At the end of each academic year, these assessments will be passed on to the following year group’s staff to ensure that future planning of learning opportunities is pitched appropriately.

As children progress throughout the school, they will deepen their understanding of Computer Science, Information Technology and Digital Literacy. Children will be equipped with computing skills and knowledge that will enable them to use devices safely, be ready secondary education, for life as an adult in the wider world and for a range of future careers. 