Computing

Purpose of study

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.

Aims

The national curriculum for computing aims to ensure that all pupils:

• can understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, logic, algorithms and data representation
• can analyse problems in computational terms, and have repeated practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve such problems
• can evaluate and apply information technology, including new or unfamiliar technologies, analytically to solve problems
• are responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology.

Intent

At New Horizons Seaside Primary, our aim is for children to become digitally literate and prepared to become active participants of an ever-changing digital world. We aim to provide a knowledge-rich curriculum to give each pupil the opportunity to apply and develop their technological understanding and skills across a wide range of purposeful situations and tasks. Through this we want our children to:

• develop resilience and self-belief by problem solving and developing computational thinking.
• become safe and discerning users of technology.
• have high aspirations for their future as they are equipped with the computing knowledge they need for the next stages in their academic career.

By the end of year 6 children will:

• understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, logic, algorithms and data representation
• analyse problems in computational terms, and have repeated practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve such problems
• evaluate and apply information technology, including new or unfamiliar technologies, analytically to solve problems
• be responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology.

Implementation

• Our curriculum is taught through discrete computing lessons with links to the wider curriculum.
• Cross curricular links are built into the discrete lessons and computing is used in topic work to provide meaningful use of ICT.
• We follow the Purple Mash Scheme of work, which is mapped to the National Curriculum, and resources to provide a progressive knowledge based curriculum throughout the school.
• Online Safeguarding planning is implemented throughout the school through our Personal Development sessions, assemblies and discrete computing lessons.
• All teachers have received training on Online Safeguarding and Purple Mash
• The school has hosted online safety talks for parents to support learning at home.

New Horizons Seaside Primary follows the Purple Mash 2Simple Scheme of Work for delivering the Computing Curriculum.

Impact

By the end of year 6 children will be digitally literate and prepared to become active participants of an ever-changing digital world. They will understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, logic, algorithms and data representation.

Children will be able to analyse problems in computational terms, and have repeated practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve such problems. Children can evaluate and apply information technology, including new or unfamiliar technologies, analytically to solve problems.

Most of all they will leave Seaside being responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology.

Please click on the link below to see our Online Safeguarding and Acceptable Use Policy.