Computing

Welcome to Computing at Saints Peter and Paul



Computing Lead Mr Brooks

“Computers themselves, and software yet to be developed, will revolutionise the way we learn.”

Steve Jobs


KS1 Two Year Plan
LKS2 Two Year Plan
UKS2 Two Year Plan
Progression of Skills and Knowledge in Computing

 


Computing Intent

Technology is changing the lives of everyone. At Saints Peter and Paul we equip children to participate in a rapidly-changing world where work and leisure activities are increasingly transformed by technology.

It is our intention to enable children to find, explore, analyse, exchange and present information. We also focus on developing the skills necessary for children to be able to use information in a discriminating and effective way. We want children to know more, remember more and understand more in computing so that they leave primary school computer literate.

Computing skills are a major factor in enabling children to be confident, creative and independent learners and it is our intention that children have every opportunity available to allow them to achieve this.


Computing Implementation

How Computing is taught at Saints Peter and Paul

We are delighted to announce that we now subscribe to the fantastic Purple Mash software and will be using this in Computing sessions, as well as for cross-curricular Computing! All pupils have their very own Purple Mash login and can also access their work from home. Teachers may set additional activities for optional homework, which children will receive in the ‘alerts’ on the website. They can also ‘hand in’ work and check what feedback they have been given, providing a fully interactive approach to learning!

Purple Mash provides software to cover all areas of the Computing Curriculum, from coding to spreadsheets to blogging to e-safety… and everything in between!

The computing curriculum has been carefully built and the learning opportunities and assessment milestones for each year group crafted to ensure progression and repetition in terms of embedding key learning, knowledge and skills. For example, we focus our teaching different themes throughout the year, these vary from coding and computational thinking, spreadsheets, internet and email, art and design, music, database and graphing, writing and presenting and communication and networks. These are revisited year on year where pupils progressively build their skills and knowledge.  We frequently revisit online safety through different online safety assemblies and drama performances. Computing subject specific characteristics, which we expect the children to demonstrate, have been developed and shared with all stakeholders. These characteristics underpin all work in computing and form a focal point for display areas and provide a common subject specific vocabulary for staff and pupils. These characteristics are:

  • Competence in coding for a variety of practical and inventive purposes, including the application of ideas within other subjects.
  • The ability to connect with others safely and respectfully, understanding the need to act within the law and with moral and ethical integrity. An understanding of the connected nature of devices.
  • The ability to communicate ideas well by using applications and devices throughout the curriculum.
  • The ability to collect, organise and manipulate data effectively.

We empower our staff to organise their own year group curriculums under the guidance of our subject leaders. We encourage staff to teach a weekly computing lesson. This helps to ensure sufficient time is allocated to computing and that computing subject matter can be revisited frequently. We believe that by crafting our curriculum this way, we improve the potential for our children to retain what they have been taught, to alter their long-term memory and thus improve the rates of progress they make.

Within Key Stage 1 

Pupils should be 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.
Within Key Stage 2

Pupils should be taught to:

  • 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.
Within Early Years

The Early Years Framework is structured very differently to the National Curriculum as it is organised across 7 areas of learning rather than subject areas. ‘Development Matters’ (new Early Years Curriculum 2020) develops prerequisite skills for Science within the National Curriculum. These skills start in our 2 year old provision ‘Little Saints’ and are found within the areas Communication and Language, Personal, Social and Emotional Development and Understanding of the World.

Click on the links below to View the EYFS scheme of work.

Communication and Language

Listening, attention and understanding

Speaking

Expressive Arts 

Being imaginative and expressive

Creating with Materials

Literacy

Word Reading

Writing  

Comprehension

Mathematics 

Number

Numerical Patterns

Physical Development

Fine Motor Skills

Gross Motor Skills

PSED

Building Relationships

Managing Self

Self-Regulation

Understanding the World

People, Culture & Communities

Past and Present

Natural World


Computing Impact

We use both formative and summative assessment information in every computing lesson. Staff use this information to inform their short-term planning and short-term interventions. This helps us provide the best possible support for all of our pupils, including the more able. The assessment milestones for each phase have been carefully mapped out and further broken down for each year group. This means that skills in computing are progressive and build year on year.

Our staff use computing formative assessment grids to systematically assess what the children know as the topic progresses and inform their future planning. These formative assessment grids then inform summative assessment judgements for each topic

Assessment information is collected at the end of each topic. Teachers identify which children are working below, working towards, working at and greater depth against key objectives for each topic. This information in transferred to subject spreadsheets and from here we can analyse number of children achieving at each level. Plus looking at groups of children, e.g. boys v girls. This process provides an accurate and comprehensive understanding of the quality of education in computing. A comprehensive monitoring cycle is developed at the beginning of each academic year. This identifies when monitoring is undertaken. Monitoring in Computing includes: work scrutiny, lesson observations and/or learning walks, pupil voice and staff voice.

All of this information is gathered and reviewed. It is used to inform further curriculum developments and provision is adapted accordingly.


What’s happening this term in Computing?

Key Stage one – Online Safety and Effective Searching

Class Barlow:

 

Class Bamber:

Class Rigby: