Gerrans School

Computing

Intent

We aim to instil a sense of enjoyment around using technology and to develop pupil’s appreciation of its capabilities and the opportunities technologies offer to create, manage, organise and collaborate. Children are given the opportunity to tinker with software and programs as we want to develop pupils’ confidence when encountering new technology which is a vital skill in the ever-evolving and changing landscape of technology. Through our curriculum, we intend for pupils not only to be digitally competent and have a range of transferable skills at a suitable level for the future workplace, but also to be responsible online citizens.

Kapow Primary’s scheme of work for computing enables pupils to meet the end of Key Stage attainment targets and the aims align with those set out in the National Curriculum.

Implementation

The national curriculum purpose of study states:

‘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’.

Therefore, the Kapow Primary scheme of work is designed with three strands which run throughout:

Computer science
Information technology
Digital literacy

Kapow Primary’s national curriculum mapping document shows which units cover each of the national curriculum attainment targets as well as each of these three strands. The Gerrans curriculum document also shows this.

Kapow Primary’s progression of skills shows the skills that are taught within each year group and how these skills develop year on year to ensure attainment targets are securely met by the end of each key stage.

The Kapow Primary scheme is organised into five key areas, creating a cyclical route through which pupils can develop their computing knowledge and skills by revisiting and building on previous learning:

Computer systems and networks
Programming
Creating media
Data handling
Online safety

The implementation of Kapow Primary computing ensures a broad and balanced coverage of the national curriculum requirements, and our ‘Skills showcase’ units provide pupils with the opportunity to learn and apply transferable skills. Where meaningful, units have been created to link to other subjects such as science, art, and music to enable the development of further transferable skills and genuine cross curricular learning.

Lessons incorporate a range of teaching strategies from independent tasks, paired and group work as well as unplugged and digital activities. This variety means that lessons are engaging and appeal to those with a variety of learning styles. Differentiated guidance is available for every lesson to ensure that lessons can be accessed by all pupils and opportunities to stretch pupils’ learning are available when required. Knowledge organisers for each unit support pupils in building a foundation of factual knowledge by encouraging recall of key facts and vocabulary.

Strong subject knowledge is vital for staff to be able to deliver a highly effective and robust computing curriculum. Each of our units of lessons include teacher videos to develop subject knowledge and support ongoing CPD. Further CPD opportunities can also be found via our webinars with our Computing subject specialists. Kapow has been created with the understanding that many teachers do not feel confident delivering the computing curriculum and every effort has been made to ensure that they feel supported to deliver lessons of a high standard that ensure pupil progression.

Computing is timetabled on a weekly or bi-weekly basis across Gerrans School. Children are given frequent opportunities to engage with a range of electronic devices (including laptops, Chromebooks, digital cameras, iPads and others) as well as using a range of software (including Microsoft Office, Scratch, movie-editing software).

Online safety lessons are embedded across the curriculum. Opportunities for this learning are both planned for and delivered incidentally within lessons. Strong links are made between computing and our PSHE curriculum (Jigsaw) which frequently delivers online safety messages. Online safety messages are delivered not only by teachers but also by support staff and, within assemblies, by the school’s senior leadership team.

Impact

The impact of Kapow Primary’s scheme can be constantly monitored through both formative and summative assessment opportunities. Each lesson includes guidance to support teachers in assessing pupils against the learning objectives and each unit has a unit quiz and knowledge catcher which can be used at the start and/ or end of the unit.

After the implementation of Kapow Primary computing, pupils should leave school equipped with a range of skills to enable them to succeed in their secondary education and be active participants in the ever-increasing digital world.

The expected impact of following the Kapow Primary computing scheme of work is that children will:

Be critical thinkers and able to understand how to make informed and appropriate digital choices in the future.
Understand the importance that computing will have going forward in both their educational and working life and in their social and personal futures.
Understand how to balance time spent on technology and time spent away from it in a healthy and appropriate manner.
Understand that technology helps to showcase their ideas and creativity.They will know that different types of software and hardware can help them achieve a broad variety of artistic and practical aims.
Show a clear progression of technical skills across all areas of the national curriculum - computer science, information technology and digital literacy.
Be able to use technology both individually and as part of a collaborative team.
Be aware of online safety issues and protocols and be able to deal with any problems in a responsible and appropriate manner.
Have an awareness of developments in technology and have an idea of how current technologies work and relate to one another.
Meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the national curriculum for computing.