Computing


Statement of Intent

The computing curriculum ensures all children have the right to have rich, deep learning experiences that balance all the aspects of computing and enables our pupils to use technology effectively and safely outside the classroom. At Ham Dingle we believe that ‘Computational thinking’ is a skill children must be taught if they are to be able to participate effectively and safely in this digital world. A high-quality computing education equips pupils to use technology creatively to understand and change the world.

 

At Ham Dingle, we teach a curriculum that enables children to become effective users of technology who can:  

  • Understand and apply the essential principles and concepts of Computer Science, including logic, algorithms and data representation.  

  • Analyse problems in computational term, and have repeated practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve such problems;  

  • Evaluate and apply information technology analytically to solve problems;  

  • Communicate ideas well by utilising appliances and devices throughout all areas of the curriculum.

From EYFS to Year 6, our computing curriculum supports a curiosity for technology, enabling all children to develop and acquire a range of progressive knowledge, skills and rich vocabulary. Our use of Purple Mash has been designed to promote a broad experience and support all staff through the use of built-in and live CPD opportunities.

Internet Safety

Ham Dingle takes internet safety extremely seriously. We have an E- Safety Policy that provides guidance for teachers and children about how to use the internet safely. Our Computing and PSHE lessons in school enable children to learn the safe use of technology and the internet, allowing them to think about how they can keep themselves and others safe, being mindful of how their behaviour, words and actions can affect others. Internet safety is threaded through units, individual lessons and celebrated on Internet safety days.


The curriculum also aligns to our wider school values through our curriculum drivers: collaboration, independence and character. Through high-quality teaching resources, rich learning modules and careful planning, we aim to enhance the children’s computing capital.

Implementation

We follow a broad and balanced computing curriculum that builds on previous learning and provides both support and challenge for learners. We follow a Computing scheme from Purple Mash that ensures depth and progression across the three predominant areas of computing; computer science, information technology and digital literacy.

All lessons are carefully planned to support spaced retrieval through the use of a three week rolling programme in Years 1-Year 6. Teachers use unit specific knowledge organisers which outline key knowledge and vocabulary which all children are exposed to within lessons. Low stakes quizzes will be used regular to support learners’ ability to block learning and increase space in the working memory. Each lesson, in all year groups, follows a lesson structure designed to: support the transferral of knowledge from the working memory to the long term memory; provide opportunities for children to become immersed in the learning; share worked examples; foster a culture where children have the opportunity to work collaboratively then independently; provide consistency and ensure appropriate coverage.

Pupils with SEND

We are an inclusive school, and strive to ensure our curriculum is accessible to all. Learning is a right and must meet the needs of each pupil. The pupils who have been identified as having a SEND need, will be planned for appropriately by the class teacher under the guidance and advice of the SENCo and/or additional agencies. Dependent on the pupils’ need, this may be through adult support, scaffolds or adapted tasks. In cases where a pupil has an EHCP, bespoke provision appropriate to the needs of the pupil and their continuum requirements will be planned.

As a school, we follow Rosenshine’s Priniples of Instruction and Cognitive Load Theory to provide lessons that are engaging and manageable to ensure sticks. Teachers implement these strategies in every lesson and this consistent approach supports the teaching of Computing at each stage and in all year groups. 

 

Assessment of Computing

  • Daily, through Wave 1 teaching (questioning, independent opportunities to practise skills, low stake testing etc).

  • Weekly, through pupils’ oral and written responses (on Class Blog Pages and tracked on teacher wider assessment sheets)

Impact

At our school, we believe all our pupils have the potential to succeed. Our children will leave us having been immersed in a whole school curriculum that values technology and the role it plays in day to day life. At Ham Dingle we aim to provide a computing curriculum that enables all children to showcase the very best of their abilities, through the use of  monitoring, blog studies and pupil conferencing we are able to assess the impact of our computing curriculum. In addition, we measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:   

  • A reflection on standards achieved against the planned outcomes   

  • Children can understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, logic, algorithms and data representation. 

  • Children can 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. 

  • Children are responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology.   

  • Pupil discussions about their learning.   

Aims of the Computing Curriculum

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

  • 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
  • become responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology.

Our Computing curriculum allows children to create digital work through a range of hardware and software. There is focus on:

  • Computational thinking (abstraction, decomposition, pattern recognition and algorithms)
  • E-safety
  • Digital literacy
  • Computers and hardware

Click here to see our Sequencing Map

Click here to see our One Page Overview

Click here to see our Curriculum Map and Assessment Framework

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