Intent, implementation and impact

Intent

Technology has become a driving force of society, with rapid advances in technology meaning that it has rapidly become an essential part of our everyday lives. Our children are a generation that have never-before seen access and exposure to technology and it is essential that they receive an education that informs them of both the opportunities and the dangers of technology. With the future looking to be even more heavily reliant on having strong technological ability, it is essential that we at St Aidan’s begin to develop our children’s computing literacy from a very early age. It is our belief that computing is not only an essential part of the curriculum, but should be carefully woven across other subjects.  Computing within the school can, and should, provide a wealth of learning opportunities and transferrable skills both explicitly in Computing lessons, and also across other curriculum subjects.

Through the study of Computing, children will be able to develop a wide range of fundamental skills, knowledge and understanding that will equip them for later life, for secondary school and the technology dominated job market they are likely to enter.  Computers and technology are such a part of everyday life that our children would be at a disadvantage were they not be exposed to a thorough and robust Computing curriculum.

 

Implementation

In Reception, children will begin to experience technology in their environment, beginning to understand how it is used safely as they explore the world around them and how simple instructions can be used to control Bee-Bots in their local environment.

In Key Stage 1 the children will learn to understand what algorithms are; and that programs execute tasks by following precise instructions. They will be taught to create simple programs using simple instruction and begin to debug simple mistakes in their own work and that of their peers. They will be encouraged to approach simple programs with logical reasoning to predict their behaviour. Children will be encouraged to use a range of technology purposefully to create, organise, store, manipulate and retrieve digital content as well as recognise common uses of information technology in their daily lives. They will be taught to 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.

In Key Stage 2 the children will design, write and debug programs that accomplish specific goals by coding their own games. They will also be called upon to solve problems by decomposing them into smaller parts.  They will use sequence, selection, and repetition in programs, use logical reasoning to explain how some simple algorithms work and correct errors in algorithms and programs. By UKS2, they will use these coding skills to code Microbits, using their previous coding skills to code physical resources. Children will be taught to understand the internet and the opportunities they offer for communication and collaboration. They will use search technologies effectively, learn to appreciate how results are selected and ranked, and be discerning in evaluating digital sources of content. They will use technology safely, respectfully and responsibly; recognise acceptable/unacceptable behaviour; identify a range of ways to report concerns about content and contact.

 

Impact

The impact of the introduction of the new computing scheme is:

  1. Increased staff confidence leading to a higher standard of teaching

With resources and planning provided for staff, there is less uncertainty and worry. Teachers have said they feel more confident delivering the subject as the lessons are easy to follow and cover key vocabulary and key skills clearly. There is also increased confidence from staff that they are delivering the curriculum and providing the children with the skills they need in each year.

  1. Improved skills progression

With the Teach Computing scheme forming the basis of all year groups computing lessons, the children are receiving higher consistency in the subject. The scheme is particularly strong at delivering progression of skills, with the work of previous years being built upon each year. There will need to be a certain level of monitoring to ensure that, as this is a new scheme, skills that were not covered in previous years are revisited. This is another strength of the scheme.

  1. Higher enjoyment of the subject from children

Computing is a subject that many children describe as fun. However, in previous years, it has not been challenging or stretching for some children. Particularly in coding, some years were seen as quite repetitive or similar. The new teaching of the subject means that each year is teaching building on previous skills but in a new and challenging way.

Computing Curriculum

The computing curriculum is split into three areas.  Below are the curriculum overviews for computing.

Computer Science Overview

Digital Literacy Overview

Information Technology Overview

Computing Policy 2023

Have a go at some of these websites and learn how to code!

Just click on the images to link to relevant website.

For information on e-safety please see our e-safety page in the parents section of the website.

Code with Scratch

As Part of our new curriculum we will be using a program called scratch.

Click on the link to go to the Scratch website where you can try out some of the skills you have learnt at school.

What can you make the Sprite do?

ADDRESS

ST AIDAN'S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL
PORTNALL ROAD,
COULSDON, SURREY,
CR5 3DE

CONTACT

TEL:  01737 556036
EMAIL: admin@st-aidans.croydon.sch.uk

Twitter: @St_Aidans_Sch