Our vision at St. Paul’s is to inspire the smallest seeds to flourish so that everyone can reach their full potential. Through our computing curriculum and wider school opportunities, we want our children to develop a passion for computing that empowers them with essential digital skills, fostering a love for technology, critical thinking, and creativity. We aim to provide an inclusive and innovative computing curriculum, preparing children to be confident, responsible digital citizens. Through a safe and supportive environment, we strive to develop computational thinking, bridge gender and socio-economic gaps and nurture well-rounded individuals who not only consume but also create, contributing positively to the evolving digital world.

 

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.

Our Computing Curriculum:

Intent

At the core of our school curriculum lie our STAR Curriculum drivers: Success, The World, Aspiration and Resilience.

At St Paul’s C.E Primary School, through our high-quality computing education, our intention is that our pupils will become digitally literate to ensure they will become active participants in a digital world whilst having a strong understanding of staying safe online. We believe computing is an integral part of everyday life and will play an immeasurable part in our children’s futures. As computing technology underpins today’s modern lifestyle, it is essential that all pupils gain the confidence and ability that they need in this subject to prepare them for the challenge of a rapidly developing and changing technological world. This ensures that they are able to express themselves and develop their ideas through information and computer technology– at a level suitable for the future workplace and as active participants in a digital world.

 

Implementation

Computing is taught in discrete computing lessons, but the use of technology is encouraged to support learning across all curriculum areas using a wide range of software and hardware (inc. NCCE and Project Evolve to name just a few). Staff are encouraged to tailor the curriculum using the range of resources available to them in order to best suit the children in our school and their varying needs. With this approach, our children are provided with the best opportunities to become familiar with a range of digital platforms, software and apps, preparing them best for the real world. 

All three areas of the Computing National Curriculum: Digital literacy, Computer Science and Information Technology are taught throughout school. 

Any lesson taken from the appropriate scheme has, where needed, been adapted so that it can meet the needs of our children at St. Pauls. Children will use either IPads or laptops in order to access a range of apps and software. Where appropriate, meaningful links will be made between the computing curriculum and the wider curriculum to enable children to learn more and remember more.  Children are also taught vocabulary linked to computing and key skills for life. Online Safety is taught regularly and progressive each year through computing, kid safe and personal development. Each year, as a school we recognise safer internet day and tailor lessons around staying safe online.

Our scheme of work for each year group is designed to build upon the previous years' skills across the three aspects Digital literacy, Computer Science and Information Technology of computing and build on their prior knowledge

 

Please see below Whole School Computing Overview:

 

 

Computing National Curriculum Links

 

Please see below examples of computing curriculum units. The full computing curriculum is available in school and available to see upon request.

 

 

 

Impact:

At St Paul’s C E Primary school, we encourage our children to enjoy and value the computing curriculum we deliver. We want learners to appreciate, discuss and reflect on the impact computing has on their learning and development. Finding the correct balance with technology is integral to an effective education. We feel that the way we implement computing across school helps children realise the need for the right balance and one they can continue to build on in their next stage of education and beyond. The way pupils share and celebrate their work will best show the impact of our curriculum. We also look for evidence through reviewing pupil’s knowledge and skills both digitally and observing learning regularly in floor books and workbooks. Progress of our computing curriculum is demonstrated through outcomes and the record of coverage in the process of achieving these outcomes. 

Assessment

Formative Assessment in both KS1 and KS2

Every lesson includes formative assessment opportunities for teachers to use. These opportunities are listed in the lesson plan and are included to ensure that misconceptions are recognised and addressed if they occur. They vary from teacher observation or questioning to marked activities.

The learning objective and success criteria are introduced in the slides at the beginning of every lesson. At the end of every lesson, pupils are invited to assess how well they feel they have met the learning objective using thumbs up, thumbs sideways or thumbs down. This gives pupils a reminder of the content that has been covered, as well as a chance to reflect. It is also a chance for teachers to see how confident the class is feeling so that they can make changes to subsequent lessons accordingly.

Summative Assessment in Key Stage 1

Pedagogically, when we assess, we want to ensure that we are assessing a pupil’s understanding of computing concepts and skills, as opposed to their reading and writing skills. Therefore, we carry out observational assessments while pupils are still developing their literacy skills. We believe that this is the most reliable way to capture an accurate picture of learning.

Observing Learning

To capture summative assessment data of KS1 pupils, we use the success criteria in each lesson and aim to capture some of the following while the lesson is taking place:

• The work that pupils complete (marking)
• Notes on conversations or discussions that we have or hear during an activity.
• Photographs of the work that pupils produce during an activity.
• The pupils’ self-assessments at the end of the lesson.

This data is to support our assessments of the pupils’ understanding of the concepts and skills that were taught in the lesson. To help us make these assessments, we may use one, or a combination of the following strategies.

• Focussing on different pupils each lesson.
• Creating checklists of what we would expect to see.
• Focussing on specific pupils.

Summative Assessment in Key Stage 2

Every unit includes and optional summative assessment framework in the form of either a multiple-choice quiz (MCQ) or a rubric. All units are designed to cover both skills and concepts from across the computing national curriculum. Units that focus more on conceptual development include an MCQ. Units that focus more on skills development end with a project and include a rubric. However, within the ‘Programming’ units, the assessment framework (MCQ or rubric) has been selected on a best-fit basis.

Multiple Choice Quiz (MCQ)

Each of the MCQ questions has been carefully chosen to represent learning that should have been achieved within the unit. In using the MCQs, we are using the diagnostic assessment approach to ensure that the assessment of the unit is useful to determine both how well pupils have understood the content, and what pupils have misunderstood, if they have not achieved as expected.

Rubric

The rubric is a tool to help teachers assess project-based work. Each rubric covers the application of skills that have been directly taught across the unit, and highlights to teachers whether the pupil is approaching (emerging), achieving (expected), or exceeding the expectations for their age group. It allows teachers to assess projects that pupils have created, focussing on the appropriate application of computing skills and concepts.

Pedagogically, we want to ensure that we are assessing pupils’ understanding of computing concepts and skills, as opposed to their reading and writing skills. This has been carefully considered both in how MCQs have been written (considerations such as the language used, the cultural experiences referenced, etc) and in the skills expected to be demonstrated in the rubric.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Computing in Early Years

The EYFS framework is structured very differently to the national curriculum as it is organised across seven areas of learning rather than subject areas. The aim of this document is to help subject leaders to understand how the skills taught across EYFS feed into national curriculum subjects.

Please note in 2021 technology was removed from the early year’s development matters non-statutory guidance. However, we still provide a range of opportunities for children to develop skills.

This document demonstrates which statements from the 2020 Development Matters are prerequisite skills for computing within the national curriculum. The table below outlines the most relevant statements taken from the Early Learning Goals in the EYFS statutory framework and the Development Matters age ranges for Three and Four-Year-Olds and Reception to match the programme of study for computing.

The most relevant statements for computing are taken from the following areas of learning:

• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Physical Development
• Understanding the World
• Expressive Arts and Design

In planning and guiding what children learn, practitioners must reflect on the different rates at which children are developing and adjust their practice appropriately, referring to the Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning

These are: playing and exploring – children investigate and experience things, and ‘have a go’; active learning – children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy their achievements for their own sake; creating and thinking critically – children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things.

In addition, the Prime Areas of Learning (Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Communication and Language and Physical Development) underpin and are an integral part of children’s learning in all areas.

Computing
Three and Four-Year-Olds	Personal, Social and Emotional Development		•        Remember rules without needing an adult to remind them.
	Physical Development		•        Match their developing physical skills to tasks and activities in the setting.
	Understanding the World		•        Explore how things work.
Reception	Personal, Social and Emotional Development		•        Show resilience and perseverance in the face of a challenge. •        Know and talk about the different factors that support their overall health and wellbeing: - sensible amounts of ‘screen time’.
	Physical Development		•        Develop their small motor skills so that they can use a range of tools competently, safely and confidently.
	Expressive Arts and Design		•        Explore, use and refine a variety of artistic effects to express their ideas and feelings.
ELG	Personal, Social and Emotional Development	Managing Self	•        Be confident to try new activities and show independence, resilience and perseverance in the face of challenge. •        Explain the reasons for rules, know right from wrong and try to behave accordingly.
	Expressive Arts and Design	Creating with Materials	•        Safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function.

EYFS End Points
Digital Literacy: Kid safe – using the internet safely Digital Literacy: Take part in safer internet day Computer Science: Using bebots Information Technology: Children take photographs of their work. Information Technology: Children can use the interactive whiteboard games to develop knowledge in other curriculum areas eg maths.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development   Children can wait a short amount of time for something that they want. Children show confidence completing familiar tasks independently and with support will try new things. Children can select tools and resources that they need to complete a task of their own choosing.		Physical Development   Children can use an iPad or tablet appropriately. They can use their fingers on a touch screen, and control a mouse/touchpad on a computer.			Understanding the World   Children can use a camera. Children can do the basics with technology. Children can select and use technology for particular purposes.			Expressive Art and Design   Children can safely use a range of technology for a purpose.
Computing Skills
Essential   Age appropriate skills for the use of core devices and applications within their setting. Children can use a camera.	Computer Science   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. Children can explain sequencing. Children can explain an algorithm. Children can give instructions to a programmable toy.			Information Technology   Use technology purposefully to create, organise, store, manipulate and retrieve digital content. Children can do the basics with technology. Children can select and use technology for particular purposes. Children can select and use technology for particular purposes.			Digital Literacy   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. Children can use a search engine. Children can discuss the rules for staying safe online. Children know online content is made and belongs to someone. Children can discuss the use of technology in the world around me. Children can use a search engine.
Computing Enquiry (also linked to CofETL) · Provide children with frequent opportunities for exploring a range of technology. · Encourage use of technology for a range of purposes.
Assessment I can paint with an app. I can take a good photo. I can scan a QR code. I know my technology.
Vocabulary Algorithm: Steps to follow to achieve a task. Application (App): A program (such as a word processor or a spreadsheet) that performs one of the important tasks for which a computer is used Button: In computing, the term button refers to any graphical control element that provides the user a simple way to trigger an event. Camera: A digital camera is a hardware device that takes photographs and stores the image as data on a memory card. Computer: A device that takes input, processes it, then produces output. Control: In general, control refers to the ability to manage, organise, or run something on a computer. Emoticon / Emoji: The use of icons or text to portray mood or facial expression, e.g. :) when happy and :( when sad. Google: Is one of a number of search engines that help us find information on the web. Information: Data processed and/or presented to users in a meaningful way. Instructions: Computer instructions are a set of steps. Internet: The global collection of computer networks and their connections, all using shared protocols (TCP/IP) to communicate. iPad/tablet: The iPad and tablets are a type of hand held computer. Keyboard: A board of keys. One of the primary input devices used with a computer. Printer: A printer is an external hardware output device that takes the electronic data stored on a computer or other device and generates a hard copy of it. QR Code: A QR code (short for "quick response" code) is a type of barcode that contains a matrix of dots. It can be scanned using a QR scanner or a smartphone with built-in camera. Robot: Robots have a reprogrammable brain (a computer) that moves a body. Save: Save is the process of writing data to a storage medium, such as a floppy disk, CD-R, USB flash drive, or hard drive. Sequence: A set of instructions that are followed in order. Share: Sharing is the practice of sharing or offering access to digital information or resources, including documents, multimedia (audio/video), graphics, computer programs, images and e-books. Technology: Technology is the skills, methods, and processes used to achieve goals. Zoom: To cause text or other graphics in a window or frame to appear larger on the screen.
Continuous Provision – available throughout the day for both focussed and self-chosen learning A range of technology is available in the classroom for children to access both independently and with an adult. -       iPads -       Interactive whiteboards -       CD Player -       Alexa -       Laptops -       Remote controls -       Battery operated toys
Outdoor Learning ·          Children to take iPads/cameras on welly walks/outdoor play/outdoor lessons to record their own learning. ·          Children to use iPads to sequence their daily activities and present this to the class.
Key Questions – provide opportunities to develop curiosity, where adults can model questions and children can ask questions.
What is it like? Can you show me…? Can you tell me about…? Can you tell me which…? Can you describe…? What’s happening? What’s happening here? What happens when you…? Can you tell me what…? How does that work? What did you notice when you…? Compare and contrast: What is the same about…? What is different…? Which ones…?			Why it happened? Why did…? Why do you think…? Why do you think… is happening/happened? Can you tell me why…? Tell me why…?			What could we do next? I wonder if…? What if…? What will happen if we…? How can you make…? How can you show…? How could we find out if…? Can you find another way that will…? Can you think of another way…? How could we improve…? Can you create/invent/design…?