Computing

At St Bede’s it is our intention to teach a broad Computing curriculum to equip ALL pupils in their journey through education and beyond to being creative, collaborative and productive members of the workforce.

Pupils will focus on the three key areas of the curriculum:-

  • Computer Science – the understanding of what computers and computer networks are and how the systems that they use work.
  • Information Technology – to develop skills in creating and using computers and applications including creating our own content.
  • Digital literacy - to understand as to how we can use applications and how to use/access digital resources safely and responsibly.

By using computational thinking to develop concepts such as logical thinking and ability to evaluate what they are doing and giving pupils a range of approaches to explore the creative thinking, perseverance to try different methods and the collaborative way of working this will help our pupils become not just well rounded digital experts but confident, creative, resilient and independent people.

Pupils and teachers will be encouraged to use Computing in a cross-curricular way to show that Computing is a part of everyday as well as a standalone subject.

Implementation 

At St Bede’s children are given the opportunity to explore computing to develop skills in computational thinking and a range of approaches so that they can adapt their knowledge when faced with new programmes, applications and hardware in the future.

Pupils will be given the opportunity to explore concepts in an offline way using resources such as Barefoot Computing and Micro:Bits to develop understanding of algorithms and computational thinking. Pupils will use Computing tools to support cross curricular learning, for example using design tools when making an item or using Seesaw or Publisher to make pictograms or graphs in Maths and Science to using word processing and publishing skills to present work. To ensure that our pupils are able to access and use Computing resources responsibly and to work on digital devices safety will be combined with RHSE and using Project Evolve resources.

The three areas of the Curriculum will be implemented as follows:

  • Computer Science – Supported by the resources on the National Centre for Computing Education pupils will progress from understanding technology all around us in Year 1 to Internet Communication in Year 6. Primarily children will use iPads in the class room to support learning but opportunity will be explored to allow use of different devices. Pupils will be given a range of physical resources such as Bebot robot in EYFS/KS1 to SAMs labs equipment in KS2.
  • Information Technology – Pupils will use a range of applications in Computing and other lessons to achieve a goal. Seesaw is a key classroom tool and children are given other appropriate applications such as Mathletics. They will be encouraged to critically review the tools they are using and decide if they are suitable for the job. Pupils will use NCCE from Year 1 to Year 6 to develop their algorithm skills. Initially this will be via Block Coding, a visual coding tool, with Pupil’s encouraged to explore using a use, modify and create lesson model. Teachers will also use resources from Barefoot Computing to allow children to develop their understanding offline. There is an option in later KS2 to consider Python or HTML or Logo when pupils are ready to move on.
  • Digital Literacy – Pupils will be taught how to access resources safely and responsibly. The use of a Class blog on Seesaw for example, allows children to use Social Media from Year 1 forwards in a controlled and safe way helping them to create content to be enjoyed by others. Cross curricular links with RHSE will be important in teaching responsible and safe Computing usage.

Children will be given further opportunities to develop their skills as follows :-

  • Code Club – a lunchtime school club that will allow children to explore completing projects using primarily Scratch, exposing them to a different visual programming language. This will expose children to a less structured approach to allow them to develop their skills.
  • Digital Champions – in KS2 initially to have those children who have an aptitude for Computing to support others in the classroom and to influence Computing opportunities in the school. Their role will include being Digital Safety champions, ensuring others use Computing resources responsibly and helping maintain computer equipment in the classroom.
  • Competitions – KS2 children are able to take part in the Interschool’s Coding Competition. KS1 children can take part in an Interschool’s Competition using Bebots or other practical resources.

Where appropriate outside specialists will be invited into school such as the Google Safe Internet presentations.

Children will be encouraged to work collaboratively in Computing where appropriate with partners working together to produce work, evaluating each other’s work as they progress.

Where children have specific needs they will be encouraged to use technology to help them produce work digitally.

Impact  

As children progress through St Bede’s they will be encouraged to become responsible and confident users of technologies with strategies to adapt to new equipment and ways of working.

Via Seesaw each child will build a student driven digital portfolio in all subjects. In Computing this will include examples of work in a specific Computing folder and they will be given opportunity to annotate their learning.

Pupils will be encouraged across all subjects to be computational thinkers:-

  • They will be able to apply logic to explain why something happens,
  • They will recognise and be able to design algorithms.
  • They will use decomposition to break down problems into smaller steps to find a solution.
  • They will be encouraged to spot patterns to help them identify steps.
  • Using logic, decomposition and patterns this will help them understand in an abstract way to simplify problems.
  • Finally, children will be able to evaluate their own own work and look for areas that can be improved.

By encouraging children to tinker, to create and debug their own algorithms and collaborating with others as well as persevering pupils will be computational thinkers.

At the end of their learning journey at St Bede’s pupils will be able to confidently take their next steps in Education and onwards as they will be able to use and work with a range of and be confident in working with new digital technologies.

Meet our Digital Champions.

In Key Stage 2, each Class has appointed Digital Champions. They will help maintain technology in the Classroom and help set up and tidy away after each Computing lesson. The Champions have presented to the whole school in assemblies, including an excellent On-Line Safety quiz. The Champions also assist in our Wednesday lunchtime Code Club, helping children learn coding in Scratch and how to use Micor:Bits.

We have Micro:Bits!

In an exciting development we now have 30 Micro:bit Computers that link to our Class iPads. The Micro:Bits give the children a valuable insight into physical computing and can be used as name badges to compasses to step counters to data loggers in Science. The only limit is our imaginations! The Staff have been trained on the Micro:Bits and will be using across Key Stage 2.

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