Computing and Online safety

Computing at King's Court First School  

Vision

Our vision is for children to develop the predominant areas of computing through computer science, information technology and digital literacy.  Computing has deep links with mathematics, science, and design and technology.  For our children, in a first school, we encourage children to become digitally literate, to be able to use and express themselves and develop their ideas through, information technology and communication technology. We use Purple Mash to deliver this through our weekly computing sessions. 

Our policy entitles every child to a broad, balanced and relevant computing curriculum which is tailored to the needs of each child within the school. 

Intent

At King's Court First School School, we aim to instil a sense of enjoyment around using technology and to develop pupils’ appreciation of its capabilities, knowing the opportunities technology offers to, create, manage, organise, and collaborate. We want to develop pupils’ confidence when encountering new technology, which is a vital skill in the ever evolving and changing landscape of technology. Additionally, we want to equip children for life in the digital world, including their understanding of appropriate online behaviour and ensure each child has a healthy use of technology. 

It is fundamental that children should know, understand and use key vocabulary, as outlined in our curriculum, and have a secure understanding of the three strands of computing: computer science, information technology and digital literacy.

Aims

To develop and build a confidence in our young children to use computing skills as we prepare them from early years for their transition to middle school.

At King's Court First School our aim is to inspire children to:

• understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including grouping and sorting, coding, logo designs

• analyse problems in computational terms, and have repeated practical experience of writing simple computer programs in order to solve such problems

• evaluate and apply information technology, including new or unfamiliar technologies, analytically to solve problems

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

Implementation

At King’s Court children are taught 'Computing' through a weekly session, alongside our DT and STEM curriculum maps where children have opportunities to develop and explore their own programming  and engineering skills.  We follow the Purple Mash computing scheme of work to ensure progression of computing skills across the school.  Computing is taught through a cycle of lessons on one day across all classes in the school.

Early Years (Reception)

Rather then a scheme with set lessons, the early years resources are designed to integrate into the day-to-day routine and set-up of an early years setting with opportunities for using Mini Mash or Purple Mash as part of the Early Years curriculum to support children in working towards early learning goals.

Key stage 1

Children are taught to:

• 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

• use technology purposefully to create, organise, store, manipulate and retrieve digital content

• 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

Key stage 2

Children are taught to:

• design, write and debug programs that accomplish specific goals, including controlling or simulating physical systems; solve problems by decomposing them into smaller parts
• use sequence, selection, and repetition in programs; work with variables and various forms of input and output
• use logical reasoning to explain how some simple algorithms work and to detect and correct errors in algorithms and programs
• understand computer networks including the internet; how they can provide multiple services, such as the world wide web; and the opportunities they offer for communication and collaboration
• use search technologies effectively, appreciate how results are selected and ranked, and be discerning in evaluating digital content
• select, use and combine a variety of software (including internet services) on a range of digital devices to design and create a range of programs, systems and content that accomplish given goals, including collecting, analysing, evaluating and presenting data and information
• use technology safely, respectfully and responsibly; recognise acceptable/unacceptable behaviour; identify a range of ways to report concerns about content and contact.

Impact

The intended impact of our Computing curriculum 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.

• Meet the end of key stage expectations outlined in the National curriculum for Computing.

Teachers make a judgement on the extent to which children have displayed competent skills and met the intended learning outcome each lesson.  Subject leaders monitor teaching and learning in their subject by sampling work across the year groups to ensure that computing skills progress through the school.