Curriculum Intent
Our Curriculum Intent outlines the knowledge, skills and characteristics we want children to develop and learn throughout their time with us.
At Watling Primary School, we place an emphasis on the STEM disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. The majority of jobs in the future will require high levels of digital competence and we acknowledge our responsibility in preparing our pupils for the next stage of their educational journey and beyond. For this reason, opportunities to gain important knowledge and skills in digital and technological competencies extend beyond the discreet teaching of Computing.
Through our Computing curriculum, we provide opportunities for our children to engage in active learning using a wide variety of software and multimedia for different purposes and audiences. Examples of this include digital screens in classrooms, electronic writing boards, voice recorders, iPads, laptops and Bee-Bots. As a school, we seek out opportunities to use technology to support teaching and learning extending beyond the classroom and we encourage our children and their families to access and use these alongside the teaching team.
We want our children to be digitally literate so that they are able to communicate confidently using information and communication technology. We adopt an inclusive style of learning to support the needs of some of our individual pupils who achieve higher levels of success when they are able to express their ideas and opinions using alternative electronic or technological methods of recording.
Computing throughout the curriculum provides opportunities for our children to communicate and collaborate through teamwork with partners, small groups and the whole class. Pupils are given ample opportunity to discuss their ideas and develop their thinking in order to achieve ambitious goals. When they are using computer hardware and software, we encourage our children to investigate creative and innovative solutions to problem-solving. We encourage our children to embrace wonder and ask questions about technology as a means of developing their creative and critical reasoning skills.
We are confident that our approach to teaching Computing means that our pupils will leave us with the skills and knowledge they need to become active and successful participants in an increasingly digital and technological society.
Curriculum Implementation
Our Curriculum Implementation explains what we will do and how we will do it, to ensure that children learn and achieve what we intend them to.
Our approach to the teaching and learning of Computing includes the following:
- Six distinct units taught during the academic year, following the Teach Computing scheme.
- Cross-curricular approach to teaching Computing in other subjects, including the integration of opportunities to promote Online Safety.
- Use of technology throughout the curriculum e.g. digital screens, iPads, Yoto audio players, Chromebooks, floor robots, etc.
- Use of a range of apps and online programmes to support learning e.g. NumBots, Times Table Rock Stars, Garage Band, Scratch, etc.
- Lessons planned using progression maps and curriculum end points.
- Lesson objectives linked to Watling Way values and CAPTAIN Learning Characteristics.
- High-quality resources used to enhance lessons.
- Access to Computing Knowledge Organisers.
- Computing themed assemblies linked to national awareness days e.g. Safer Internet Week.
- Half termly year group STEAM Challenges include one week of Technology.
- Opportunities to attend extra-curricular Computing clubs throughout the academic year.
- Extra-curricular events (trips and/or visitors) linked to learning in Computing as part of our wider enrichment offer.
Curriculum Impact
The impact of the implementation of our Computing curriculum on outcomes for our children is monitored and evaluated at key points in the learning journey through the following methods:
- Formative and summative assessment strategies in line with our Feedback and Marking statement, including questioning and verbal feedback, and end of unit mini assessments
- Book looks
- Pupil voice
- Learning walks and lesson visits
- Termly Subject Lead monitoring meetings
- Analysis of Computing MAPs (Monitoring Attainment and Progress spreadsheets)
The National Curriculum Programmes of Study for Computing for Key Stage 1 and 2 provide further information.
Our Long-Term Curriculum Map for Computing gives an overview of what is taught in each year group over the course of each academic year.
