Subject Overview
Clover Hill Primary School Drivers

Long Term Memory

We ensure that the knowledge and skills that we teach in computing are reinforced and consolidated continuously as the children move through our school. Children grow in confidence as they are given opportunities to embed, refine and develop key skills.

Enquiry Based Learning

Computing has deep links with mathematics, science, and design and technology, and provides insights into both natural and artificial systems. The core of computing is computer science, in which pupils are taught the principles of information and computation, how digital systems work, and how to put this knowledge to use through programming. Building on this knowledge and understanding, pupils are equipped to use information technology to create programs, systems and a range of content suitable for the digital world

Real Life Relevance

We aim for our children to use computational thinking and creativity to understand and change the world. Computing ensures that our children will become digitally literate – able to use, and express themselves and develop their ideas through, information and communication technology – at a level suitable for the future workplace and as active participants in a digital world.

Intent

We want children at Clover Hill to:

• understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, logic, algorithms and data representation
• analyse problems in computational terms, and have repeated practical experience of writing 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
   

In Key stage 1 it is our aim to teach pupils 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
   

In Key stage 2 it is our aim to teach pupils 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
   

Implementation

The Computing curriculum at Clover Hill uses a variety of online software to deliver the currciulum.  Staff work with their year group “Computing Overview” which incorporates all aspects of the computing curriculum; computer science (coding), online safety, digital literacy and ICT. It is our aim for programming tasks to reinforce earlier learning by reuse of previous learning plus incremental addition of new learning. The practical nature of coding means activities can also be re-visited as appropriate to address any areas that have not been understood before moving learning on. We promote opportunities for discussion and reflection at appropriate times within our computing lessons.

The ICT suite houses our desktop PCs enabling each child access to their own machine; paired and group work is also encouraged as appropriate. All classes have at least one desktop PC, (with upper key stage 2 classes having six) that can also be used by children to support many areas of the curriculum not solely computing. Computing is taught as discrete lessons but also links with many other areas of the curriculum and is used to support the teaching of subjects such as English, maths, history, science, geography etc.  We have a class set of IPADS which are used weekly for spelling, computing and enquiry based learning.

Impact

The subject leader monitors planning each term to ensure medium term plans show lesson by lesson overviews corresponding to curriculum maps. We also ensure challenge and support is evident on these plans when appropriate. Computing work is either in topic books or saved in an appropriate folder on the network or on the individual software programmes. Feedback is primarily verbal when children are engaged in an activity. Teachers also complete a skills based evaluation which is used throughout the academic year and then passed onto the next year group teacher at the end of the academic year. The evaluation tool informs the teacher which aspects of the unit the class found tricky which then informs future planning.  

SEND/Inclusion

All provision for pupils with SEND is in line with the school’s SEND Policy.

Equal Opportunities

At Clover Hill Primary School, the curriculum for Computing will develop enjoyment of and commitment to stimulating the best possible progress and the highest attainment for all our pupils irrespective of social background, culture, race, gender, differences in ability and disabilities. All of our pupils have a secured entitlement to participate in Computing Curriculum and our teaching approaches ensure the avoidance of stereotyping when planning work or organising groups. All the teaching staff agree that when using reference materials, they should reflect social and cultural diversity and provide positive images of race, gender and disability.

Curriculum Map