Intent

At North Leigh we want children to learn and use a wide range of computing skills so that they can go on to make effective and appropriate use of computing and technology throughout their life journey and career choices.

Using the Teach Computing curriculum from the National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE) in KS1 and KS2, our children will gain experience of a broad range of concepts and skills that will enable them to build on their prior learning and approach challenging tasks with confidence.

To enable the children to be responsible users of technology, the children will be taught about online safety, how to use technology appropriately and what to do if they find themselves in difficult situations where they could be at risk.

Implementation: 

What do we teach? What does this look like?

Teach Computing is a comprehensive curriculum that provides a programme from years 1 to 6. It uses a spiral curriculum approach. This means that each of the themes are revisited regularly (at least once in each year group), and children revisit each theme through a new unit that consolidates and builds on prior learning within that theme. This approach enables children to know more and remember more in computing, ensuring connections in their understanding are strengthened.

The curriculum is designed around the ten themes of the NCCE's approach, these are:

• Algorithms - Be able to comprehend, design, create, and evaluate algorithms
• Computer networks - Understand how networks can be used to retrieve and share information, and how they come with associated risks
• Computer systems - Understand what a computer is, and how its constituent parts function together as a whole
• Creating media - Select and create a range of media including text, images, sounds, and video
• Data and information - Understand how data is stored, organised, and used to represent real-world artefacts and scenarios
• Design and development - Understand the activities involved in planning, creating, and evaluating
• Effective use of tools - Use software tools to support computing work
• Impact of technology - Understand how individuals, systems, and society as a whole interact with computer systems
• Programming - Create software to allow computers to solve problems
• Safety and security - Understand risks when using technology, and how to protect individuals and systems

These themes are taught across the 6 units of the Teach Computing curriculum, one each term. The units, which usually contain 6 lessons, have the themes:

• Computing systems and networks
• Creating Media (two units)
• Programing (A and B - two units)
• Data and Information

At North Leigh, the same unit is taught across the whole school at the same time, strengthening continuity and consistency whilst supporting teacher knowledge, planning and provision.

The Teach Computing Curriculum has been written to support all pupils. Each lesson is sequenced so that it builds on the learning from the previous lesson, and where appropriate, activities are scaffolded (with extra resources such as visual prompts provided) so that all pupils can succeed and thrive. Exploratory tasks foster a deeper understanding of a concept, encouraging pupils to apply their learning through exploration and making connections across contexts. Children’s work is recorded in class books (KS1) with reference to evidence recorded in class Seesaw accounts, and in compilations of the children’s written work and self-evaluations (KS2) also with non-written work evidenced in class Seesaw accounts.

Progress in computing is demonstrated in a variety of ways

• through teacher assessment of projects and work, making use of Teach Computing end of unit assessment tools to assist teacher judgements.
• through teacher observation, lesson observation and monitoring
• though pupil voice - how confidently children talk about the content and skills they are learning, applying subject specific knowledge to illustrate their understanding

Impact: 

What will this look like? By the time children leave our school what will they be able to do?

By the time children leave North Leigh they will

• understand how networks and the internet work
• use software tools to handle data and create media
• create software and design, create and evaluate algorithms
• understand risks when using technology, how to behave responsibly and how to protect themselves

Our computing curriculum contributes to children’s wider learning by enabling them to develop their creativity, work independently, in pairs and collaborate in teams, to exercise their judgement and to be self-critical as they evaluate their projects.

"I really like computing because it's amazing to learn about the technology we use every day."