Elton Primary School

Computing

Intent

Within an ever changing and technological world, Elton Primary School understands and values the importance of teaching Computing from a young age. We acknowledge that
future generations will rely heavily on their computational confidence and digital skills in order to support their progress within their chosen career paths.

Therefore, it is our school’s aim to equip children with the relevant skills and knowledge that is required to understand the three core areas of Computing (Computer Science,
Information Technology and Digital Literacy) and to offer a broad and balanced approach to providing quality first teaching of this subject.
Computing is an integral part to a child’s education and everyday life. Therefore, we intend to support our pupils to access and understand the core principles of this subject through
engaging and cross-curricular opportunities.

The teaching objectives for Computing at Elton Primary School are:
To instil an enthusiasm and appreciation of Computing via engaging and well-planned lessons, allowing children to use their skills to create and develop new ideas.
To develop a scheme of work, in conjunction with the National Curriculum, which provides progression and a breadth of knowledge across all year groups.
To ensure that teaching staff continue to access the opportunities to attend subject relevant CPD in order to deliver sessions with confidence and to help identify areas in which they can
use computational skills within a cross-curricular approach (as part of their termly topics.
To identify real world examples and creative challenges in which pupils can explore and extend their understanding of the fundamental principles and concepts of Computing.
To support children to develop and achieve as competent Computational Thinkers by integrating these core concepts and approaches across our whole school ethos.
To ensure that pupils develop a respectful and responsible attitude towards using information and communication technology, especially with regards to their own and
other’s safety.
To provide a safe space in which pupils can navigate and interact with the digital world whilst exploring their own personal expression and identity.
In order to achieve the outlined intentions, the Computing curriculum is continuously reviewed through monitoring and evaluation by the Subject Leader and Senior Leadership
Team. Teachers demonstrate a high level of enthusiasm for the subject content and their expectations of the pupils are driven by the subject progression grids. These have been
written with the three core areas of Computing in mind:

Computer Science – the understanding of coding and programming across a range of physical devices and digital resources.

Information Technology – the range of skills required to operate and manipulate specific programs, systems, and content.

Digital Literacy – the knowledge required to use technology safely and to evaluate and react to any potential risks of the online/digital world.

The National Curriculum provides the basis for the progression grids and this content is then supplemented by additional resource banks, such as; STEM and Purple Mash. We also
participate in ‘Internet Safety Week’ in which each class is provided with age appropriate texts and tasks. We support the children each term to address current issues relating with
online safety, which has been implemented by the subject lead within assemblies and teachers in the class. Cross-curricular opportunities are identified in order to ascertain links
between termly topics and to ensure that Computing is not just seen as a standalone area. Staff are encouraged to share any gaps in their knowledge and skill sets to inform
appropriate and individualised training/CPD.

In our teaching of Computing we endeavour to expose students to a variety of software, programs, and equipment in order to offer a range of appropriate challenges and
experiences. Staff are provided with selected devices which they can explore within their classrooms and feedback from LA subject lead meetings is shared to ensure that we are
using relevant and up-to date technologies. Specific vocabulary for each year group is outlined in the progression grids and this is regularly modelled by teachers within their
lessons. Our schemes of work remain flexible and children share their thoughts on their ‘computing learning journeys’ to help enable sessions to be adapted to their interests and
needs. This is shown within the children’s journey Big book and examples of work shared on the school’s shared purple mash blog.

Impact

Within Computing we encourage a creative and collaborative environment in which pupils can learn to express and challenge themselves. The success of the curriculum itself will be
assessed via the analysis of yearly progress data, conducting regular pupil voice sessions, lesson observations and skills audits. This will then inform future adaptions of the schemes
of work and help to ensure that progression is evident throughout school.

In order to demonstrate that we have accomplished our aims, pupils at Elton Primary School should:
Be enthusiastic and confident in their approach towards Computing.
Present as competent and adaptable ‘Computational Thinkers’ who are able to use
identified concepts and approaches in all of their learning.
Be able to identify the source of problems and work with perseverance to ‘debug’ them.
Create and evaluate their own project work.
Have a secure understanding of the positive applications and specific risks associated with a broad range of digital technology.
Transition to secondary school with a keen interest in the continued learning of this subject. 

Develop their Microsoft skills to become ready citizens in the real world. 

Progression Of Skills