Computing

Computing School Policy

Intent

At St Paul’s we want our pupils to be MASTERS of technology. Technology is everywhere, playing a pivotal part in all our lives. Therefore, we want to model and educate our pupils on how to use technology positively, responsibly and safely. We want our pupils to be creators not consumers and our broad curriculum encompassing digital literacy, computer science and information technology reflects this. We want our pupils to understand that there is always a choice with using technology and as a school we utilise technology to model positive use. We recognise that technology can allow pupils to share their learning in creative ways. We also understand the accessibility opportunities technology can provide for our pupils. Our knowledge rich curriculum provides the opportunity for pupils to apply their knowledge creatively which in turn helps them to become skilful computer scientists.

Implementation

Our curriculum is shaped by our school vision which aims to enable all pupils to flourish to become the very best version of themselves they can possibly be.

We teach the National Curriculum, supported by a clear skills and knowledge progression. This ensures that skills and knowledge are built on year by year and sequenced appropriately to maximise learning for all pupils. To ensure a broad range of skills and understanding, Computing is taught across three main strands: digital literacy, computer science and information technology.

Within digital literacy, pupils develop practical skills in the safe use of technology and the ability to apply these skills to solving problems for example understanding safe use of internet, networks and email.

In computer science we teach pupils to understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, logic, algorithms and data representation. Also, to analyse problems to computational terms, and have repeated practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve problems.

As part of information technology, pupils learn to use and express themselves and develop their ideas through technology for example writing and presenting as well as exploring art and design using multimedia.

We also teach a progression of Computing vocabulary to support pupils in their understanding.

At St Paul’s, we give children access to a wide range of good quality resources and provide a wealth of cross curricular opportunities for children to apply their Computing knowledge and skills. Online safety is taught within each computing lesson as a starter activity as well as being taught as a unit per term. Online safety procedures are communicated with all staff and parents.

Impact

We encourage our pupils to enjoy and value the curriculum we deliver. We will constantly ask the WHY behind their learning and not just the HOW. We want learners to discuss, reflect and appreciate the impact computing has on their learning, development and well-being. Finding the right balance with technology is key to an effective education and a healthy lifestyle. We feel the way we implement computing helps pupils realise the need for the right balance and one they can continue to build on in their next stage of education and beyond. We encourage regular discussions between staff and pupils to best embed and understand this. The way pupils showcase, share, celebrate and publish their work will best show the impact of our curriculum, including the use of digital portfolios and social media.