At Half Acres, it is our intention to develop a curriculum that provides our children with the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to become digitally literate. Â
By using the âTeach Computingâ curriculum, we are meeting the requirements of the National Curriculum and the 3 strands of digital literacy, information technology and computer science. Â
We have developed a systematic âProgression Gridâ that allows staff to identify what has been taught prior and what should be taught next in order to maximise pupil progress. It is clear that the skills are built upon each year and thereâs plenty of time for recapping and embedding; allowing children to know more and remember more.Â
Each class have computing slots in which they can use technology for physical computing as well as having time to secure unplugged knowledge. In addition, whole class sets of iPads are available to be used to promote Computing in all subjects.Â
We are committed to becoming a digitally enabled school. We intend for all children in our classrooms to have a 1:1 to support and enhance everyday learning. Currently all our KS2 children have access to their own Chromebook which is used in daily lessons to support learning alongside traditional teaching methods.Â
We intend to prepare our children for a future that is being transformed by technology and to keep themselves safe in an increasingly digital world. We do this by ensuring the message of internet safety is woven through all subjects where technology is used.Â
In Nursery, children will begin to recognise technology within the classroom and understand the importance of handling it with care. They will be encouraged to interact with these items from nursery staff which will allow them to make initial observations to support the meeting of the ELG.
Childrenâs computing experiences continue within Reception with further opportunities to handle technology more purposefully and verbalising what they hope to achieve. This includes handling physical technology such as BeeBots, iPads and interacting with the classroom interactive board.
Children will begin to recognise the importance of âOnline Safetyâ and be able to discuss the concept of passwords and the necessity to keep them private. This will enable them to develop the early understanding of privacy when accessing technology.
The importance of conversation is at the core of the Early Years and staff will use these opportunities to assess against the Technology strand of the Early Years Outcomes.
In KS1, teachers will deliver the core curriculum through units of work. Children will explore technology more purposefully in the form of developing their typing, word processing and presentation skills, using iPads and/or laptops to create artwork, accessing the internet with a clear purpose and developing early coding and debugging skills through the use of BeeBots, Turtle Logo, Scratch JNR and Scratch.
Children will often work collaboratively, using peer support as a driving factor for securing progress and teachers will carefully use formative assessment within the classroom to maximise learning for all pupils.
A âreview and recapâ activity will take the place at the beginning of each computing lesson where teachers will revisit key vocabulary and learning objectives in order for children to remember more.
Children will continue to explore Online Safety across KS1 where they will discuss further terminology such as âSMART rulesâ, âdigital footprintâ and how to recognise danger.
In KS2, the style of delivery remains consistent where children continue to develop computing skills through units of work often working in collaboration. They too, will receive weekly âreview and recapâ activities at the beginning of each computing lesson. Children will build upon their previously developed information technology skills and utilise a wider range of technology for purposes such as audio recordings, webpage design, filmmaking and 3D design. They will continue to develop their understanding of computer science by utilising multiple programming/coding applications such as Flowol, Scratch and Kodu. They will be encouraged to vocalise their thinking to show their understanding of coding and programming and debug appropriately.
Due to their developing computer skills, children within KS2 will also receive the opportunity to regularly recap key computing skills within the wider curriculum.
The importance of Online Safety will run throughout all lessons in KS2, where children begin discussing themes such as âcyberbullyingâ, âplagiarismâ, âdigital citizenshipâ and âphishingâ.
When using the laptops children are able to save and store their work securely on the childrenâs shared drive in their folder. When using iPads children are able to send their work, through airdrop, to the teacher who can add their work into the designated files on the shared drive.
Through carefully planned and delivered computing activities, we expect the children at Half Acres will develop into confident learners who understand the appropriate conduct and the possible risks when using technology.
As a result of the progressive curriculum being implemented, we envisage that children will be able to build upon the skills they have previously developed which will enable them to make good progress within their year groups, and therefore produce better outcomes. This will be evident from the work stored on the student server and the examples of work found in topic books.
We expect that children are able to more confidently articulate their learning about computing through the use of pupil voice which should demonstrate their understanding of vocabulary and understanding of the core strands within the subject.
Through the range of experiences offered, children will recognise the importance of technology as a tool that can be applied within the wider world and will be able to better verbalise the advantages, and limitations, of using technology.
