Our Computing Curriculum

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Article 17: Governments must help protect children from materials that could harm them (E Safety)

Article 16: Every child has the right to privacy. The law should protect the child’s private life.

Article 36: Governments must protect children from all forms of bad treatment.

Essential Characteristic of Computing. Our goal is for our children to become Computer Scientists. Computer Scientists must have:

Competence in coding for a variety of practical and inventive purposes, including the application of ideas within other subjects.
The ability to connect with others safely and respectfully, understanding the need to act within the law and with moral and ethical integrity.
An understanding of the connected nature of devices.
The ability to communicate ideas well by using applications and devices throughout the curriculum.
The ability to collect, organise and manipulate data effectively.

Building a Computing Schema. Our pupils will form a computing schema* by:

Ensuing concepts as the basis for schema. We call these threshold concepts; these are the big ideas which form the basis for the subject schema. In computing the threshold concepts are: Programming, Computational Thinking, Creativity, Computing Networks, Communication/Collaboration, and Productivity.
Strengthening the schema with knowledge. The knowledge comes from our topics – six topics will be taught each year. Each topic has learning expectations. These learning expectations address the National Curriculum objectives and allow for progression within the threshold concepts.

Further deepening connections through tasks. This is what is developed though our planning.

*Schema – A subject schema is a way of organising knowledge in a meaningful way; it is an appreciation of how facts are connected and the ways in which they are connected. A schema is distinct from information, which is just isolated facts that have no organisational basis or links.

National Curriculum Aims - The national curriculum for computing aims to ensure that all pupils:

Can understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, logic, algorithms and data representation
Can analyse problems in computational terms, and have repeated practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve such problems
Can evaluate and apply information technology, including new or unfamiliar technologies, analytically to solve problems
Are responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology

National Curriculum Subject Content – Key Stage 1 and 2. This is what we teach.

Key Stage 1

Key Stage 2

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.

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.

End of Milestone Expectations. This is what we expect the children to know and do as they progress through the curriculum.

Milestone 1 - Year 1 and 2

Milestone 2 - Year 3 and 4

Milestone 3 - Year 5 and 6

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.

Design, write and debug programs that accomplish specific goals; solve problems by decomposing them into smaller parts.
Use sequence in programs; work with variables and various forms of input and output.
Use logical reasoning to detect and correct errors in algorithms and programs.
Understand computer networks, including the internet; and the opportunities they offer for communication and collaboration.
Select, use and combine a variety of software (including internet services) on a range of digital devices.

Use technology safely, respectfully and responsibly; recognise acceptable/unacceptable behaviour.

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.
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.
Use search technologies effectively, appreciate how results are selected and ranked, and be discerning in evaluating digital content.

Our Curriculum Cycle - Our Curriculum Intent

We operate a two-year cycle due to being a one-and-a-half form entry school.

Lower year objectives (1, 3, 5) are covered in the first half of each year and higher year objectives (2, 4, 6) are taught in the second half in order that learning can move from basic to advancing and for some pupils, deep learning.

CYCLE 1

PROGRAMMING

Planning, writing and testing computer programs for digital devices, from floor turtles to tablets.

COMPUTATIONAL THINKING

Some of the computer science foundations – particularly algorithms, logical reasoning and decomposing problems into smaller parts.

CREATIVITY

Creating and refining original content using digital tools across a range of media.

MILESTONE 1

Year 1/2

Autumn 1

1.1 We are Treasure Hunters

Autumn 2

1.2 We are TV Chefs

Spring 1

1.3 We are Painters

Spring 2

2.1 We are Astronauts

Summer 1

2.2 We are Games Testers

Summer 2

2.3 We are Photographers

MILESTONE 2

Year 3/4

Autumn 1

3.1 We are Programmers

Autumn 2

3.2 We are Bug Fixers

Spring 1

3.3 We are Presenters

Spring 2

4.1 We are Software Developers

Summer 1

4.2 We are Toy Designers

Summer 2

4.3 We are Musicians

MILESTONE 3

Year 5/6

Autumn 1

5.1 We are Games Developers

Autumn 2

5.2 We are Cryptographers

Spring 1

5.3 We are Artists

Spring 2

6.1 We are Adventure Gamers

Summer 1

6.2 We are Computational Thinkers

Summer 2

6.3 We are Advertisers

CYCLE 2

COMPUTER NETWORKS

Using and understanding the internet, the web and search engines, effectively and safely.

COMMUNICATION/COLLABORATION

Making the most of computers and the internet for communicating with one or many, and working together on projects.

PRODUCTIVITY

Collecting and analysing data and information using computers; organising, manipulating and presenting this to an audience.

MILESTONE 1

Year 1/2

Autumn 1

1.4 We are Collectors

Autumn 2

1.5 We are Storytellers

Spring 1

1.6 We are Celebrating

Spring 2

2.4 We are Researchers

Summer 1

2.5 We are Detectives

Summer 2

2.6 We are Zoologists

MILESTONE 2

Year 3/4

Autumn 1

3.4 We are Network Engineers

Autumn 2

3.5 We are Communicators

Spring 1

3.6 We are Opinion Pollsters

Spring 2

4.4 We are HTML Editors

Summer 1

4.5 We are Co-Authors

Summer 2

4.6 We are Meteorologists

MILESTONE 3

Year 5/6

Autumn 1

5.4 We are Web Developers

Autumn 2

5.5 We are Bloggers

Spring 1

5.6 We are Architects

Spring 2

6.4 We are Network Technicians

Summer 1

6.5 We are Travel Writers

Summer 2

6.6 We are Publishers

Please click here to see the document where we outline how we have ensured progression through each milestone and through each aspect of computing (threshold concepts).

How we Implement our Curriculum

Our Computing Policy

Example Lesson - Milestone 1

Example Lesson - Milestone 2

Example Lesson - Milestone 3