'Oh the places you will see, oh the places you will go with technology'
At Heartwood CE VC Primary and Nursery School we encourage the use of ICT in a safe and fun environment that allows children to become technologically savvy. We teach Computing through three key areas; Computer Science (including programming), Information Technology (using and manipulating data or content), and Digital Literacy (e-Safety). Each component is taught in a cross-curricular way during our exciting Topics and allows children to experience computing and technology in real life scenarios. This includes using the iPads on a regular basis for a variety of different reasons; taking photos, recording videos, recording voices or sounds (such as story telling), games to enhance learning, and coming soon the opportunity to create videos and movie trailers!
The Computing policies and Codes of Conduct below highlight how we support the safe use of ICT at our school and the roles and responsibilities of all adults and pupils to ensure the safe and fun teaching of Computing.
We follow the Purple Mash curriculum for the main parts of teaching the Computing curriculum along with other programmes and resources to provide rich and varied opportunities to apply the knowledge they have acquired. Children are issued an access code for home use.
How do we teach computing?
We have a wide range of technical resources for children to independently use to access and thrive in the computing curriculum. These include class sets of iPads, bee-bots and other programmable toys, cameras and brand new laptops. We always build in longterm budgeting to ensure that we have the technology for children to be computing scientists of the future!
Technical Vocabulary
Vocabulary as in all subjects is essential for success in computing, although some of it very complex and new. Please see our year group glossaries for computing vocabulary and terms to know more.
Online Safety
In simple terms, online safety refers to the act of staying safe online. It is also commonly known as internet safety, e-safety and cyber safety. It encompasses all technological devices which have access to the internet from PCs and laptops to smartphones and tablets.
We must give our children the declarative and procedure knowledge and vocabulary to keep themselves safe online.
At Heartwood online safety is:
Although the new EYFS curriculum does not specifically include computing and technology any more we have built into our curriculum at Heartwood to ensure that our children are coming into Year 1 prepared to thrive in comporting.
A high-quality computing education equips pupils to use computational thinking and creativity to understand and change the world. Computing has deep links with mathematics, science, and design and technology, and provides insights into both natural and artificial systems. The core of computing is computer science, in which pupils are taught the principles of information and computation, how digital systems work, and how to put this knowledge to use through programming. Building on this knowledge and understanding, pupils are equipped to use information technology to create programs, systems and a range of content. Computing also ensures that pupils become digitally literate – able to use, and express themselves and develop their ideas through, information and communication technology – at a level suitable for the future workplace and as active participants in a digital world.
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.
Key stage 1
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.
Key stage 2
Pupils should be taught to:
The Nicholas Hamond Academy
Our curriculum is designed to prepare the children for the next stages in their education in each subject. Our curriculum map plans to support the declarative and procedural knowledge needed for the children to access and thrive in computer science in KS3