Computing

We are all Computer Scientists

Intent

At St Michael’s Academy, we believe that every child has the right to a curriculum that enables them to be a global citizen in an ever-changing world. We understand the immense value that technology plays in the day to day lives of our children and families and the importance of giving them the knowledge and skills to not only access technology safely, but use it to better their lives and the lives of those around them.

At St Michael’s Academy, pupils will;

• Be taught with the aim to meet the National Curriculum Objectives for their year group

• Gain a toolkit of skills to enable them to access a range of technologies.

• Develop a good understanding of Computer Science, how technology and computer networks work and the develop the skills to work within this field.

• Be immersed in Information Technology so that they are confident and competent users in the everyday skills needed to use the most common technologies. Children will know the range, scope and options available to them to inform their choices of hardware and software.

• Become Digital Citizens through a rigorous Online Safety curriculum that lets children know the dangers they can face online and the tools needed to minimise the impact of digital incidents on their lives.

Implementation

As a school, we have chosen to use the Purple Mash scheme of learning to meet the needs of our children. The scheme was chosen because it eliminated barriers accessing the curriculum. The programme of study is deliverable entirely online, on any device and is even accessible at home. This eliminates the need for a range of expensive software/hardware requirements and allows children to carry on their learning and follow their interests after the school day is over.

From Year 3 upwards, the children are designated one lesson of Computing learning a week. We use Purple Mash as a cohesive scheme of work addressing the statutory aspects of the National Curriculum. Computing is branched into three aspects: Computer Science; Information Technology; and Digital Literacy, so that our pupils are set a relevant, challenging continuum of age-related skills and knowledge for their own year groups within Key Stage 2.

The curriculum promotes practical learning, whether it is in front of a computer or in other hands on ways. Opportunities for enrichment are provided through the ability to loan exciting STEM resources via our IT Support Soltech IT and as part of one of our St Michael’s University course Take CTRL.

Impact

Children are assessed against the national curriculum and skills maps throughout the year. This assessment is made based on observations of the children’s skills, completed submissions of learning (2Do’s) at the end of a unit (if available) and a teacher’s overall judgement of a child’s potential. Children who do not meet the expected standard can be put through the crash course of learning to help support their development within the subject. The knowledge and skills taught can be applied in different contexts throughout the year, with teachers able to set 2Do tasks for children to complete so that they can assess if children’s learning has been embedded.