Computing

Computing Curriculum Statement

Our aim in computing is to present it as a creative and fascinating process in which children are encouraged to use their own initiative, imagination, reasoning and investigation skills. Pupils are taught to understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, logic, algorithms and data representation.

We offer an interesting and broad computing curriculum. Cross-curricular links are used in the teaching of computing as appropriate, these units are taught according to when the linked lessons are being taught in class.

We offer our children access to a range of devices that they may not have at home. Many of our children do not have access to IT and we aim to compensate to prevent a technological divide by allocating a considerable percentage of our curriculum budget to computing.

Pupils have the opportunity to analyse problems in computational terms and have repeated practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve such problems. Pupils evaluate and apply information technology, including new or unfamiliar technologies, analytically to solve problems.

We want our children to remember what they have learned in order that they can apply that learning to future tasks. Our curriculum is structured to give the children opportunities to re-visit programs and skills. Our aim is that our children are taught skills in Nursery, Reception and KS1 which they will go onto develop and use independently in KS2 and beyond.

Pupils appreciate the relevance of computing in our society, and they see it as an essential tool for learning, for communication, for finding information and for controlling and understanding their environment. Pupils are given the opportunity to describe, illustrate, interpret, predict and explain. Self-evaluation and peer evaluation are an important part of their learning and this is built into each lesson. Children also have the opportunity to express their views at the end of each topic.

E-safety and E-security are taught as part of the computing scheme of work. Pupils are taught that the Internet can be used as a way to influence and persuade people. They learn that they need to be aware of the risk of online radicalisation and that organisations seek to radicalise young people through the use of social media and the internet. They are taught how to build their resilience to radicalisation and who to report to if they are concerned by anything they have seen or heard on the internet.

We ensure that every child receives the equal opportunity to develop their computing capability.

Computing at Harewood Primary School

An effective coder and user of technology at Harewood can do the following things. We share this with the children at the beginning of Computing lessons.