Computing

At Thurton CE Primary School, we recognize that we are living in an increasingly digital age. We want to equip our children with the skills to access technology that is currently available as well as developing the creativity and critical thinking to use technologies that haven’t even been invented yet!

It is our aim to ensure that children develop an understanding of how different technologies work and become confident and capable using a wide range of programs and technologies over their time at Thurton. This may look like coding games on KODU, writing out documents on Microsoft Word or editing podcasts on the iPads using GarageBand.

We also aim to use technology to enhance our entire curriculum, making our work more exciting, meaningful and fun! With a focus throughout the school of promoting positive digital citizenship, children will leave Thurton as digitally literate, conscientious and responsible members of the digital world.

Progression of Learning

At Thurton CE Primary School, computing is taught across three strands in order to fully cover the range of skills and knowledge children need to be secure in by the end of their time in our school. We have planned and adapted our curriculum using Teach Computing resources published by the National Centre for Computing Education.

1.Computer Science – This strand focuses on the core coding and programming children will need to learn as part of the National Curriculum. Children will learn to problem solve, use logic, create algorithms, spot patterns and more! This strand will always have a tube map as part of our approach to the teaching.

2.Information Technology – As part of this strand, children will learn how to enhance their wider learning by using technology. This may look like using Seesaw to share learning in class or recording and presenting information they have learnt in other subjects in a more creative and meaningful way. This strand may appear as part of a wider tube map or have it’s own explicit tube map.

3.Digital Literacy – The focus of this strand is using technology in every day life, for example, how to search for and interpret information, evaluating it’s reliability, credibility and authority. Children will also learn about e-safety and digital citizenship. This may be taught as part of a computing tube map, as part of other curriculum areas or explicitly through RHSE.

Succession of Computing Knowledge

Example Year 3 and 4 Computing Unit

Teacher Guide

Teachers have a good understanding of prior and future learning in computing and will, wherever possible, link teaching to what children have learnt before and what they will go on to learn so children know how they are building upon skills learnt in previous years. Computing topics will also link to the wider class topic so learning is more meaningful and memorable.

Teachers will be explicit on the skills children are using so children are clear on how and why they are completing particular tasks. As children move through the learning journey, they are able to track how well they have performed at each stop through the use of colour coded feedback. At the end of each learning journey, knowledge and skills are reviewed and assessed by the children themselves, peers in the class and the class teacher.

Children will leave Thurton CE Primary as confident and competent digital citizens with the skills to use technology effectively throughout the rest of their time in education, as well as an enjoyment and passion for using technology in the rest of their lives.