Computing
Our Vision
Our children will be confident creators equipped with the skills to adapt to a range of ever-advancing technologies. They will leave us as responsible, respectful and safe members of an online community.
Subject Leader: Meg Coombes
megan.coombes@forestedge.org.uk
“Everyone should know how to program a computer because it teaches you how to think critically.”
- Steve Jobs
Intent
At the Forest Edge Learning Federation, we aim to give our pupils a range of opportunities to experience a variety of technology and software in the belief that this will allow them to spot similarities and develop their ability to adapt to new technology in the future. We want our children to become creative users of technology, who are confident in making their own content as they build skills and knowledge. Through our computing curriculum, we aim to develop children’s problem solving skills and resilience which can be applied throughout their lives.
Implementation
Our project-based curriculum has been created to promote higher-level thinking skills in all our pupils and encourage them to make meaningful links both within and across subject disciplines. As a result, our computing curriculum has been developed to give children meaningful experiences of how technology can be used in real-life situations, which will allow them to form valuable connections between computing and other disciplines such as Design and Technology and Science. Computing will therefore not be taught in weekly sessions, and will instead be taught as a block immersed in the progression of a topic. This allows children to really ‘sink their teeth in’, exploring computing in a more holistic manner and tackling problems as they arise, giving a deeper understanding of the subject matter as it is put to practical use. Throughout pupils' time at our schools, they will revisit and build upon the skills they have learnt to ensure that they are embedded in their understanding. Alongside the taught computing curriculum, technology will be used incidentally throughout the school to enhance learning in other subjects and ensure that pupils retain the skills they have been previously taught.
Within lessons, our approach to teaching places an emphasis on critical thinking and choice, particularly as children enter Key Stage Two. Across the federation, we adopt a teaching sequence based on the PRIMM model (Sue Sentance et al. 2019), which encourages children to investigate a concept or use of technology in a range of contexts, before modifying an existing version to develop their understanding, and subsequently creating and critically evaluating their own work or the work of others. Children are encouraged to make their own informed choices during their creation process, and justify the choices they have made in relation to the purpose and audience of their outcome. A range of opportunities are given for children to work both on and off screen, as well as in collaborative groups, supportive pairs or independently.
Across our federation, we have invested in up-to-date technology to support high-quality learning for our pupils. The children in each school have access to a class-set of chromebooks and iPads, enabling them to work independently on a range of projects. We operate primarily in the cloud, therefore each child who joins us receives their own personal login to a Google Drive in which they can collaborate with their peers and teachers. In addition to this, we have also invested in Crumble programming kits for Year 2 to Year 6 to complement our use of Beebots in EYFS and Year 1 for physical programming across the school. As a federation, we are continuously looking to keep up-to-date with the latest technology and software to keep our curriculum relevant.
Impact
Our children will have a clear enjoyment and proficiency in using technology for different purposes, and knowing which software or hardware is suitable for a range of tasks. They will develop resilience and problem solving skills though coding and debugging, and be able to apply these to other areas of the curriculum. Through our ambitious introduction of Crumble Kits to the younger age of Year 2, our children will be able to use these more confidently in Year 6 to design their own projects with a wide range of input and output components. In a world that is becoming increasingly more reliant on changing technologies, our pupils will leave us with the skills and knowledge to succeed in further education and the workforce.
Children are encouraged to problem solve on their own during lessons, to develop the skill of debugging, and teachers use questioning as a method of formative assessment and a means to address misconceptions. Children’s learning is sequenced and builds upon prior knowledge to ensure all children can make progress. Subject leaders monitor the progress and attainment of children against the progression of skills during the STEM term and identify any areas for future development of the curriculum, CPD for staff or support for particular pupils.
Digital Citizenship
At the Forest Edge Learning Federation, we understand the importance of educating our children to be safe, kind and responsible members of an online community. Digital Citizenship lessons are taught every half term across our schools, using the ProjectEVOLVE resources based on the Education for a Connected World framework. Additionally, each year, every class explores a digital citizenship enquiry which prompts a variety of responses including P4C discussions. The aim of these enquiries is to promote children’s ability to think critically and form their own educated opinions about keeping themselves safe online. Parents are sent regular online safety updates alongside our weekly newsletters.
