The Intent of our Computing Curriculum
Technology is changing the lives of everyone, never more so than in recent months. At Ovingham CE First School, we aim to equip children to participate in a rapidly changing world where work and leisure activities are increasingly transformed by technology. Through our computing curriculum, we aim to give our pupils the life-skills that will enable them to embrace and utilise new technology in a socially responsible and safe way in order to flourish. We want our pupils to be able to operate in the 21st century workplace and we want them to know the career opportunities that will be open to them if they study computing. We want children to become autonomous, independent users of computing technologies, gaining confidence and enjoyment from their activities. We want the use of technology to support learning across the entire curriculum and to ensure that our curriculum is accessible to every child. Not only do we want them to be digitally literate and competent end-users of technology but through our computer science lessons we want them to develop creativity, resilience and problem-solving and critical thinking skills. We want our pupils to have a breadth of experience to develop their understanding of themselves as individuals within their community but also as members of a wider global community and as responsible digital citizens.
How we Implement our Curriculum
At Ovingham, computing is taught in discreet computing lessons but the use of technology is encouraged to support learning across all curriculum areas. We use The NCCE Computing Curriculum scheme of work to cover the three areas of the Computing National Curriculum: Digital literacy, Computer Science and Information Technology. This scheme of work is implemented in Northumberland Schools using School360 and its tools and resources.
Every lesson in our scheme has been individually planned so that it can be effectively taught using the infrastructure we have in place at school and so that it can meet the needs of all our pupils. Our scheme has been closely referenced against the 2014 National Curriculum attainment targets in order to ensure progression and coverage. Having discreet lessons means that the children are able to develop depth in their knowledge and skills over the duration of each of their computing topics. Where appropriate, meaningful links will be made between the computing curriculum at the wider curriculum. In computing lessons the children will use either IPads or laptops in order to access a range of apps and software.
Online safety is taught regularly at an age appropriate level and forms the basis of all Computing learning. Children are also taught about vocabulary linked to computing and key skills for life including touch typing.
The Impact of our Curriculum
By the end of each key stage, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study. At Ovingham, we use a mixture of formative and summative assessment (based on the objectives in the 2014 National Curriculum) to determine children’s understanding and inform teachers' planning. Children will be given feedback and ways to improve their work either verbally or via School360. The subject leader regularly reviews each part of the Computing curriculum and Learning Walks and observations are carried out throughout the year.
