Intent 

At Acres Hill we recognise that technology use, and in particular Computing and digital skills use, has become a common place, everyday embedded expectation that people will be able to confidently use in order to access everyday societal norms such as support, employment and day to day life infrastructure.  Our aim is for all children to develop the fundamental computing and digital skills to enable them to become skilled and confident users of technology; being digitally literate will ensure that children can use continually advancing technology in their future learning and careers in a productive, knowledgeable and safe, responsible manner. 

Through the delivery of the Computing Curriculum children are taught to think computationally – supporting children to develop problem solving and design and conceptual skills whilst developing a deeper understanding of computer based technologies. 

Our Computing Curriculum: 

• utilises the Purple Mash Computing Platform to deliver a broad and balanced Computing Curriculum https://www.2simple.com/purple-mash/, delivering computing and digital skills to Foundation Stage 2, Key Stage 1 and 2   

• provides broad and balanced coverage of the requirements of the National Curriculum (2014)  

• ensures that knowledge and skills are planned to be taught and learnt sequentially, building progressively across year groups so that children have opportunities to return to and use prior learning to support new learning 

• ensures that knowledge and skills for units of work are clearly defined and focused so that they are taught with precision 

• allows next learning steps for children are driven through formative and summative assessment 

Implementation 

Our Computing Curriculum is overseen by our Computing Co-ordinator.  The PurpleMash Learning Platform is used to structure the programme of study for each year group, on a unit by unit basis, and ensures coverage of the National Curriculum’s (2014) listed matters, skills and processes. 

The Co-ordinator provides training and support to staff, as well as quality assurance regarding the delivery and implementation of the Computing program delivered through the PurpleMash Learning Platform.  The Computing Co-ordinator is responsible for supporting classroom teachers with the assessment of progress in computing and reports directly to the Curriculum Lead and Senior Leaders. 

Teachers are also able to gain training and support through teacher tutorials and walk-throughs for each of the units being delivered. Teachers are expected to view and use these walk-throughs prior to units being delivered, in order that they are able to effectively deliver planned learning with knowledge and skill. 

Teachers are linked to their classes and use the PurpleMash platform to deliver learning that is sequentially ordered and delivered in focused units of work to their classes.  Pupils have individual login details which are predominantly used in order to access teaching and learning activities; this teaching is first delivered to the children by the class teacher in the classroom.   

The Computing Curriculum: 

• is delivered through the PurpleMash Learning Platform for Foundation Stage 2 up to Year 6 

• is a foundation subject in school and is taught weekly to classes across school  

• comprises of a one hour whole class lesson each week 

• focuses on a particular unit/computing topic for each year group for a pre-determined number of lessons, as set out in the PurpleMash scheme of work 

• covers the National Curriculum (2014), for example in Key Stage 1 children will learn what algorithms are, how they are implemented and debugged; whereas in Key Stage 2 children write, design and debug their own algorithms to accomplish specific tasks 

• utilises games, tutorial videos and class teacher set activities to practice and refine taught computing skills and consolidate learnt knowledge  

• is enabled in school through the use of three class laptop trollies and two sets of classroom tablet devices 

With regards to online safety, school recognises that children in the our community access online content from an early age.  With this in mind, school delivers e-safety learning to every year group through planned units of work in the Computing Curriculum in order to inform, empower and keep children safe.  Online safety is also covered and revisited through the school’s RSHE Curriculum (Relationships, Sex and Health Education Curriculum). 

Impact 

Through the delivery of a broad and balanced Computing Curriculum children will develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to be digitally literate and ready for the next stage of their education.  

In order to ensure that this is the case the school’s Computing Co-ordinator oversees the delivery and impact of the planned curriculum and supports teachers to deliver high quality, focused teaching and learning opportunities which are planned to build on children’s prior learning.  The Computing Co-ordinator attends the citywide Computing Network offer to support the delivery and moderation of the network. 

The Computing Co-ordinator ensures the impact of the planned approach through the use of staff CPD, planning and work scrutiny, the gathering of pupil voice and learning walks.   

Our Computing Curriculum: 

• supports children to be ready for their next phase of education 

• provides a sequenced and building schema of understanding which children are able to build their future learning around 

• ensures children are able to access technology competently and safely 

• ensures that children are digitally literate  

• enables children to access computing knowledge and skills at an age appropriate level 

• uses ongoing formative assessment within lessons to identify children’s understanding and ability to use taught knowledge and skills 

• allows staff to intervene, repeat and address misconceptions in learning when children have not made the progress expected 

• provides opportunities for good practice to be identified and shared across school