Computing
The Intent statement of our Computing curriculum is:
To prepare our learners for their future by giving them the opportunities to gain knowledge and develop skills that will equip them for an ever-changing digital world. Our intention is that Computing also supports children’s creativity to engage children and enrich their experiences in school.
At Birkbeck Primary school, we teach Computing from Year 1 onwards. In the Early Years Foundation Stage, it is woven into all areas of the curriculum and specialised provision is in place in the 'Technology' strand of the provision. We believe that a being proficient in the fundamental workings of technology, computing and the internet are of paramount importance in the modern world. We also believe in the power of technology to aid creativity for young people and our curriculum serves both of these purposes while simultaneously educating children in the responsible, safe and mature use of the internet and other tech ologies.
We have adopted Teach Computing as a scheme of work to help us deliver our curriculum. We have chosen this package because the themes and content of it provide us with the opportunity to draw out four key threads of concept that are aligned with what we believe an excellent and well rounded Computing education should be. These concept threads are strategically revisited throughout the Computing curriculum, both within and across different year groups. This provides the opportunity to build new knowledge on prior knowledge which we know makes subsequent retrieval much easier for children. The quality of the resources and materials offered by Teach Computing are also first class and enable us to provide a rich Computing education to all children.
The thread of concept that our curriculum revisits and builds upon are:
- Systems and networks
- Creating media
- Programming
- Data and information
A full breakdown of the coverage of each unit of work can be found in the curriculum resources section of the Teach Computing website which you can access by clicking on the link below.Teach Computing
We have also cross referenced the National Curriculum programmes of study for Key Stage 1 and 2 against the programme we use and so we know that it fulfils all statutory requirements. details of the National Curriculum programmes of study are published on the DfE's website.
Our curriculum coverage posters provide information about which units are taught in which year groups and the order in which they are taught. You can view the Computing one below:
Below you can see the development of our key concept threads in grid form so that you can see how each one is progressed and developed as children move through the school.
Lesson delivery
Every Computing lesson begins with a retrieval practice starter which has the aim of activating prior knowledge around the concept thread which the lesson to come is focused on.
Every lesson also includes clarification of any technical vocabulary to be used in the lesson. This always takes place before the main lesson content begins.
All Computing lessons are delivered in line with our principles of teaching and learning which are the same for all subjects. These are the principles that we believe underpin truly great teaching and learning. You can read about how these are applied to Computing lessons below. The Implementation guide also provides the curriculum map which tells you which units of work are taught in which terms of which year group.
Assessment
We assess Computing once per half term. Teachers assess children's body of work against a set of descriptors which match the threads of concept that our Computing curriculum is designed by. As such, the curriculum is the model for progression that we follow and assess against. Assessment is reported to parents and carers every term at parents evening.
