Computing
Our Geography curriculum vision 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.
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.
The threads of concept that our curriculum revisits and builds upon are:
- Systems and networks
- Creating media
- Programming
- Data and information
Our Computing curriculum has been written around the development of key concepts which become threads which are continually revisited throughout a child's journey through the school. This approach enables us to build new knowledge on top of existing knowledge and to therefore enable children to make meaningful connections because of their increased ability to retrieve the old to make sense of the new. You can read about how each of our key concepts are strategically developed below.
computing curriculum narrative docx.pdf
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.
concept development grid computing docx.pdf
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.
implementation guide computing docx.pdf
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.
