Scotts Primary School

ComputinG

Computing INTENT STATEMENT

The intent of our computing curriculum at Scotts Primary School is to provide pupils with the knowledge, skills and understanding required to become confident, competent, creative and responsible users of technology.    The National Curriculum for Computing (DfE, 2013) recognises that ‘a high-quality computing education equips pupils to use computational thinking and creativity to understand and change the world.’  At Scotts Primary School, we want to ensure that our pupils receive the best start to realising the positive potential of technology in our everyday lives.

Through computational thinking, our pupils will develop increasingly efficient approaches to problem solving which will provide a strong foundation for learning about digital systems and programming.   Pupils will also learn how to use a range of information technology tools to create content which has purpose and where makes links to learning in other subjects, where meaningful.  The communication and collaborative potential of technology will be encouraged with pupils to ensure confident and effective use of systems.  We want our pupils to become digitally literate, critical and responsible citizens to enable effective and enjoyable experiences in a digital world.   

Computing CURRICULUM OVERVIEW

Computing - Learning Journey Flight Path

LEARNING IN COMPUTING AT SCOTTS PRIMARY SCHOOL

Reception

In Reception, children learn that technology is all around us and how it is used for different purposes, for example, drawing, taking pictures, playing games and making music.  Children also use floor robots to support their early computing skills, such as following and giving simple instructions. Children learn rules to use technology safety, sensibly and collaboratively with each other. 

YEAR 1

In computing, Year 1 children learn that algorithms are precise step-by-step instructions through using floor robots and by making fruit salad!   Children develop their IT skills to create, organise and edit digital content, such as artwork, e-books, music and a recipe videos.  They learn that computers can help to store, organise and find data, for example, using character cards.  Children work together and learn to respect work created by other people. 

 YEAR 2

In Year 2 children use algorithms to create, test and debug programs using visual code blocks (ScratchJr app) in the astronaut project. They test games to understand their rules and the sequencing of instructions.  In IT they develop photography and film skills to capture, edit, review and enhance digital content in the form of photographs and animations.  Children use software to help to record, sort and classify information, before using this data to draw charts.  They develop digital literacy skills by collaborating on projects, learning about online privacy and developing research skills.   

YEAR 3

Year 3 children use their programming skills to design, write, sequence and debug an animation in Scratch software. They develop strategies and resilience for debugging different types of errors in Scratch software and using floor robots.  They further develop IT skills by creating and recording presentations about their interests. They also work collaboratively to research, design and create their own websites all about Ancient Egypt.  Children learn to respect co-authors’ content when working together and learn about copyright when using online content.   They learn about survey design and how technology is used for data collection. 

YEAR 4

In Year computing, children move on to learn how to use sequence, selection (if/then/else) and repetition in their programming to design and create games and interactive toys with inputs and outputs.  They use technology to compose and edit multi-track musical compositions in GarageBand. Children learn to combine software in projects where they collect and input weather data, before using this to create presentations.  Children revisit digital art and learn how to create geometric patterns (inspired by Bridget Riley) using graphics. They learn how to create multimedia blogs, and understand the importance of respectful communication on such platforms. 

YEAR 5

Children in Year 5 move further with their computer science skills, through learning to use sensing, events, selection (if/then/else) and variables, such as scoring and timing in their games. They are expected to show increasing independence with debugging and improving code. Children learn about the function and components of networks, and how websites are structured and created.  They use IT skills to learn to create non-linear, interactive presentations which contain hyperlinks. They securely understand copyright and fair use guidelines. Children learn to use computer-aided design (CAD) software for architectural design and create their own virtual reality scenes.  They understand how to encrypt and decrypt simple messages, as well as the need for complex passwords. 

YEAR 6

In readiness for KS3 computer science, children transfer and apply the programming skills they have developed to alternative software beyond Scratch, including use of the Micro:bit code or Python.  They learn about computational thinking to understand the importance of logic and efficiency in problem solving.  They can now use IT skills to confidently create original content, such as promotional adverts and other publications. Children explore how artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly growing in society, and look at how AI works to accomplish given goals, as well as discussing ethical issues around its use.  Children think critically about how search engines present results, as well understanding the need for respectful online debate. 

More interactive examples (Click the green flag to start)