Computing

Curriculum Intent for Computing

Computing at Puss Bank School and Nursery will provide children with the fundamental skills to be competent in our ever-developing digital world.  Through a progressive curriculum, children will continuously use, develop and apply the basic IT skills required for the society they live in.

We aim to teach our children the importance of their online presence and how to take responsibility for their digital identity to ensure that they use the internet in a positive and respectful way through purposeful communication.

Design

Our curriculum will cover aspects of computer science, allowing the children to develop the skills to critically analyse problems, use computational terms correctly and apply this knowledge to unfamiliar technologies. At Puss Bank, Computing is taught through blocked units which ensure children develop depth in their knowledge and skills by building on prior learning as they progress through the unit topics.

The Purple Mash scheme of work and a yearly unit focusing on basic computing skills are used by teachers to deliver the Computing curriculum.  Children are taught the Computing curriculum using desktop computers, however other IT facilities such as iPads are used alongside these to embed skills and improve digital literacy. When relevant, these IT facilities are used across the primary curriculum to provide wider opportunities to embed skills and create purposeful cross-curricular links. These links motivate children and support them to make connections and use skills and knowledge taught in previous units.

Early Years

In the continuous provision, children learn through play and exploration. They begin by exploring cause and effect toys and progress to understanding the of a range of technology that is used in places such as homes and schools. As children move into Reception, they develop creative and critical thinking, which enables the children to learn about processes and evaluate procedures they are using. In order to prepare children for Key Stage One, children are taught to use software to complete a task or activity such as Purple Mash.

A balanced coverage or computer science, information technology and digital literacy are implemented at Puss Bank, see separate documents from Purple Mash and the curriculum overview for year 1 – 6 for further detail.