At St George’s, we believe that Computing is a crucial subject in preparing children to live in a world where technology is moving at a rapid pace. So much so that children are being prepared to work with technology that doesn’t even exist yet. For this reason, it is important that children can participate in the creation of these new technologies – placing greater emphasis on children as coders. Computing ensures that pupils become digitally literate – able to use, and express themselves and develop their ideas through, information and communication technology – at a level suitable for the future workplace and as active participants in a digital world.
What children say about Computing
“We have learnt all about our digital footprint and how to make sure we stay safe” Isabelle (year 6)
KS1-“Be careful with laptops. You can move your thumb on the mouse pad. We work on the keyboard. We do letters and pictures. You can go on purple mash, play games and colour in.” Alfred (Year 1)
Our curriculum
We have carefully designed our curriculum to suit the needs of our children. Our curriculum focuses on Digital Citizenship, Digital Literacy, Information Technology, Online Safety and Computer Science. We teach each computing strand discretely. We aim to give children a deep and broad knowledge through opportunities to apply skills in various digital contexts. We follow the NCCE planning and feel that this prepares our children for the digital future they will inhabit when they leave school. For our online safety lessons, we use National Online Safety resources and have organised the units into year groups that we feel give our children the relevant teaching at the right time. We also ensure children are aware of how to keep themselves safe online using the 4 C’s.
Conduct-how you behave and how to be kind
Contact-who you talk to and how to be safe
Content-what you look at and what to do if you see anything scary/worrying
Commerce-what you spend your money on how to make sure you protect your money
Please click here to view our Yearly overview 24-25
Here is a link to the National Curriculum for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 in computing.
Using micro:bits to code music and displays.
Parental involvement
As a school, we subscribe to the National Online Safety Learning Platform and the Knowsley Learning Centre Monthly Newsletters. In our Online Safety section of the website, we regularly post information leaflets which support parents to better understand a current topic in the world of computing and online safety. We use these resources to deliver regular online safety sessions to children in classes.
Please find this months edition of the newsletter here
Online Safety Newsletter September 2024
Computing Policy 2024
Inclusion
All children participate in computing lessons at a level that is appropriate to their individual needs. We use adaptive teaching methods to ensure all children can access and achieve during lessons. We have picture/word cue posters for KS1 and Year 3 to enable all the younger children to acquire and retain crucial computing vocabulary. Some children are given additional support, either individually or in small groups, where necessary to aid or further develop their understanding.
Clubs
Mrs Croft, Mrs Bevington and Mr Perry (Computing Leads) run a very popular coding club.. The year 5 and 6 children come and explore micro-bits and have the opportunity to use Scratch to write their own games.
Assessment
As a school, we encourage all our children to ‘Know more, remember more’. During each lesson, the children are given regular opportunities to self assess and reflect on their learning. This allows them to develop their reflective thinking and start to share ideas to help each other. Each year group’s units of work have been carefully chosen to build on the previous years’ knowledge, skills and vocabulary.
Alongside the planning, teachers use the document below to ensure that children are acquiring key skills, building on previous knowledge and developing their computing vocabulary.
Please find below the Knowledge, Skills and Forever Facts that all year groups will be learning in the first term.
Autumn Knowledge and Skills
Useful links
Purple mash
Scratch programming
BBC Bitesize KS1
BBC Bitesize KS2
Safer Internet day – every year in February