National Curriculum Purpose of study

A high-quality computing education equips pupils to use computational thinking and creativity to understand and change the world. Computing has deep links with mathematics, science, and design and technology, and provides insights into both natural and artificial systems. The core of computing is computer science, in which pupils are taught the principles of information and computation, how digital systems work, and how to put this knowledge to use through programming. Building on this knowledge and understanding, pupils are equipped to use information technology to create programs, systems and a range of content. Computing also 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.

At Highfields Primary school, all children will learn how to use a wide range of computing technology and should be safe using technology and online. We give our children the opportunity to become safe, respectable digital citizens, and be confident selecting appropriate technology for a wide variety of uses in the outside world.

We not only want our children to simply know how to use technology but to be able to understand it and have a deep understanding of how and why it works.

We aim to encourage children to become computer literate, enabling them to fulfil their potential in an increasingly computer-dominated world. Learning key transferable computing skills such as typing, research, coding and data handling concepts, will enable them to adapt in an ever changing and technology rich environment.

We follow the Teach Computing Scheme of Work that enables us to have a clear scope and implementation of Computing objectives. There are six distinct strands to our Computing curriculum. The strands are taught through a mixture of discrete, subject specific Computing lessons and as part of other blocks of learning. The Six strands are:

• Computing Systems and Networks
• Creating Media
• Programming (Algorithms)
• Data and Information
• Creating Media (Design and Development)
• Programming (Design and Development)