At Holy Cross Catholic Primary School, computing is an important part of the curriculum as it enables pupils to learn key skills, which are continuously developing in a modern technological world. Pupils are primarily taught how to keep their own wellbeing and safety, which is paramount when using any online resource. We aim to give our pupils a computing curriculum which equips them with skills for the future, an understanding of how ICT increasingly encompasses our lives, as well as enhancing their learning through excitement and wonder.
We encourage pupils to show resilience when learning new and challenging concepts in computing. They will have the opportunity to consolidate their skills through application across other areas of the curriculum.
Pupils will learn and understand computing language such as algorithms and coding, and begin to understand how these apply to their everyday lives and how it may transfer into technology currently being used across the world, as well as possibilities for the future. Pupils will recognise how computing can be used to represent information in a variety of ways.
Our aim is for all pupils to become confident when using a variety of computing tools across the school, such as laptops, the internet, iPads or cameras. We want our pupils to become digitally literate – to be able to use a express themselves using their own initiative and develop their ideas through computing, at a level suitable for the future, and as an active participant in a digital world.
Currently, our computing teaching is delivered through whole-day blocked learning. This approach enables pupils to maximise their time using the technology and provides a greater opportunity to consolidate new skills.
Our computing teaching offers opportunities to:
- Understand and what algorithms are; how they are implemented as programs on digital devices; and that programs execute by following precise and unambiguous instructions
- Create and debug simple programs, progressing to designing, writing and debugging programs that accomplish specific goals
- Solve problems by decomposing them into smaller parts
- Use logical reasoning to predict the behaviour of simple programs
- Use technology purposefully to create, organise, story, manipulate and retrieve digital content
- Use sequence, selection, and repetition in programs; working with variables and various forms of input and output
- Recognise common uses of information technology beyond school
- Understand computer networks including the internet; how they can provide multiple services, such as the world wide web; and the opportunities they offer for communication and collaboration.
- Use search technologies effectively, appreciate how results are selected and ranked, and be discerning in evaluating digital content
- Use technology safely and respectfully, recognising acceptable/ unacceptable behaviour; and identifying a range of ways to report concerns about content and contact.