Computing

Technology is a huge part of modern life and it is important that our children understand how to harness it, engage with it responsibility and use it for their own benefit. They have already grown up exposed to a broad range of devices and many of their key life experiences are shaped by and/or captured with technology. The pace at which such technology continues to evolve means that it will massively influence our children’s future learning, working and living environments. The impact of technology is wide ranging, so our children experiment with the role technology can have across the whole of the curriculum and into the rest of their lives.

At Brookmans Park Primary School, we aim to provide a high-quality computing education. One that strives to ensure our children do not just learn to how to use computers and technology, but rather they learn how to create, explore, design, experiment, challenge and learn how to problem solve using a broad range of computers, technology and software. We teach them to be responsible digital citizens who are astute consumers of technology, are able to safely navigate the online world and make informed choices as to how to use a range of connected devices. We want our pupils to understand that there is always a choice with using technology and as a school we utilise technology to model positive use. We recognise that education plays a central role in preventing many of the issues we currently see with technology and social media. We encourage staff to embed opportunities for computing across the whole curriculum to make learning both creative and accessible.

Through the use of the NCCE computing scheme and other resources, we aim to ensure that children develop both broad subject knowledge across the computing curriculum as well as deepening their skills and understanding year-on-year.

This is implemented by:

• Preparing our children for a life in a world where being computer literate is vital.
• Continuing to provide pupils with opportunities to develop their basic computing skills (save into a folder, copy and paste, undo etc).
• Encouraging children to explore, practise and learn a range of skills whilst also problem solving.
• Teaching the children how to stay safe online and the importance of doing so at all times.
• Creating opportunities for pupils to use and explore a variety of technologies such as: microphones, iPads, chromebooks, micro: bits, Spheros etc as well as a wide selection of software and apps.
• Allowing children to collaborate on tasks together, ensuring they work together as a team.
• Completing ‘unplugged’ activities to secure and deepen their understanding.
• Encouraging children to complete homework digitally in a range of different formats
• Providing pupils with opportunities to make links to other curriculum areas wherever possible.

Teachers may supplement and enhance learning by utilising their own subject knowledge, for example, by teaching children how to use Google Sheets in addition to the core skills taught within the NCCE spreadsheet units.