Our Computing Subject Leaders is: Mr Nicklin  

Intent

At Disley, we aim to prepare our learners for their future by giving them the opportunities to gain knowledge and develop skills that will equip them for an ever changing digital world. Knowledge and understanding of ICT is of increasing importance for children’s future both at home and for employment. Our Computing curriculum focuses on a progression of skills in digital literacy, computer science, information technology and online safety to ensure that children become competent in safely using, as well as understanding, technology. These strands are revisited repeatedly through a range of themes during children’s time in school to ensure the learning is embedded and skills are successfully developed. Our intention is that Computing also supports children’s creativity and cross curricular learning to engage children and enrich their experiences in school.

Implementation

To ensure a broad range of skills and understanding, Computing is taught using Purple Mash. To ensure progression, we follow the mixed-age planning starting from page 15 in the overview document. The logic that was used to create the exemplar can be found below:  

• Categorising the units into those that suited topics being covered in an order (spreadsheets and coding) and those that had more flexibility to differentiate and progress by outcome and expectation.

• From this, we created a two-year rolling program: In some schools this might be a 3- or 4year rolling program. In schools with mixed ages, the same process will be being used for core subjects and we recommend using the same rolling program length.

• In the exemplar, the less specifically progressive units are completed by pupils in either year 1 or 2, year 3 or 4, year 5 or 6. • In the exemplar, for KS1 (year 1/2) all the coding is in cycle A.

• For 3/4 and 5/6 coding, we looked at the themes of the individual lessons in the coding units and grouped them into two groups of related themes so all lessons about (for example) repetition in coding will be done in one year of the program and all lessons about variables would be done in another.

• Spreadsheets were hard to split in the same way as the coding so will require teachers to put the emphasis more firmly on the computing skills than the maths knowledge when younger pupils are tackling the unit for older pupils first in the two-year program.

• The rest of the units are more self-contained and can be achieved by differentiating expected outcomes for younger and older children.

• Unit 1.1 provides a good introduction to the use of Purple Mash and online safety, so we have included it in both cycles of the Y1\2 mix. The lesson plans have a certain amount of repetition in them to recap and review learning from previous years. If they are completed out of sequence, for example teaching all the ‘repetition’ lessons in a block, some of this recapping will not be necessary, freeing up lesson time to explain new knowledge in more detail to the younger learners. 

At Disley, we give children access to a wide range of good quality resources and provide, when applicable, cross-curricular opportunities for children to apply their Computing knowledge and skills. Online safety is taught within each Computing lesson as a short starter activity as well as being taught as a unit each year. Online safety procedures are communicated with all staff and parents.

Impact

The implementation of this curriculum ensures that when children leave Disley primary school, they are competent and safe users of ICT with an understanding of how technology works. They will have developed skills to express themselves and be creative in using digital media and be equipped to apply their skills in Computing to different challenges going forward.