Computing
Vision
The use of technology is an important part of daily life and will continue to develop in the future, through the computing subject we aim to provide learners with the skills and experiences that they will need to skyrocket in an ever-changing technological world.
New technologies have become integral to the lives of children and young people in today’s society, both within schools and in their lives outside school. The use of digital technologies is an integral part of the National Curriculum and is a key skill for everyday life. Computers, tablets, programmable robots, digital and video cameras are a few of the tools that can be used to acquire, organise, store, manipulate, interpret, communicate and present information. Computing is an important part of education, providing children with the skills to be able to think logically and to break tasks down into smaller manageable pieces. These skills will be applied by allowing pupils to be able to program a variety of ways – through unplugged activities, using floor robots, and visual programming languages.
Computing supports pupils with the skills to be able to solve problems, work collaboratively and think logically. These skills are important for children to participate fully in later life.
The school believes that Computing:
gives pupils immediate access to a rich source of materials;
can present information in new ways which help pupils understand, access and use it more readily;
can motivate and enthuse pupils;
can help pupils focus and concentrate;
offers potential for effective collaboration;
has the flexibility to meet the individual needs and abilities of each pupil.
Computing lead: Mr Kelvin Stephens B.Sc. (Computing Science) Pg. Cert. QTS NPQSL
At the core of computing is computer science, in which pupils are taught in principles of logical thinking, decomposition and programming. Computing equips pupils to use information technology, allowing pupils to use technology in real life situations, such as word processing and spreadsheets. It also ensures that pupils become digitally literate – able to use, and express themselves and develop their ideas, through technology – at a level suitable for the future workplace and as active participants in a digital world.
Computer Science
In Computer Science children learn the principles of information and computation, how digital systems work and how to put this knowledge to use through programming. Children learn the main concepts: logic, evaluation, algorithms, patterns, decomposition and abstraction, through a range of activities that build upon the approaches to computing: tinkering, creating, debugging, persevering and collaborating. We use a range of unplugged activities as well as applying these concepts using a range of languages/tools including: ScratchJr, Scratch and JavaScript/MakeCode. We have access to Crumbles, Micro:Bits, Sphero, Lego WeDo2 and Lego SPIKE. Children also learn how technology works such as: networks, the Internet, and how search engines select and rank web pages.
Information Technology
In Information Technology children learn to use programs and create a wide range of content, such as presentations or movies, research for a project, publish a blog, create digital artwork or music, represent data in a graph or table. Children use a variety of technology (PC's, iOS devices and Chromebooks) to create content such as: movies, word processed documents, presentations, spreadsheets, pictograms, story books and animations.
Digital Literacy
In Digital Literacy pupils explore online safety issues and the benefits of interacting online such as understanding what makes a strong password and why that’s important, developing acceptable behaviour online, collaborating and communicate effectively with others online. Our Online Safety Curriculum is taught as part of Computing and PSHE through the Jigsaw scheme. Additional learning opportunities are available across the computing curriculum based around the Education in a Connected World statements.
Computing Expertise
Our Computing Lead has a degree in Computing Science, is a Computing at School (CAS) Master Teacher, Seesaw Certified Educator, Google Certified Educator: Level 1, Google Certified Educator: Level 2, Apple Teacher with Swift Playgrounds recognition and a Raspberry Pi Certified Educator. Mr Stephens is also the CAS Walsall Primary Community Leader, showing our commitment to supporting other schools with Computing and developing our own staff expertise.
