At West Haddon we regularly use technology within the classroom. As well as this, we teach the Computing National Curriculum which is for an hour per week. This features Digital Literacy, Information Technology and Computer Science as well as regularly exploring E-Safety.

Computing is taught using the Purple Mash Scheme of work to ensure coverage of the National Curriculum Strands. The lessons are split into a number of units across the school year, lasting between 3 and 7 weeks. Please see our long-term plan below to show which units are covered and when. This covers topics such as coding, spreadsheets, databases, presenting data (graphs and diagrams) and emails.

Online Safety is taught at least once every 6 weeks, plus a whole Purple Mash unit, to ensure that the children are regularly thinking about the importance of keeping safe online. They not only learn about keeping their personal information safe, what not to share online and what to do if they feel uncomfortable when using technology but they also look at issues such as their digital footprint, screen-time / media balance and cyber-bullying.

Long Term Plan for Computing

National Curriculum

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.

The national curriculum for computing aims to ensure that all pupils:

• can understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, logic, algorithms and data representation.
• can analyse problems in computational terms, and have repeated practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve such problems.
• can evaluate and apply information technology, including new or unfamiliar technologies, analytically to solve problems.
• are responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology.

Pupils in Key Stage One should be taught to:

• understand 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.
• use logical reasoning to predict the behaviour of simple programs.
• use technology purposefully to create, organise, store, manipulate and retrieve digital content.
• recognise common uses of information technology beyond school.
• use technology safely and respectfully, keeping personal information private; identify where to go for help and support when they have concerns about content or contact on the internet or other online technologies.

Pupils in Key Stage Two should be taught to:

• design, write and debug programs that accomplish specific goals, including controlling or simulating physical systems; solve problems by decomposing them into smaller parts.
• use sequence, selection, and repetition in programs; work with variables and various forms of input and output.
• use logical reasoning to explain how some simple algorithms work and to detect and correct errors in algorithms and programs.
• 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.
• select, use and combine a variety of software (including internet services) on a range of digital devices to design and create a range of programs, systems and content that accomplish given goals, including collecting, analysing, evaluating and presenting data and information.
• use technology safely, respectfully and responsibly; recognise acceptable/unacceptable behaviour; identify a range of ways to report concerns about content and contact.

Online Safety Long Term Plan

Alongside the online safety units within the Purple Mash Scheme of Work, we also teach one Online Safety lessons termly, throughout the school year. This is so that they children regularly experience online safety lessons, not at just one point during the year.  These sessions are based on lesson plans from Common Sense Education.

 For further information about Online Safety and Acceptable Use, please refer to our School Policies page.