Computing

At Carden Nursery and Primary School we believe in providing high quality, active, purposeful and experiential learning opportunities. Our aim is to ensure all children are digitally literate – able to use, and express themselves and develop their ideas through, information and communication technology. Equipping them with a variety of skills (computational thinking, creativity and problem solving) prepares them for the future workplace and enables them to be active participants in a digital world.

Our Core Values and Learning Journey Skills underpin the teaching of computing. Our computing curriculum from Purple Mash, challenges all children. Through the programme of study, children learn the fundamental principles and processes of computation; they gain repeated, practical experience of writing code to solve problems and to model systems. Children become skilled at creating high quality products and content using digital technology.  They learn how to be safe, responsible and critical users of technology.

The computing curriculum provides purposeful cross-curricular links with all subjects, as well as linking to learning outside of school, both at home and within the wider world.

Our ultimate goal is to draw together the strands of computer science, information technology and digital literacy, in order to equip children with the computational thinking skills and creativity they need to understand and change the world.

We follow the Purple Mash scheme of work which covers the whole primary curriculum with a clear structure of progression building on children’s previous knowledge. Purple Mash uses resources embedded within the platform, which allow pupils to save, combine and import content, which can be shared across the school safely. In addition, we recognise the need to focus on developing vocabulary right from the start of the child’s journey. We endeavour to teach a wide variety of new vocabulary constantly in computing using foursquare activities, word walls and through general speaking and listening activities. The Purple Mash platform is also used across the curriculum to embed the use of technology in other subjects. The scheme is supplemented by additional lessons on computer networks and the use of BeeBots when creating computer programs.

We also participate actively in Internet Safety day, making good use of annual themes to raise the profile of different aspects of E Safety. In addition to the Purple Mash E Safety lessons, “Being Safe in a Digital World”, further learning takes place throughout the school year to maintain its profile. As a school, each class reviews the Internet Safety Agreement for their year groups and signs their agreement at the beginning of each academic year.

Our Computing curriculum ensures that children leave Y6:

• Knowledgeable, confident and creative users of a range of digital technologies.
• Equipped with the knowledge and skills to access the next stage of their learning, with a clear understanding of how quickly this knowledge will evolve.
• Able to apply their knowledge and skills in utilising information technologies to communicate their ideas to a range of audiences.
• Responsible digital users who are able to explain how to stay safe online.
• Fully aware of the risks of using digital technologies and measure they can take to mitigate against these risks.