Computing Coverage and Progression Document

Half Termly Unit Coverage

Intent

White House Farm Primary School aims to equip children with the relevant skills and knowledge that is required to understand Computer Science, Information Technology and Digital Literacy.  We aim to offer a broad and balanced approach to providing quality first teaching of this subject.

Computing is a fundamental part to a child’s education and everyday life. Therefore, we intend to support the pupils at White House Farm Primary School to access and understand the core principles of this subject through engaging and activities as well as having an understanding the advantages and disadvantages of interacting with the online world. Our aim is for all the children at White House Farm Primary School to be respectful, responsible, and confident users of technology who are able to take the appropriate steps to ensure that they can explore the online world whilst keeping themselves and others safe.

Computing lessons at White House Farm Primary School aim to:

• Create an enthusiasm for Computing through creative, inspiring and well-planned and sequenced lessons which encourage all children to use their skills to create and develop new ideas.
• Follow a scheme of work, in conjunction with the National Curriculum, which provides progression and a breadth of knowledge across all year groups.
• Work with experts in to ensure that our staff continue to develop them own skills and knowledge, as well as attending subject relevant CPD to deliver sessions with confidence.
• Identify areas in which skills acquired can be used and developed across the curriculum.
• Make sure that all pupils and staff are respectful and responsible in their approach to using information and communication technology, so that they access the online world safely
• Provide a safe learning environment which allows all pupils to explore, communicate and progress within the digital world.

 

Implementation

White House Farm Primary School follows the ‘Teach Computing’ scheme of work which covers all aspects of the National Curriculum. This scheme was chosen as it has been created by subject experts and based on the latest pedagogical research. It provides an innovative progression framework where computing content (concepts, knowledge, skills and objectives) has been organised into interconnected networks called learning graphs.

The curriculum aims to equip young people with the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to thrive in the digital world of today and the future. The curriculum can be broken down into 3 strands: computer science, information technology and digital literacy, with the aims of the curriculum reflecting this distinction.

This scheme of work gives full coverage of the national curriculum for computing aims to ensure all pupils:

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

The units for key stages 1 and 2 are based on a spiral curriculum. This means that each of the themes is revisited regularly (at least once in each year group), and pupils revisit each theme through a new unit that consolidates and builds on prior learning within that theme. This style of curriculum design reduces the amount of knowledge lost through forgetting, as topics are revisited yearly. It also ensures that connections are made even if different teachers are teaching the units within a theme in consecutive years.

In addition, White House Farm Primary School works closely with experts from the National Centre for Computing Education Programme.  The school has participated in CPD days inviting teachers from other schools to watch and interact with modelled lessons as well as running a two day computing festival during the 2021/22 Summer term.  The children were able to experience many aspects of Computing, including physical programming with Beebots and Crumbles, creating green screen images of children with dinosaurs and flying around the school, creating flashy presentations and even creating their own world then walking around it using VR headsets. 

Fundamental to White House Farms Curriculum is online safety. We aim to give children the necessary skills to keep themselves safe online. Online safety and responsible use of technology are topics covered in computing and PSHE lessons, assemblies and during events such as Safer Internet Day.

It is important that the school supports all staff and parents to stay up to date and informed changes to technology and the digital world.  At White House Farm Primary School, we subscribe to a monthly ‘Knowsley Online Safety Newsletter’ as well as sharing information through weekly parent newsletters.

In addition, the school uses … to monitor pupil and staff access to technology.

To support curriculum delivery, White House Farm Primary have the following hardware available.

• 30 laptops
• 60 Tablets
• Class desktop computers.

Each class also has access to:

• A laptop
• A Tablet
• An Interactive Whiteboard
• A Visualiser

All children are provided with Microsoft accounts which allow access to TEAMS.  This enables children to access their work both in school and remotely.

Impact

Every computing lesson includes formative assessment opportunities for teachers to use. These opportunities ensure that misconceptions are recognised and addressed if they occur. They vary from teacher observation or questioning, to marked activities. These assessments are vital to ensure that teachers are adapting their teaching to suit the needs of the pupils that they are working with, and you are encouraged to change parts of the lesson, such as how much time you spend on a specific activity, in response to these assessments.

Every unit includes summative assessment framework in the form of either a multiple choice ’Sticky Knowledge’ quiz or a rubric.

• Multiple choice quiz follows the diagnostic assessment approach to ensure that the assessment of the unit is useful to determine both how well pupils have understood the content, and what pupils have misunderstood, if they have not achieved as expected.
• Rubric tools help teachers assess project-based work. Each rubric covers the application of skills that have been directly taught across the unit, and highlights to teachers whether the pupil is approaching (emerging), achieving (expected), or exceeding the expectations for their age group

Teachers record children work in class portfolios through images and printed examples of children’s works as well as annotations following class, individual and small group discussions.  Independent work may also be recorded in pupil folders.

Subject leaders are responsible for the monitoring of planning, class portfolios and assessment through learning walks, lesson observations and interviewing the pupils about their learning (pupil voice).

 

Computing Festival 2021/22

A Computing Festival was held at White House Farm School in Sprowston this week, with the support of the Norfolk Computing Hub based at Neatherd High School. 

Over 120 primary children of all ages from four schools across the Sapientia Education Trust were able to experience many aspects of Computing, including physical programming with Beebots and Crumbles, creating green screen images of children with dinosaurs and flying around the school, creating flashy presentations and even creating their own world then walking around it using VR headsets. 

Matt Copping, who is the Head at White House Farm, was keen to set up this event to raise the profile of Computing and to give children and teachers opportunities.  He worked alongside Adam Gibson, Tracy Chamberlain, Nick Templeton and Keith Gratton from the Hub, who provided many of the resources and expertise.  

There was considerable planning involved by members of staff at Sapientia and the Hub to ensure the day ran smoothly, from providing sufficient hardware and website access, to support staff and delicious lunches.  All parties felt it was well worth the effort.  Mr Copping  said, ‘From our point of view, it was amazing success.  The teachers have also fed back that it was an amazing opportunity to see how the technology can be used in the classroom as they were able to learn from the experts. The children were delighted to be able to explore all the fantastic technology and excitedly left school at the end of the day talking about everything they had done’. 

'The children really enjoyed a go on the VR headsets and had their first attempt at using Microsoft Sway, which was great' - Rockland and Surlingham 

'The pupils had a wonderful day!' - Old Buckenham 

'All of the children had a brilliant day which opened our eyes further to how different technology can be used in the classroom' – White House Farm