Patterdale Computing Curriculum

INTENT

At Patterdale we aim:

For children to experience a high-quality taught Computing Curriculum.

For children to be digitally literate and responsible citizens.

For children to effectively use ICT across the curriculum.

For children to develop an enthusiasm for coding ready for the modern world & jobs of the future.

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. Computing is taught as a discrete subject and is incorporated into teaching across the whole of the curriculum.

To deliver and develop this area of learning, the school has an efficient, well-maintained infrastructure which supports our Chromebooks, laptops and iPads. All computers are protected with a comprehensive firewall which protects children when accessing the internet.

TEACHING MIXED AGE CLASSES

Children are taught in mixed age classes. Computing topics are planned on a 2 - 4-year cycle, to meet the requirements of the national curriculum, revisit core concepts and ensure progression. When teaching a unit, teachers use formative assessment and our computing progression of skills document, to adapt their teaching, to build on solid foundations and fill any learning gaps.

CONTENT

We use the CUSP Computing Curriculum.

Computing is taught across four golden threads, the combination of which ensures our children grow up to become true digital natives who understand technology, recognise its potential and limitations, know how to use it safely and are able to take advantage of different tools to create their own, meaningful, digital content. These threads are Digital Creativity, Digital Programming, Digital Safety, Digital Technology.

Key vocabulary is shared at the start of a lesson.

Pupils are taught new skills through teacher modelling.

Pupils are given time to practice and experiment with new apps/technology.

Teachers do revisits to previous learning.

Computing is used in other subject areas where possible to enrich the curriculum.

ASSESSMENT & MONITORING

Children are assessed at the end of each lesson based on the lesson objective.

CUSP questions support ongoing teacher assessment.

CUSP questions can also be used at the end of a unit.

Retrieval practice is built into lessons to assess understanding.