Intent

At Hatfeild Primary School, we ensure that every child is ready, respectful and safe. Computing plays a vital role in providing children with the skills and knowledge to become global citizens with the ability to understand the world around them and the competency to make good decisions in order to keep themselves safe. 

We recognise the significant role that technology plays in our community and how it can prepare our children for the workforce of the future. Our computing curriculum aims to instil a sense of enjoyment around using technology and to develop the childrens’  appreciation of its capabilities and the opportunities technology offers to create, manage, organise and collaborate. 

We encourage children to tinker with software and programs to create an ethos of confidence when encountering new technology, this is something that we consider to be a vital skill in the ever evolving and changing landscape of technology. 

Our curriculum enables all learners to become digitally competent and have a range of transferable skills that can be used to enhance learning across the curriculum. We actively teach the children to become responsible citizens by instilling the values of respect, motivation, perseverance, focus and team-work throughout computing and e-safety lessons. 

All learners are enabled to meet Key Stage Attainment targets outlined in the National Curriculum and along with our PSHE and RSE curriculum we work towards the strands in the DFE’s Education for a Connected World framework:

• Self-image and identity - the children critically evaluate online content and are given the confidence to challenge and reject inappropriate online representations. They know who to speak to if someone makes them feel uncomfortable or if they need help and how to report this both online and offline. 

• Online relationships - we ensure that our children know the impact of their online content, they are expected to treat one another with respect and kindness and know the boundaries of what should be shared online. 

• Online reputation - we explore our digital personalities and give our children the skills to protect their online reputation. 

• Online bullying - children are actively encouraged to report online bullying, they are taught how to capture content as evidence and what to do if online bullying is taking place. 

• Managing online information - we give children the skills to decipher between online fact and fiction, they explore the world of influencers and how personalities may be promoting information that is not true. 

• Health, well-being and lifestyle - our children are encouraged to discuss the pressures that technology, particularly social media, can place on them and are given strategies to limit the impact of technology on their well-being. 

• Privacy and security - we enable children to protect their online information by teaching the importance of effective passwords and keeping their information private. 

• Copyright and ownership - children at Hatfeild are equipped with the knowledge and skills to use search engines and access online content safely. 

By following this guidance and developing it throughout the computing curriculum we are equipping our children for life in a digital world; developing a sound understanding of appropriate online content and behaviour and to be discerning consumers of online information.

Implementation

At Hatfeild we use the Kapow Computing scheme of work to ensure comprehensive coverage and consistently high standards in the computing curriculum. The National Curriculum purpose of study states:

‘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 Kapow Computing scheme of work embeds computer science at its core with three strands which run throughout:

• Computer science - understanding and applying the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, logic, algorithms and data representation. Analysing problems in computational terms and having repeated practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve problems. 

• Information technology - evaluating and applying information technology, including new or unfamiliar technologies, analytically to solve problems as a responsible, competent, confident and creative user of information and communication technology.

• Digital literacy - enabling children to be responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information communication technology.

At Hatfeild planning is organised into five key areas, creating a cyclical route through which the children can develop their computing knowledge and skills by revisiting and building on previous learning:

• Computer systems and networks - Identifying hardware and using software, while exploring how computers communicate and connect to one another. 

• Programming - Understanding that a computer operates on algorithms, and learning how to write, adapt and debug code to instruct a computer to perform set tasks.

• Creating media - Learning how to use various devices — record, capture and edit content such as videos, music, pictures and photographs.

• Data handling - Ensuring that information is collected, recorded, stored, presented and analysed in a manner that is useful and can help to solve problems.

• Online safety - Understanding the benefits and risks of being online — how to remain safe, keep personal information secure and recognising when to seek help in difficult situations.

The implementation of these key areas ensures a broad and balanced coverage of the National Curriculum requirements. In each year group the children complete a ‘Skills Showcase’ unit, this provides our children with the opportunity to combine and apply transferable skills and knowledge gained from the five key areas in a purposeful way. 

The curriculum is designed to be cyclical so that children are able to revisit the five key areas throughout KS1 and KS2. Each time they explore an area it is covered in greater complexity to ensure progression of skills and prior knowledge is utilised to enable children to build on previous foundations. 

At Hatfeild we believe that EYFS is the beginning of every child’s learning journey, where they begin to develop their curiosity and love of learning. Computing in EYFS is a natural precursor to the skills and knowledge that they will develop in Year 1 with a focus on being play-based and providing the children with opportunities for hands-on experiences. Whilst the technology strand is no longer a specific area in the EYFS Framework (2021), we believe that giving our children the chance to develop their computing skills at an early age can foster interest and confidence in technology. The EYFS units focus on:

• Using a computer - the main parts of a computer, how to use the keyboard and mouse and logging in and out. 

• All about instructions - receiving and giving instructions and understanding the importance of precise instructions.

• Exploring hardware - tinkering and exploring and learning to operate a camera.

• Introduction to data - sorting and categorising data and an introduction to branching databases and pictograms.

Computing is taught weekly, each class in the school has access to; the computing suite (30 PCs), Laptop trolley (60 Chromebooks) and Ipad trolley (30 ipads).  The availability of technology within the school enables teachers to use it across the curriculum to support learning. Weekly lessons enable the children to build upon skills learnt in the previous week and gives them the opportunity and time to practise the skills at home. 

Online safety is taught throughout the school year through our Kapow units but also as and when issues within classes arise, these may include extra planned sessions delivered by class teachers or workshops provided by outside agencies such as the NSPCC or the local police community officer . Weekly information on internet safety, parental controls and awareness of apps is sent out to parents via the school newsletter. Parents are offered the opportunity to attend e-safety workshops. At Hatfeild we believe that online safety needs to be a priority when delivering a safe and responsible computing curriculum and as such its themes also run through our PSHE and RSE curriculum. 

We have acknowledged that computing is a specialised subject and not all teachers are experts in this field. The Kapow scheme of work ensures comprehensive coverage of the computing curriculum. Moreover, it serves as a valuable tool offering support and continuous professional development (CPD) opportunities for teachers who may be less confident in delivering computing lessons. Our computing lessons are taught by our teaching staff with additional support from the designated Computing Lead. 

Computing in EYFS will be taught through discrete computing lessons and supported in the environment through the continuous provision. 

Lessons in KS1 and KS2 incorporate a range of teaching strategies from independent tasks, paired and group work as well as unplugged and digital activities. This variety means that the children are engaged in their learning and able to demonstrate their skills and knowledge in various ways. Every lesson is adapted to suit the needs of all learners ensuring that all children at Hatfeild are able to access the learning in a meaningful way. 

Impact

The impact of the Kapow Computing scheme is monitored constantly throughout the year using formative and summative assessment opportunities. Teachers are given guidance and support with each lesson that they teach to assess the children against the learning objectives effectively and with confidence. Each unit starts with a knowledge catcher activity that the class teacher will use to build new skills and knowledge upon and the unit ends with a unit quiz to demonstrate the skills and knowledge that have been gained over the unit. 

Children at Hatfeild leave school ready and equipped with a range of skills to enable them to succeed in their secondary education and be active participants in an ever-increasing digital world. By the time that the children leave Hatfeild, they will:

• Be critical thinkers and able to understand how to make informed and appropriate digital choices in the future. 

• Understand the importance that computing will have going forward in both their educational and working life and in their social and personal futures. 

• Understand how to balance time spent on technology and time spent away from it in a healthy and appropriate manner. 

• Understand that technology helps to showcase their ideas and creativity. They will know that different types of software and hardware can help them achieve a broad variety of artistic and practical aims. 

• Show a clear progression of technical skills across all areas of the National Curriculum.

• Be able to use technology both individually and as part of a collaborative team. 

• Be aware of online safety issues and protocols and be able to deal with any problems in a responsible and appropriate manner.

• Have an awareness of developments in technology and have an idea of how current technologies work and relate to one another. 

• Meet the end of the end of key stage expectations outlined in the National Curriculum for Computing. 

The computing lead measures the impact of the ICT curriculum through:

• teacher observations within lessons 

• pupil voice (discussions, interviewing pupils about their learning)

• photo evidence (images of students practical learning)

This information is triangulated and shared with the senior leadership team in order to set the priorities and action for the subject.

Pupils’ Voice

Purpose:  

“ICT helps us to stay safe online and we learn how to get onto different websites. ICT also teaches us how to code, which is interesting.” (Year 6)

“ICT teaches us how to use a computer and we learn to do different things like sending emails, researching and learn how to be safe online.” (Year 5)

 

Understanding: 

“In ICT  we have learnt how to send emails and we have been researching different animals. Sending emails is enjoyable because it is fun typing on the keyboard.” (Year 3)

“ICT teaches you how to be safe online” (Year 4)

 

Enjoyment: 

“I love drawing on the computer using the mouse.” (Year 1)

“It is really fun learning how to code in ICT.” (Year 6)

 

Perspective:

“I really like ICT but sometimes it can be a little tricky because not all computers are the same.” (Year 2)

 

Engagement:

“We would like to do ICT everyday, because it's fun drawing on it.” (Year 1)

“We do ICT once a week every monday and sometimes we use the chromebooks. I prefer the chromebooks because they are faster.” (Year 6)