Computing
Subject Leader:
Intent for the Computing Curriculum
At Warren Mead, we want to provide a high-quality, comprehensive computing education that enables children from Early Years to Year 6 to gain key knowledge and develop their skills across the three main areas of the Computing Curriculum through a range of software: Computer Science (programming and understanding how digital systems work), Information Technology (using computer systems to store, retrieve and send information) and Digital Literacy (evaluating digital content and using technology safely and respectfully). The objectives within each strand support the development of learning across the key stages, ensuring a solid grounding for future learning and beyond since we are in a continually developing technological world, therefore computers are an integral part in today’s world both at home and work. We want the use of technology to support learning across the entire curriculum and to ensure our curriculum is accessible to all.
Beginning in EYFS, we aim to understand and follow children’s interests in technology and provide opportunities throughout our EYFS curriculum, both in the indoor and outdoor environment, to support learning, consolidate and deepen knowledge and skills while ensuring children meet their next steps. In addition, we want to prepare children to reach the Early Learning Goals at the end of the Foundation Stage and ensure children make good progress from their starting points while supporting their transition into KS1.
‘Computational thinking’ is an essential skill they need to be taught to fully participate in the digital world enabling our children to become logical and strategic thinkers and problem solvers. With this equipped knowledge, we hope that thinking and creativity can help our children understand and change the world while also providing them with the life skills that enable them to embrace and utilise new technology in a responsible and safe way. All children should be taught basic computer skills such as word processing, managing computer files and creating presentations. Through the build-up of these core skills, children can then be exposed to advanced computing skills including coding and programming. We want our children here to become independent users of computing technologies, gaining confidence and enjoyment from their activities. We don’t want children to just use computers and software, we want them to be digitally literate as well as be creative, explorative, resilient, inventive and flexible with computers and software.
Implementation of the Computing Curriculum
At WM, each Year group has timetabled access for a whole week each half term. The school has invested in Purple Mash, a computing scheme across KS1 and KS2 (including Mini-Mash for EYFS) ensuring that knowledge and skill progression are monitored effectively. The implementation of this curriculum also ensures a balanced coverage of computer science, information technology and digital literacy. The children will have experiences of all three strands in each year group, but the subject knowledge communicated, and skills acquired become increasingly specific and in depth as the children progress through the school, with more complex skills being taught, thus ensuring that learning is continually being built upon. In addition, Purple Mash provides step-by-step lesson plans for teachers to adapt as necessary and use as a starting point where the software offers differentiated content and resources for all KS1 and KS2. Through using this new scheme, the children can create an online profile that is accessible from both home and school in addition to giving children and teachers somewhere to save their work. Because of this, teachers are able to set pupils home-learning and this could allow an opportunity for children to follow their personal interests in more depth while using the skills and knowledge they have acquired from lessons.
We have 60 laptops available across WM which will be key to the teaching of this subject. Once laptops are more readily available, children will be able to apply and demonstrate the skills they have learnt during their blocked Computing lessons to the wider curriculum such as English, Maths and Topic. Purple Mash offers a wide range of tools for all these subjects making cross-curricular links easy as well as helping motivate the children including remembering the steps they have been taught.
Impact of the Computing Curriculum
After the implementation of our new Purple Mash Computing Curriculum, children at WM will be digitally literate and able to join the rest of the world on its digital platform. They will be equipped, not only with the skills and knowledge to use technology effectively and for their own benefit, but more importantly – safely. The biggest impact we want on our children is that they understand the consequences of using the Internet and that they are also aware of how to keep themselves safe online. As children become more confident in their abilities in Computing, they will become more independent and key life skills such as problem-solving, logical thinking and self-evaluation become second nature.
Curriculum Content Overview
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Autumn 1 |
Autumn 2 |
Spring 1 |
Spring 2 |
Summer 1 |
Summer 2 |
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Year 1 |
Online Safety use technology safely and respectfully
Exploring Purple Mash |
Grouping & Sorting use technology purposefully to create, organise, store, manipulate and retrieve digital content
Pictograms understand what algorithms are, how they are implemented as programs on digital devices |
Lego Builders understand what algorithms are, how they are implemented as programs on digital devices
Maze Explorers understand what algorithms are, how they are implemented as programs on digital devices |
Animated Story Books use technology purposefully to create, organise, store, manipulate and retrieve digital content |
Coding understand what algorithms are, how they are implemented as programs on digital devices
create and debug simple programs |
Spreadsheets recognise common uses of information technology beyond school |
Year 2 |
Coding understand what algorithms are, how they are implemented as programs on digital devices
create and debug simple programs |
Online Safety use technology safely and respectfully |
Spreadsheets recognise common uses of information technology beyond school |
Questioning understand what algorithms are, how they are implemented as programs on digital devices |
Effective Searching use technology safely and respectfully
Creating Pictures use technology purposefully to create, organise, store, manipulate and retrieve digital content |
Making Music recognise common uses of information technology beyond school
Presenting ideas use technology purposefully to create, organise, store, manipulate and retrieve digital content |
Progression of Skills Document
Key Stage 1 |
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Computer Science |
Information Technology |
Digital Literacy |
Year 1 |
National Curriculum:
Outcomes:
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National Curriculum:
Outcome: Children are able to sort, collate, edit and store simple digital content e.g. children can name, save and retrieve their work and follow simple instructions to access online resources, use Purple Mash 2Quiz example (sorting shapes), 2Code design mode (manipulating backgrounds) or using pictogram software such as 2Count. |
National Curriculum:
Outcomes:
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Year 2 |
National Curriculum:
Outcomes:
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National Curriculum:
Outcome: Children demonstrate an ability to organise data using, for example, a database such as 2Investigate and can retrieve specific data for conducting simple searches. Children are able to edit more complex digital data such as music compositions within 2Sequence. Children are confident when creating, naming, saving and retrieving content. Children use a range of media in their digital content including photos, text and sound.
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National Curriculum:
Outcomes:
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Key Stage 2 |
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Computer Science |
Information Technology |
Digital Literacy |
Year 3 |
National Curriculum:
Outcomes:
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National Curriculum:
Outcomes:
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National Curriculum:
Outcome: Children demonstrate the importance of having a secure password and not sharing this with anyone else. Furthermore, children can explain the negative implications of failure to keep passwords safe and secure. They understand the importance of staying safe and the importance of their conduct when using familiar communication tools such as 2Email in Purple Mash. They know more than one way to report unacceptable content and contact. |
Year 4 |
National Curriculum:
Outcomes:
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National Curriculum:
Outcomes:
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National Curriculum:
Outcome: Children can explore key concepts relating to online safety using concept mapping such as 2Connect. They can help others to understand the importance of online safety. Children know a range of ways of reporting inappropriate content and contact. |
Year 5 |
National Curriculum:
Outcomes:
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National Curriculum:
Outcomes:
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National Curriculum:
Outcome: Children have a secure knowledge of common online safety rules and can apply this by demonstrating the safe and respectful use of a few different technologies and online services. Children implicitly relate appropriate online behaviour to their right to personal privacy and mental wellbeing of themselves and others.
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Year 6 |
National Curriculum:
Outcomes:
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National Curriculum:
Outcomes:
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National Curriculum:
Outcome: Children demonstrate the safe and respectful use of a range of different technologies and online services. They identify more discreet inappropriate behaviours through developing critical thinking, e.g. 2Respond activities. They recognise the value in preserving their privacy when online for their own and other people’s safety.
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