Computing       

Our Vision and Why Computing is Important - Our Curriculum Intent

Computing is an integral part of our everyday life and will play an immeasurable part in our children’s futures. At Paddocks, we provide all of our children with the skills, creativity and enthusiasm to live and thrive in a world increasingly dependent on Computing. Our children become digitally literate and are increasingly 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 also safely. We want to ensure our children understand the consequences of using the internet and are 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.

What does Computing look like at Paddocks? - Our Curriculum Implementation

Our Computing curriculum has been specifically designed to not only provide children with the advanced computational skills that they require, but also to address the basic skills of digital literacy that they will need throughout their futures.   We believe that Computing is a significant part of daily life and children should be able to access and utilise the latest technology and software. We provide a wealth of learning opportunities and transferrable skills, explicitly within Computing lessons and also across other curriculum subjects. As a school, we offer a broad and balanced curriculum that prepares pupils to ‘use computational thinking and creativity to understand and change the world’.  At Paddocks we approach our computer lessons using The Teach Computing curriculum alongside some standalone D.A.R.E.S projects.  These allow children to design, apply, review, edit and then share their work.  The curriculum uses lots of different apps and software on both iPads and Chromebooks. In addition, children are also taught about the principles of staying safe online, through a proactive not reactive approach. Children are taught about and exposed to situations that they may otherwise feel unprepared to deal with, so that they can safely and confidently access online content.

What do our pupils think? - Our Curriculum Impact

“I enjoyed making characters move and talk using Scratch.”

“Making interviews with characters from our book was great fun.”

“I love seeing what other people have completed when we share our work using QR codes.”

“I really loved making games and playing them with my friends.”

“Making posters using Pic Collage was great.”

Progression