Intent
At Our Lady of Grace, we understand the important role that technology plays in enhancing and improving work quality, efficiency and lifestyle. We intend to provide an exciting, rich, relevant and challenging Computing curriculum for all pupils that will help them to understand and participate in the technological world around them. We have chosen the Purple Mash Computing Scheme of Work from Year 1 to Year 6 and we are confident that this fully covers the National Curriculum for Computing and ensures progression in skills and knowledge across the school. This is supplemented with additional resources whenever appropriate. We also recognise the valuable role that computing plays across the curriculum and we therefore regularly seek to make links with other subjects when possible. Throughout, we aim to ensure that our children understand how to use all technology safely and responsibly, especially when using online communication technologies, by teaching a relevant, up-to-date online safety curriculum which is progressive from Early Years to the end of Year 6.
Implementation
Our Computing curriculum is delivered through the Purple Mash Scheme of Work, which more than adequately meets the national vision for Computing and provides teachers with flexibility and strong cross-curricular links. Furthermore, it gives excellent supporting material for less confident teachers.
The scheme ensures that the three main areas are taught and revisited throughout primary school:
We are fortunate to have our own computing suite that is timetabled to provide our pupils with weekly sessions using desktop computers/laptops. Lessons are also taught within the classroom using interactive Promethean screens.
We strive to keep our children safe online and provide them with the tools to do so, encouraging them to be aware of dangers and to be respectful online. Online Safety is regularly revisited over the course of the year using 2BeSafe - Being Safe in a Digital World. We also participate in ‘Internet Safety Week’, during which each class is provided with age appropriate texts and tasks. Digital wellbeing is also covered in our PSHE curriculum. In addition, we participate in activities during Internet Safety Day in February of each year to highlight emerging and current issues online. We also support parents and carers in this area.
To ensure the children’s safety during lessons, we use SurfProtect software which filters out potentially harmful content whilst allowing the children to access age appropriate content. This fulfils the DfE’s statutory requirements for schools and colleges.
Cross-curricular opportunities are identified in order to ascertain links between termly topics and to ensure that Computing is not just seen as a standalone subject. Staff are encouraged to share any gaps in their knowledge and skill sets to inform appropriate and individualised training/CPD.
Impact
The impact of the computing curriculum offered at Our Lady of Grace is assessed continuously against the age-related expectations in computing for each year group. In doing so, we are ensuring that the necessary support is provided for all children to have a good understanding of the primary computing curriculum whilst allowing us to effectively differentiate tasks for students.
Other methods of judging the impact of the computing curriculum offered are through the following methods:
In order to make sure this happens, we monitor the impact of computing in the following ways:
Teachers consistently evaluate their pupils’ knowledge and skills in computing lessons, allowing them to spend longer on certain areas of the curriculum if necessary, or build this in through cross-curricular teaching in other subjects.
Work completed on Purple Mash is saved for teachers and leaders to check.
Progress is monitored and this is recorded on Sonar at the end of each term.