Subject Leader- Mrs C Sherman
The intention of our curriculum is to provide our students with a broad, balanced and knowledge rich education which ensures every child is offered challenging and engaging learning experiences with Christian values at their heart.
Our computing curriculum has been specially designed to meet the needs of our pupils, many of whom have had limited experiences in using technology for a wide range of purposes. We benefit from two well equipped computing labs as well as additional resources to complement our curriculum. our students will be confident when using technology for a wide range of purposes. They will recognise the breadth of its impact and influence within future careers and outside of our working lives.
Pupils will be controllers of technology and not just consumers of it: technology is everywhere and will play a pivotal part in students’ lives with its ever increasing prevalence in modern society. As such, we must model to, and educate our pupils on how to use technology positively, responsibly and safely. They will create and explore the breadth of Computer Science, Information Technology and Digital Literacy.
Our main aims are to:
- Live: Ensure pupils develop skills and personal qualities which allow them to make an active contribution to the world around them in order to be prepared for jobs for the future.
- Love: Broaden pupils’ horizons by giving them opportunities to explore the connected world and the impact a connected world has on them and others
- Learn: Develop independent, confident and successful learners who are able to solve problems with resilience and able to learn from their mistakes
The key concepts threaded through the computing curriculum are safe and respectful users; problem solving who apply the concepts of computational thinking; and, creators not consumers. The development of these concepts will ensure they are able to take advantage of the many opportunities offered by technology both within the discrete subject and elsewhere in their education and lives.
Our students will know that there is always a choice when using technology and staff ensure that they know how to make positive use of it and understand its consequences: demonstrating the responsibility and integrity we expect from our pupils in all areas. They will be expected to justify the choices they have made and recognise their impact. Edward Peake pupils will be able to use technology to enrich their lives: both working and private, with confidence and clarity.
Implementation:
Pupils are encouraged to broaden and deepen knowledge whilst showing a positive attitude to learning. We use the Teach Computing scheme which was designed by the National Centre for Computing Education supported by STEM learning, Raspberry Pi Foundation and the British Computer Society across all four years at Edward Peake. This allows us to ensure that our curriculum is progressive across the years that pupils are at the school.
Lessons follow the Edward Peake lesson structure and allows pupils to follow an engineering process: specification, design, build, test and evaluate. All Computing lessons take place in one of our computing labs, ensuring pupils have access to the most appropriate resources.
| Live: Ensure pupils develop skills and personal qualities which allow them to make an active contribution to the world around them in order to be prepared for jobs for the future. | Love: Broaden pupils’ horizons by giving them opportunities to explore the connected world and the impact a connected world has on them and others | Learn: Develop independent, confident and successful learners who are able to solve problems with resilience and able to learn from their mistakes | |
| In the classroom |
Quality first teaching. Challenging activities. Broad & balanced offering. Subject specialist teaching. Pupils follow an integrated 4 year curriculum based on the National Centre for Computing Education’s (NCCE’s) guidelines and resources which ensures they are secondary school ready by the time they leave us. Links made to employment opportunities and relevance to the skills and knowledge they have gained. |
The range of topics studied allows for the inclusion of discussions about employment opportunities, real world computer systems, news stories and cutting edge research thereby ensuring that students have high aspirations for their future, are prepared for the wider world and extend their cultural capital. Sequenced learning with prior learning revisited & built upon. Technology is used across the school & curriculum to broaden skills & understanding. |
Quality first teaching. A new, integrated curriculum has been introduced across years 5 to 8 which includes computing theory as well as project work for the first time. This will ensure that students receive a broad, balanced and challenging computing education. Subject specialist teaching is provided to all year 7 and 8 pupils and closely monitored across years 5 and 6. Pupils are shown both the negative & positive impacts of social media & to be made aware of their own digital footprints. |
| Out of the classroom |
Pupils are directed to selected websites to help with key computer skills & further learning opportunities. Close links with feeder lower schools and upper schools to encourage smooth transitions, supported by the syllabus we follow which is designed to run from year 1 through to year 11. Visiting speakers and trips arranged as appropriate. |
Extra-curricular clubs to enable pupils to further their knowledge in server set-up, programming and robotics. News stories and careers information displays to demonstrate the breadth of the subject and of potential careers. Visits from Bedfordshire Police School liaison office to advise on cyber bullying & how to stay safe online. |
All resources are available online via Google Classroom. Prior and personal knowledge and ideas welcomed e.g. from those whose parents work in the sector. Intervention strategies and support available from a specialist subject teacher in years 7 & 8 and from form teachers in years 5 & 6. Pupils made aware of key locations & their links to computing e.g. the science museum & Bletchley Park. |
Impact:
Pupils achieve academically, are ready for their next steps in education and have high aspirations for their future.
| Live: Ensure pupils develop skills and personal qualities which allow them to make an active contribution to the world around them in order to be prepared for jobs for the future. | Love: Broaden pupils’ horizons by giving them opportunities to explore the connected world and the impact a connected world has on them and others | Learn: Develop independent, confident and successful learners who are able to solve problems with resilience and able to learn from their mistakes |
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Pupils will be prepared to move from their current year group to the next one because the curriculum we follow covers all the units and lessons described in the N.C.C.E.’s innovative progression framework for years 5 to 8. KS3 pupils in particular are encouraged to use their problem solving skills to ensure they are upper school ready. |
Motivated pupils work beyond the syllabus by taking part in a variety of extracurricular activities covering server set-up, robotics and programming. KS3 pupils are encouraged to consider the range of job opportunities available in the technology sector as well as to keep abreast of current news stories and research developments. |
KS2 pupils attain broadly in line with national averages, given their starting points. Attainment is gaged at the start and end of each lesson as well as at the end of a unit.
Progress is tracked across the four years and is expected to be at least good. |
