Intent

At Arboretum Primary School, we are dedicated to providing our pupils with a comprehensive computing curriculum that equips them with the vital skills and knowledge necessary to excel in the digital era. We want to nurture digital literacy skills in our pupils, ensuring they can adeptly navigate and employ various digital tools and technologies to support their learning and future prospects. We strive to nurture computational thinking abilities, encouraging pupils to think logically, tackle problems, and deconstruct complex tasks into manageable steps, establishing a robust foundation for coding and programming. We aim to spark creativity and innovation by offering opportunities for pupils to generate digital content, explore digital art, and participate in projects that require innovative thinking. We seek to introduce students to coding and programming concepts, nurturing an early interest in computer science and technology through age-appropriate activities and resources. We firmly believe in integrating computing into other subjects, enabling pupils to witness the real-world applications of technology across various disciplines. We want to educate our pupils about responsible and safe internet use, providing them with the knowledge and skills to safeguard themselves online and make informed decisions in the digital world. We are committed to affording all students equal access to computing education, irrespective of their background or abilities.

Implementation

At Arboretum Primary School, pupils are taught the age-related objectives outlined in the computing section of the National Curriculum. The Computing curriculum is divided into three strands with equal coverage across the school year:

Computer Science – the understanding of coding and programming across a range of physical devices and digital resources.

Information Technology – the range of skills required to operate and manipulate specific programs, systems, and content.

Digital Literacy – the knowledge required to use technology safely and to evaluate and react to any potential risks of the online/digital world. 

As they progress through the school, children build on their prior learning within each strand, covering new or deeper knowledge and developing their technical skills. Specific vocabulary for each year group is outlined in the subject progression document and teachers regularly model this within their lessons.

Teachers make continual assessments during each unit of work and make formal assessments at the end of each unit. This is used, to inform an end of year assessment.

Although the Early Years no longer includes Computing in its new Framework, we recognise the many skills and opportunities early computing brings to our youngest pupils.

Impact

By the end of year 6, our pupils will be able to confidently use technology to accomplish a wide variety of goals, both at home and in school.

The Computing curriculum will contribute to children’s personal development in creativity, independence, judgement and self-reflection. They will be able to talk confidently about their work and share their work with others. Children will have a secure and comprehensive knowledge of the implications of technology and digital systems especially in terms of keeping themselves safe online. This is important in a society where technologies and trends are rapidly evolving.