‘A high quality computing education equips children to understand and change the world through computational thinking. It develops and requires logical thinking and precision. It combines creativity with rigour: children apply underlying principles to understand real-world systems, and to create purposeful and usable artefacts.’ 

Computing Curriculum, Programme of Study, 2019

Intent of our Computing Provision

Computing is an integral part of everyday life and will play an immeasurable part in our children’s futures. This means that we need to ensure that our children grow up acquiring the skills, knowledge and understanding to use various forms of ICT in order to prepare them for life ahead.

The inclusive computing curriculum at Whitehouse Community Primary School is designed to progressively develop children’s skills in computing. It is our intention to enable all children to find, explore, analyse, exchange and present information. We focus on developing the skills necessary for children to be able to use information in a perceptive and effective way. Computing skills are a major factor in enabling children to be confident, creative and independent learners and it is our intention that children have every opportunity to achieve this. We want children to know more, remember more and understand more in computing so that they leave primary school computer literate and with confidence and aspirations to continue learning in the fast-changing world of technology.

Implementation of our Computing Provision

Here at Whitehouse Community Primary School, we implement the computing curriculum through the use of Kapow Computing. This is a spiral curriculum that builds on children’s previous knowledge and understanding, year on year. This progressive approach facilitates learning across all key stages within the strands of computers and hardware, digital literacy, online safety, computational thinking, cross-curricular application and coding. Our staff use this as a starting point; amending and developing the units of work as necessary to support and extend children’s learning. Where possible units are linked to relevant enquiry themes. Teachers also follow year group specific targets for computing to ensure all skills and knowledge are covered. These are used to develop three step learning objectives and scaffolded tasks for every lesson so that all children can access the learning at their own level. Our teachers’ high expectations, enthusiasm and passion for computing inspires and motivates our children. Computing opportunities are a fundamental part of school life: the regular use of iPads, library computers, the school website and interactive boards ensure that children are fully-immersed in the use of technology.

Impact of our Computing Provision

Through teaching computing, we equip children to participate and thrive in this rapidly changing technological world. 

• Children have highly developed transferable knowledge, skills and understanding and are able to make connections between what they’re learning and the wider school community and world.
• Children are inspired by what they learn and develop the confidence to think for themselves and use their computing skills to complete necessary daily tasks and enrich their experiences.
• Children have the skills needed for the challenges of secondary education and some are inspired to choose to study computing further or pursue a related career.
• All children have the skills to use technology to support their learning though the use of iPADs, computers, cameras and interactive boards. Children access iPads independently and confidently to enrich and support their daily tasks in school for example reading quizzing, times-tables and MyOn.
• Children produce high quality examples of original, imaginative, creative and innovative computing work evidenced through presentations, saved documents and classroom displays.
• All members of the school community contribute to the school’s online presence and our school website and social media pages showcase the excellent work carried out by our children.
• Children feel confident to speak about their computing achievements and understand their next steps.
• Cross-curricular links in lessons build confidence, motivate children and support them in making connections and remembering and applying the skills they have been taught.
• Progress and attainment is tracked using termly assessments of year group computing targets, recorded on Classroom Monitor and analysed through regular pupil progress meetings.