Computing
Computing
Subject leader: Mr Goward
“To me programming is more than an important practical art. It is also a gigantic undertaking in the foundations of knowledge.” – Grace Hopper
Our Computing curriculum intent:
At Porthleven, we believe that Computing helps us to explore and understand technology and the constant changes to society that it brings. Our curriculum is designed to give children a mixture of practical and theoretical skills, with an emphasis on Online Safety and using the internet fully, but safely.
Children use Chromebooks within most other curriculum subjects to support their learning, or retrieval quizzes, for research or for using the Google suite of programmes to create media or writing. By regularly using Chromebooks, we can build fine-motor skills (trackpad, keyboard inputs) as well as develop researcher skills (practising how and what to search to get useful responses).
In addition to our Computing curriculum being informed and aligned to the National Curriculum, we have also sorted learning into five categories, as based on the Kapow structures: Computing Systems and Networks, Data Handling, Programming, Creating Media and Online Safety. Online Safety is dotted throughout the Computing curriculum with the first lesson of every Computing topic being an Online Safety lesson. This ensures that the importance of online safety is communicated to children regularly and allows for consistent check-ins with children and for any misconceptions or problems that the teacher should address.
The curriculum develops skillsets year on year, so that children’s depth in a particular skillset grows; for example, children begin by coding basic commands into a Beebot, which develops eventually to complex code strings in Year 6 on Python.
The Porthleven Way:
We refer to the culture of the Porthleven Way by linking its affirmations and principles to the teaching and learning in Computing.
Children will learn how to keep both themselves and others safe when using the internet and other technologies, fully but safely. There are a vast amount of resources and tools available to us as learners on the internet, but also many dangers and risks that we need to be responsible about. They will learn that they belong to various communities and the impact they have within these communities. We will also learn that the things we say and do on the internet have permanence and effect on others and ourselves.
Our children will leave Porthleven Primary with a wide range of practical and theoretical knowledge and skills related to technology, which can set them up for secondary school and beyond.
What will children experience through Computing at Porthleven?
Reception:
As children begin their Computing journeys at Porthleven, we prioritise practical skills and physically using hardware, such as trackpads, mice, touchscreens and programmable robots. Fostering curiosity and a practice/fail/try again mentality, especially when it comes to coding and the importance to the order of instructions, builds strong learning skills from Reception that will be iterated across pupils’ journeys at Porthleven.
KS1 and KS2:
Each lesson begins with a Knowledge Drop retrieval quiz, which allows children to reflect on previous learning and for the teachers to address any misconceptions they may have. Children are introduced next to a clearly defined ‘Knowledge Drop,’ and learning objective. Essential prior knowledge is also revisited to support understanding.
Where relevant, practical modelled examples (either created by the teacher or downloaded from Kapow) allow children to see ‘in action’ what they will be learning about or creating during that day’s learning. Experimentation is encouraged and stickability
Impact:
Our Computing curriculum is based on Kapow’s carefully designed and sequenced programme, with end of topic assessments that identity misconceptions for teachers to subsequently address. It is everyone’s responsibility to assess how well each aspect of the curriculum has been mastered and to provides opportunities to reinforce prior learning.
Assessment for learning- in class:
- Using consistent feedback and live marking strategies
(See Marking and Feedback Policy)
- Targeted questioning
- Pupil self-assessment and peer-assessment
- Knowledge Drop retrieval quizzes at start of lesson
Formative Assessment:
- There are end of topic assessments based mainly on using practical skills to create a ‘final project’ or piece that reflects the learning from that topic. Children may be assessed on how they create and format a document or asked to create code to perform a particular task.
- Learning in Computing is evidenced in our learning conversations (adult/child, child/child, etc).
- Learning in Computing is evidenced in targeted questioning and response.
