At Barnett Wood Infant School, we understand the immense value that technology plays not only in supporting the Computing and whole school curriculum but overall in the day-to-day life of our school. Our aims are to fulfil the requirements of the National Curriculum for Computing whilst also providing enhanced collaborative learning opportunities, engagement in rich content and supporting pupil’s conceptual understanding of new concepts which support the needs of all our pupils.

 “A high-quality computing education equips pupils to use computational thinking and creativity to understand and change the world…core of computing is computer science, in which pupils are taught the principles of information and computation, how digital systems work, and how to put this knowledge to use through programming. Building on this knowledge and understanding, pupils are equipped to use information technology to create programs, systems and a range of content.” National Curriculum

 Our Computing curriculum aims to develop every child and is designed around the four key areas, as outlined in the National Curriculum. These are computer science, information technology, digital literacy and online safety. We have ensured that a balance of the four strands is covered in each year group so that key knowledge and vocabulary is repeated regularly to embed this knowledge into the long-term memory.

The combination of these areas equips our children with the ability to safely and confidently use a computer. Thorough our computing curriculum, we aim to:

• Provide an exciting, rich, relevant and challenging Computing curriculum for all pupils.
• Teach pupils to become responsible, respectful and competent users of data, information and communication technology.
• Provide technology solutions for forging better home and school links.
• Enthuse and equip children with the capability to use technology throughout their lives.
• Teach pupils to understand the importance of governance and legislation regarding how information is used, stored, created, retrieved, shared and manipulated.
• Utilise computational thinking beyond the Computing curriculum.
• Give children access to a variety of high-quality hardware, software and unplugged resources. Equip pupils with skills, strategies and knowledge that will enable them to reap the benefits of the online world, whilst being able to minimise risk to themselves or others.
• Use technology imaginatively and creatively to inspire and engage all pupils, as well as using it to be more efficient in the tasks associated with running an effective school.
• Exceed the minimum government recommended/statutory guidance for programmes of study for Computing and other related legislative guidance (online safety).

We utilise social media with our community Facebook/Instagram/Twitter pages where we are able to celebrate children’s successes and keep our local community involved and informed about school life. This demonstrates how social media can be used positively. We encourage our children to become responsible digital citizens and emphasise the importance of online safety. Children are aware of how to keep themselves safe and how to report concerns about inappropriate content or cyber-bullying incidents.

Computing is a subject that not only stands alone but is woven into the curriculum more widely, so it is an integral part of learning.  Computing, in general, is a significant part of daily life and children at Barnett Wood are exposed to the wide and varied computing technology. Computing within school can provide a wealth of learning opportunities and transferrable skills explicitly within the Computing lesson and across other curriculum subjects.

As a school, we have chosen the Purple Mash Computing Scheme of Work from Reception to Year 6. The scheme of work supports our teachers in delivering fun and engaging lessons which help to raise standards and allow all pupils to achieve to their full potential. We are confident that the scheme of work more than adequately meets the national vision for Computing. It provides immense flexibility, strong cross-curricular links and it gives excellent supporting material for less confident teachers.

Early Years

We aim to provide our pupils with a broad, play-based experience of Computing in a range of contexts. We believe the following:

• Early Years learning environments should feature ICT scenarios based on experience in the real world, such as in roleplay.
• Pupils gain confidence, control and language skills through opportunities to ‘paint’ on the interactive board/devices or control remotely operated toys, eg Kit.
• Outdoor exploration is an important aspect, supported by ICT toys such as metal detectors, controllable traffic lights and walkie-talkie sets.
• Recording devices can support children to develop their communication skills. This is especially useful for children who have English as an additional language.
• Children use Learnpads to record their work, for example by taking photos of models or construction  builds.

Mini Mash is used in EYFS as a supplementary learning tool to meet the areas of learning in EYFS.  By the end of EYFS, children will know how to log on, navigate and save work in Mini Mash.  This will prepare them for Year 1 when they will use Purple Mash to follow the Computing curriculum.

Key Stage 1

Our implementation of the computing curriculum is in line with 2014 Primary National Curriculum requirements for KS1 Curriculum in England. This provides a broad framework and outlines the knowledge and skills taught in each key stage.

We use and follow the Purple Mash scheme of work in Year 1 and 2, ensuring consistency and progression throughout the school. The scheme of work enables clear coverage of the computing curriculum whilst also

providing support and CPD for less confident teachers to deliver lessons. The Purple Mash Lessons are broken down into weekly units, usually with two units taught per half-term. Units are practical and engaging and allow computing lessons to be hands on. Units cover a broad range of computing components such as coding, spreadsheets, internet and email, databases, animation and online safety.

In Key Stage 1 our children learn to understand what algorithms are; how they are implemented as programs on digital devices and that programs execute by following precise instructions. They will be taught to create and debug simple programs and use logical reasoning to predict the behaviour of simple programs, specifically using physical systems as well as apps. They will be shown how to use a range of technology purposefully to create, organise, manipulate and retrieve digital content as well as recognise common uses of information technology beyond school. They will be taught to use technology safely and respectfully, keeping personal information private; identify where to go for help and support when they have concerns about content or contact on the internet or other online technologies.

When teaching computing, teachers can follow the children’s interests to ensure their learning is engaging, broad and balanced. Teachers ensure that computing capability is also achieved through core and foundation subjects and where appropriate and necessary computing incorporated into work for all subjects where possible.

Computing teaching is practical and engaging and a variety of teaching approaches and activities are provided based on teacher judgement and pupil ability. Teachers and pupils are aware of the importance of health and safety and pupils are always supervised when using technology and accessing the internet.

Our pupils are fully encouraged to engage with ICT and technology outside of school. Each teacher and pupil at Barnett Wood has their own unique Purple Mash login and password. Computing work can be stored and saved using pupil log in details and homework or ‘2do’s’ can also be set for pupils to access and complete tasks at home that link with their current class learning. At Barnett Wood we also use Tapestry for Reception to record observations of children’s use of technology. We provide a variety of opportunities for computing learning both inside and outside the classroom.

Computing and safeguarding go hand in hand, and we provide a huge focus on internet safety inside and outside of the classroom. Additional to all pupils studying an online safety unit through their computing lessons, every year we also take part in National Safer Internet Day in February. The Computing subject leader, alongside class teachers, will plan additional internet safety lessons and activities. Online safety is also taught through our PSHE scheme Jigsaw.

Our curriculum aims to expand the children’s knowledge and their understanding of the role technology has in school and around the world. Children will develop a respect for technology and its uses, know how to use technology safely, develop their problem-solving skills through enquiry and hopefully develop a love of computing. Our curriculum has been structured to demonstrate a progression of knowledge and skills and ensures that children can build on their understanding, as each new concept and skill is taught with opportunities for children to revisit skills and knowledge as they progress through the school.

Children become digitally literate and are ready to confidently use technology at home and at school. We believe it is a skill that empowers, and one that all pupils should be aware of and develop competence in. Pupils who can think computationally are better able to create, understand and use computer-based technology, and so are better prepared for today’s world and future.

Evidence of progression in computing is collected in the children’s files within the Purple Mash system. Teachers complete on the spot assessment, assessing through observation of work on tasks and contributions to class and peer discussions. Progress is tracked and monitored using the Purple Mash tracking tool. We believe that when assessing computing it is important to look for evidence of knowledge of understanding as well as technical skills, focusing more on the process than the end product. Children self-assess using their ‘Purple Mash Computing Booklets’ and use these to refer back to previous learning to help knowledge stick.

We aim to have a significant number of children judged to be at least expected against Age Related Expectations (ARE).

We measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:

• Learning Walks
• Pupil Voice - Asking pupils to talk about what they have

         learnt provides important evidence of learning.

• Work Scrutiny

Feedback on whole school areas of development in regard to Computing are fed back through Insets/staff training sessions.