Computing
''Technology, like art, is a soaring exercise of the human imagination.''
Daniel Bell
'I love school because we get to learn new things in Computing' - Demi
*Please note that we are currently in the process of reviewing and updating our curriculum progression documents - finalised versions will appear soon.*
Intent
At Princes Risborough Primary School, computing reflects the curriculum intent of the school, in that it is stimulating, engaging, fosters curiosity, and is knowledge rich and skills based.
We believe that computing is an essential skill required to prepare our learners for their future studies and also their future lives in an ever-changing modern world. We believe that computing should be an inspiring and engaging subject which promotes excellent digital literacy and helps children to use technology safely and responsibly. We want our children to be active users of technology, working with it creatively, rather than in the manner of a passive consumer, and also recognise what constitutes a healthy and appropriate relationship with it.
Computing at Princes Risborough Primary School provides opportunities to enhance learning in other subjects across the curriculum by using and developing skills such as internet research and information presentation. Computing is taught using a progression of skills framework from EYFS to Key Stage 2 and this allows learners to become more and more proficient in all of the key strands of the computing curriculum, to deepen their understanding and to improve their application of skills throughout their journey through the school and beyond.
Implementation
Computing is taught as a discrete subject in timetabled computing lessons. Transferable computing skills are also taught across the curriculum as part of lessons in other subjects. Examples of learning computing across the curriculum could be: handling data from science experiments, word processing written work in English, or studying online safety in PSHE.
Computing is taught either weekly or fortnightly in double lesson slots. Pupils are taught using the school’s bank of trolley-based laptops. There are also opportunities for non-laptop-based learning with lessons and activities which focus on online safety, computational thinking and design.
Outside of the discrete lessons, staff and year group teams are encouraged to take advantage of opportunities to bring computing learning and activities into other lessons across the curriculum in a way which motivates and engages learners, as well as deeply enriches learning opportunities and outcomes. One example of this is using computers to word process and neatly present a final top copy of a newspaper report written during an
English unit of work, and thus adding a sense of ownership and accomplishment to the learning to provide an even deeper and more meaningful outcome.
Impact
At Prince Risborough Primary School we strive for all children to engage with the curriculum to build a wealth of real life and first-hand knowledge as well as skills of growth mindset and mutual respect. As a whole school we work tirelessly to help children learn ‘skills of resilience and become reflective, creative, and critical thinkers.’ It is essential that all of these vital qualities are reflected in the learning of computing at Princes Risborough Primary School. The implementation of computing at Princes Risborough Primary School provides children with the skills they need to be ‘active’ not ‘passive’ masters of technology who can engage creatively in the subject in ways in which will further their progress within their primary school journey and beyond. The ways in which our pupils share and celebrate their computing work will show the impact of our curriculum, as well as the positive and proactive attitude amongst staff who regularly exchange new resources and ideas in such a manner that computing learning is always reacting to an ever changing world, and staying important and relevant to our learners.