Computing
Our aim at Plaistow Primary is to instil the same fascination, joy and creativity for Computing which led to some of the greatest leaps in technology. We want our children to be exposed to the possibilities of technology, not limited just to their present outcomes, but what they can potentially achieve in the future.
At Plaistow Primary, we have dedicated lessons to the teaching of Computing across the school, with our Early Years teams embedding it into their Learning and Development areas. In general, Computing has deep links with PSHE, maths, science and design and technology. For example, its strong links to PSHE from the aspect of online safety, enables our pupils to experience areas of Computing from a holistic approach. This can also be seen in maths as the children are encouraged to look at processing, recording and evaluating data with a specific outcome using digital platforms.
We use a range of platforms to deliver our Computing curriculum. Our platforms allow our staff to deliver high quality lessons in which the progression of skills between the year groups and key stages are clear, and adaptable to year group needs and abilities. Computing is broken into three broad subject areas: Computer Science, Digital Literacy and Information Technology. The national curriculum covers these areas for each key stage as the following.
Key Stage One
Children are taught to:
- understand what algorithms are, how they are implemented as programs on digital devices, and that programs execute by following precise and unambiguous instructions
- create and debug simple programs
- use logical reasoning to predict the behaviour of simple programs
- use technology purposefully to create, organise, store, manipulate and retrieve digital content
- recognise common uses of information technology beyond school
- 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
Key Stage Two
Children are taught to:
- design, write and debug programs that accomplish specific goals, including controlling or simulating physical systems; solve problems by decomposing them into smaller parts
- use sequence, selection, and repetition in programs; work with variables and various forms of input and output
- use logical reasoning to explain how some simple algorithms work and to detect and correct errors in algorithms and programs
- understand computer networks, including the internet; how they can provide multiple services, such as the World Wide Web, and the opportunities they offer for communication and collaboration
- use search technologies effectively, appreciate how results are selected and ranked, and be discerning in evaluating digital content
- select, use and combine a variety of software (including internet services) on a range of digital devices to design and create a range of programs, systems and content that accomplish given goals, including collecting, analysing, evaluating and presenting data and information
- use technology safely, respectfully and responsibly; recognise acceptable/unacceptable behaviour; identify a range of ways to report concerns about content and contact
With the support of external agencies, we have strived to ensure that our children have the best understanding of what it means to be part of not just the Plaistow online community, but the online community as a whole. We have delivered and participated in the annual e-safety week celebration, which has supplemented our e-safety curriculum.
