At the James Cambell Primary School, we want our pupils to be masters of Computing and technology. We recognise that, whilst some of our pupils seem to naturally flourish in Computing, others need more support to reach their full potential. At our school, we aim to give every pupil an outstanding Computing education, opening up future study and employment routes and closing attainment gaps. One way we achieve this is by providing opportunities for our learners to use Computing effectively in their everyday lives.
At James Cambell, we follow the Teach Computing scheme of work. By doing so, we hope to raise the profile of Computing within our school and develop a lifelong passion for Computing. Our pupils will be taught Computing in a way that ensures progression of skills in digital literacy, computer science, information technology and online safety to ensure that all pupils become competent in safely using, as well as understanding, technology. We achieve this by following a sequence of lessons that build on previous learning; equipping them for an ever-changing digital world. Pupils work with a range of equipment including: iPads, chrome books, computers and Beebots, and have opportunities to use the skills acquired outside the timetabled lesson slot.
Within Teach Computing, units are revisited repeatedly to ensure the learning is embedded and skills are successfully developed. Each unit follows a sequence of lessons that build on previous learning and enhance the pupils’ computational and analytical thinking. Our pupils will gain experience and skills of a wide range of technology, through accessible applications, software and programs, in a way that will enhance their learning opportunities. Our intention is that Computing also supports pupils’ creativity, problem solving, analytical thinking and cross curricular learning to: engage pupils, ensure they make progress and enrich their experiences in school.
At James Cambell, we recognise that Computer science, the subject’s underlying subject discipline, is now an explicit part of the curriculum, alongside digital skills and competence, and our broad curriculum reflects this. We encourage staff to embed Computing across the whole curriculum to make learning creative and accessible to all pupils, and pride ourselves in providing opportunities for all pupils to apply their knowledge creatively; in turn helping our pupils to become skilful computer scientists. We also want our pupils to be fluent with a range of tools to best express their understanding, and hope by Upper Key Stage 2, pupils have the independence and confidence to choose the best tool to fulfil the task and challenge set by teachers.
We also firmly believe the importance of delivering a high-quality Online Safety curriculum, alongside the core values of the three stands. Online safety is embedded throughout the Computing curriculum and supports and consolidates the strong presence of Online safety within our PSHE curriculum. As technology develops, so does the need for a better understanding of how to use it in a responsible manner. We encourage all staff to model and educate our pupils on how to use technology positively, responsibly and safely. The education of Online safety is therefore essential, to ensure pupils are equipped with the skills to recognise risks online, to be critically aware of the materials and content they access online, along with guidance on how to accurately validate information accessed via the internet. As part of our Online Safety provision, the whole-school take part in a ‘Safer Internet’ day in February to reinforce the importance of using technology responsibly.