Queens’ Federation: Computing Subject Statement

Intent

At the Queens’ Federation we aim to foster ‘Learning for Life.’

We will provide a rich, relevant and inspirational curriculum that promotes a lifelong love of learning and equips our pupils with the key knowledge and understanding, skills and personal qualities that they will need to thrive in a rapidly changing world. Our curriculum is designed to be relevant to our children and is linked to the context of our school and the local community.

At the Queens’ Federation, we recognise that technology is an integral part of everyday life. We aim to prepare our pupils for a future in an environment that is shaped by technology and for them to develop the knowledge, skills and understanding that they will need to thrive in the digital world of today and in the future. We aim to develop confident, independent learners who are able to plan, design, create, program and evaluate information through the use of ICT.

Online safety is an integral part of both our Computing and PSHCE curriculum. Whilst ensuring pupils understand the advantages and disadvantages associated with online experiences, we want our pupils to become respectful, responsible and confident users of technology, aware of measures that can be taken to keep themselves and others safe online.

Implementation

At the Queens’ Federation, computing is taught through the use of the online computing program, Purple Mash. This program ensures that pupils are able to develop depth in their knowledge and skills over the duration of each computing topics. The Purple Mash scheme of work ensures a balanced coverage of the three strands of the computing curriculum – Computer Science (programming and understanding how digital systems work), Information Technology (using computer systems to store, retrieve and send information) and Digital Literacy (evaluating digital content and using technology safely and respectfully).

Each school within the Federation has a computing suite and sets of class IPads, ensuring that pupils use computers for a range of purposes across the wider curriculum, as well as in discrete lessons. Visualisers and interactive whiteboards are available in each classroom.

Alongside the development of basic computing skills, we ensure that teaching is enhanced by the use of technology in all aspects of the curriculum, enabling pupils to see the benefits of becoming computer literate for the future. Our curriculum is further enriched by visiting experts and through the use of additional curriculum days such as Online Safety Day.

We view assessment as a holistic process, which takes place in every lesson through observation of, in questioning and in conversation with pupils and in the production of written outcomes. Computing assessment criteria set out the key knowledge and skills that a pupil should achieve at the end of each unit of work.

Impact

Our Computing curriculum ensures that pupils become digitally literate; they are able to express themselves and develop their ideas through information and communication technology as active participants in a digital world. Pupil outcomes evidence a broad and balanced computing curriculum and at the end of each year, pupils achieve age related expectations and retain the knowledge and skills learnt from each unit of work.

Yearly Overview

Foundation Stage

 In the Foundation Stage, Computing is woven through the different areas of the curriculum, with children able to access Purple Mash, particularly Mini Mash. Children have weekly use of the iPads and regularly use the activities on the interactive whiteboard to help them deepen their understanding of different subjects and develop their understanding of Computing and its tools. Children also have the opportunity to discuss every day household objects from the past, including those devices that need electricity to work.

Years 1 – 6

The table below shows when each Computing unit on Purple Mash is taught at Queen Edith.

Information for Parents

Online safety is taken very seriously by all staff and children at Queen Edith. Please see our Online Safety Policy on our Policies page.

On Tuesday 7^th February, we joined schools and youth organisations across the UK in celebrating Safer Internet Day 2023. Safer Internet Day is a global campaign to promote the safe and responsible use of technology, which calls on young people, parents, carers, teachers, social workers, law enforcement, companies, policymakers and more, to join together in helping to create a better internet. This year, celebrations and learning based around the theme: ‘Want to talk about it? Making space for conversations about life online’.

Using the internet safely and positively is a key message that we promote in school, and celebrating Safer Internet Day was a great opportunity for us to    re-emphasise the online safety messages we deliver throughout the year. Some of the activities we participated in on the day included:

• Joining an assembly where we thought about how to show respect in a gaming environment.
• Participating in quizzes about online safety on Purple Mash.
• Exploring the ingredients for a kinder internet spell.
• Using 2Connect on Purple Mash to record ideas about what respectful relationships online should be.

More information about Safer Internet Day can be found here: https://saferinternet.org.uk/safer-internet-day/safer-internet-day-2023

This year, we also invited the ‘2 Johns’ (John Woodley and John Staines) into school on Wednesday 8th February. Both Johns are qualified police trainers and have a wealth of experience dealing with online safety issues. They ran age appropriate workshops for children in Year 1 to Year 6, led a staff meeting for our teachers and supported parents in developing their knowledge about online safety with a virtual workshop.

 

Below are a range of useful resources for parents and carers to use when keeping children safe online:

NSPCC                                                                                                                                                            

A Parents’ Guide to being Share Aware. Helping you to keep your child safe online.

http://www.nspcc.org.uk/globalassets/documents/advice-and-info/share-aware.pdf

Switched on Families                                                                                                                  

Run by Virgin Media, this website is full of useful advice and tools to help give parents clear advice on getting the best out of the internet for their children.

http://keepup.virginmedia.com/switchedonfamilies

Childnet

Whether you’re puzzled by parental controls or would like to know more about gaming, this website can help.

http://www.childnet.com/parents-and-carers

Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Staying Safe Online

Information on what you can do to stay safe online during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/covid-19-staying-safe-online

Reviews and information about games, apps, TV shows and websites
www.commonsense.org

Examples Of Learning

Nursery

Children in nursery have experienced using our interactive whiteboard to make marks and also enjoyed using programmes on the Ipad to research their interests and take their own pictures of seasonal changes in and around nursery.

Year 6 - Coding with Microbits

May

Year 6 have enjoyed a number of sessions with volunteers from ARM, a Cambridge based technology company. We have learned what a cpu is, all about binary numbers and  started some programmatic thinking using flow charts and algorithms. We’ve had physical computing using micro:bit to improve our practical programming skills and coding fundamentals through project-based learning. It’s been an excellent partnership so far!