COMPUTING

INTENT - OUR VISION FOR COMPUTING

At Porter Croft our aim is to nurture and build the skills required for children to successfully navigate themselves through a constantly advancing digital era. This includes developing digital literacy and prospering online-safe, online-inspired and online-confident children.

Our school’s vision for computing was inspired and incorporates the Sheffield Primary Computing Scheme of Work and Progression Framework. To support the teaching and progression of the Sheffield Framework, we use Purple Mash learning platform to drive the curriculum.

Our school is currently in the process of fully integrating a 3-year Computing plan designed in conjunction with Sheffield City Councils Primary Computing e-learning services. This plan is designed to allow teachers to start at the appropriate year according to skills and prior knowledge of pupils. The Sheffield Primary Computing Progression Framework is separated into five strands:

Strand 1
  • Key Skills

    • Strand 2
  • Communicating: Text and images

    • Strand 3:
  • Understanding & Sharing data

    • Strand 4 & 5:
  • Programming & Algorithms

    • The aim of this 3-year plan is to ensure children are accessing the curriculum at a level which is appropriate for their level ability. This will allow teachers to enhance differentiation and upskills computing competence of the children in school.

    Internet Safety

    The purpose of Porter Croft C of E Primary Academy online safety policy is to:

  • Safeguard and protect all members of the Porter Croft C of E Primary Academy community online.
  • Identify approaches to educate and raise awareness of online safety throughout the community.
  • Enable all staff to work safely and responsibly, to role model positive behaviour online and to manage professional standards and practice when using technology.
  • Identify clear procedures to use when responding to online safety concerns.


    • Porter Croft C of E Primary Academy identifies that the issues classified within online safety are considerable, but can be broadly categorised into three areas of risk:

  • Content: being exposed to illegal, inappropriate or harmful material
  • Contact: being subjected to harmful online interaction with other users
  • Conduct: personal online behaviour that increases the likelihood of, or causes, harm.

    • WHY COMPUTING IS IMPORTANT?

    At Porter Croft, we believe that computing is an integral part of a child’s primary education. Computers and information technology are a fundamental part of everyday life. Therefore, computing capability is an essential skill children require to enable them to successfully participate, achieve and thrive more readily in a rapidly developing digital world.

    Porter Croft’s philosophy is that a high-quality computing education equips pupils to use computational thinking and creativity to understand and change the world.

    Computing plays a vital role within an enriched curriculum as it has deep links with mathematics, science, and design and technology, and provides insights into both natural and artificial systems.

    The 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.

    This is essential as building on this knowledge and understanding, pupils are equipped to use information technology to create programs, systems and a range of content. Computing also ensures that pupils become digitally literate – able to use, and express themselves and develop their ideas through information and communication technology – at a level suitable for the future workplace and as active participants in a digital world.

    IMPLEMENTATION –COMPUTING PLANNING & SEQUENCING OF KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS

    We implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school. Starting with the Foundation Stage who use the guidance from the ‘Development Matters’, to give children the beginnings of understanding of the world in which we live. This is followed by Key Stage One exploring and investigating the local area and the United Kingdom and contrasting it with non- European countries. Building on from these skills the children start to learn about the wider area and the different physical processes that effect the Earth. By the end of Year Six we have confident and well-rounded geographers who can use the skills they have learnt to read maps, investigate different countries and physical processes. Children who can present arguments and conclusions found in human geography, and who are aware and have opinions on in the moment, real life issues e.g. climate change.

    At Porter Croft Geography is taught as part of a topic, focusing on knowledge and skills stated in the National Curriculum. Work is differentiated to ensure all learners are supported in line with the school’s commitment to inclusion. Outcomes are regularly reviewed through knowledge harvest to ensure that the reflect a sound understanding of the key identified knowledge and skills.

    To learn more about the scheme of work we use for each year group please click on the links below.

    Year 1

    Year 2

    Year 3

    Year 4

    Year 5

    Year 6

    Purple Mash Scheme of work:
    To find out how Computing is planned & sequenced in order that our children can progress through the building blocks for learning, please click below

    Computing overview

    Computing progression of skill

    Computing Knowledge

    Computing Policy

    Online Safety Overview

    Action Plan

    NATIONAL CURRICULUM PURPOSE OF STUDY

    To find out more information about the National Curriculum for this subject & others, please click.

    The aims for the National Curriculum for Computing is to ensure that all pupils:

  • Are equipped with the use of computational thinking and creativity to understand and change the world.
  • Are taught the principles of information and computation, how digital systems work, and how to put this knowledge to use through programming.
  • Are able to build on this knowledge and understanding, pupils are equipped to use information technology to create programs, systems and a range of content.
  • Become digital literate – able to use and express themselves and develop their ideas through, information and communication technology at a level suitable for the future workplace and as active participants in a digital word.

    • IMPACT OF OUR COMPUTING CURRICULUM

    Impact

    At Porter Croft, all children are expected to achieve in Computing. Progress in Computing is based on the pupils understanding key computational concepts and their readiness to progress to more complex concepts and tasks. Pupils who demonstrate a greater understanding are encouraged to develop their skills further through a variety of challenges, opportunities and are regularly given formative feedback to improve their understanding.

    Children are expected to talk about key computing concepts (for example, explaining to their partner how to use the concept of repetition to make a programme more accurate) and reflect upon what they have learnt. In order to embed and foster pupils’ knowledge and encourage reflection teachers utilities the teaching approach PRIMM.
    The children have opportunities to use a wide range of resources to support their learning such as: Laptops, IPads, Desktops, Beebots, Purple Mash, Unplugged activities and a variety of other online resources.

    Our 3-year plan is designed to allow flexibility within the curriculum and ensure children are accessing the curriculum at a level which is appropriate for their level ability. This will allow teachers to enhance differentiation and upskills computing competence of the children in school.

    Evidence from book scrutiny, book looks, lesson observations, pupil talk, staff meetings and regular CPD. Children save their work onto the school network or in a specific folder on the learning platform Purple Mash. In addition to this each class has a ‘Whole Class’ computing book containing a selection of pupils’ work and evidence of content covered.

    ONLINE SAFETY- INTERNET SAFETY DAY

    Online safety is important at Porter Croft and throughout the year we teach and promote safe use of web technologies.

    Please find below some of the ways you can support this learning at home.

    Online Safety Policy

    Online top tips for safety

    Age appropriate content

    Letter to Parents

    INCLUSION

    All Computing lessons/activities are designed and planned to include all children through a range of approaches. Lessons are planned to facilitate the best possible outcome for all children within the class.

    USEFUL COMPUTING WEBSITES

  • Woodlands Computing Zone – fun interactive Computing games
  • https://www.purplemash.com/sch/portercroftsheff - Online primary education learning platform
  • https://www.barefootcomputing.org/ - A variety of computing resources
  • https://teachcomputing.org/curriculum - A variety of computing resources
  • https://scratch.mit.edu/ - A variety of fun interactive computer games.