Intent
Digital technologies have become integral to the lives of children and young people, both within and outside of school. These technologies are powerful tools that open up new opportunities for everyone and we intend for all young people at Redhill to have an entitlement to safe technology and internet.
We aim to model and educate pupils on how to use technology positively, responsibly and safely through our computing lessons but also use it to enhance learning across the wider curriculum.
We aim for our pupils to become producers as well as consumers in the technological world with opportunities to apply their knowledge creatively and develop their skills progressively across the key stages. We have adopted the Teach Computing curriculum, supported by STEM learning as an educational programme provided by the National Centre for Computing Education. Through our Teach Computing curriculum, all aspects of the National Curriculum are covered with online safety covered by both Teach Computing and our Society curriculum.
Our Redhill community has access to the National Online Safety app and resources with the aim to create a safe online environment for parents, carers and pupils and avoid misuse.
Implementation
We implement our vision for computing through the TEACH COMPUTING curriculum which is a comprehensive scheme of work aligned to the National Curriculum and funded by the DFE. The learning for each year group is broken into units covering each aspect of the Computing curriculum:
- Algorithms - Be able to comprehend, design, create, and evaluate algorithms
- Computer networks - Understand how networks can be used to retrieve and share information, and how they come with associated risks
- Computer systems - Understand what a computer is, and how its constituent parts function together as a whole
- Creating media - Select and create a range of media including text, images, sounds, and video
- Data and information - Understand how data is stored, organised, and used to represent real-world artefacts and scenarios
- Design and development - Understand the activities involved in planning, creating, and evaluating
- Effective use of tools - Use software tools to support computing work
- Impact of technology - Understand how individuals, systems, and society as a whole interact with computer systems
- Programming - Create software to allow computers to solve problems
- Safety and security - Understand risks when using technology and how to protect individuals and systems
The units for key stages 1 and 2 are based on a spiral curriculum. This means that each of the themes is revisited regularly (at least once in each year group), and pupils revisit each theme through a new unit that consolidates and builds on prior learning within that theme. This style of curriculum design reduces the amount of knowledge lost through forgetting, as topics are revisited yearly. It also ensures that connections are made even if different teachers are teaching the units within a theme in consecutive years.
Within the units are opportunities for all abilities with varying levels of support from extending learning through open-ended application of skills or supporting children through structured activities. It exposes pupils to a wide variety of skills, experiences and poignant real-life scenarios allowing skills to be learnt during structured activities, then mastered and applied in open-ended scenarios.
Impact
After the implementation of our computing curriculum, children at Redhill will be proficient in their use of technology and able to navigate the digital world confidently. They will be equipped, not only with the skills and knowledge to use technology effectively for the benefit of themselves and others, but more importantly – safely.
The children will be creators as well as consumers of digital content. Our children will understand the consequences of using the internet with awareness of how to keep themselves safe online but still keep a buzz for the use of technology with the understanding of the huge positive impact it can make to people’s lives. Our children will become reliable, responsible and creative digital citizens.
TEACH COMPUTING covers the National Curriculum requirements for online safety throughout the units, making explicit links between learning and how pupils can stay safe and respectful.
At Redhill this runs alongside our Society curriculum which covers deeper aspects of online safety alongside SMSC and PSHCE. This is further supported by the NOS app which is available to every member of the Redhill community and shares up-to-date advice to ensure everyone is safe online.