Computing at Whixall C.E. School

Intent
At Whixall C.E. Primary School, we recognise that our children are growing up in an exciting world where technology plays an increasingly prominent role in people’s everyday lives. We have therefore chosen to use the Kapow scheme for our work to support us in delivering a computing curriculum aimed to ensure our children leave school as responsible and knowledgeable digital citizens. We use this scheme to help instill a sense of awe and wonder around using technology; to develop children’s appreciation of technological capabilities; and to develop children’s knowledge of the opportunities that technology offers to create, manage, organise, and collaborate.

Kapow offers our children the opportunity to explore a broad range of purposeful software and programs. We wish to develop children’s confidence, and subsequently, knowledge, when encountering new technology: a vital skill in the ever-evolving and changing landscape of technology. Through our curriculum, we intend for children not only to be digitally competent and have a range of transferable skills for the future workplace, but also to be responsible when online.

Implementation
The implementation of the Kapow Computing Scheme ensures a broad and balanced coverage of the National Curriculum requirements. Where meaningful, units have been created to link to other subjects such as science, maths, art, and music to enable the development of further transferable skills and genuine cross-curricular learning.

We begin each half-term with an online safety lesson which enables children to know how to stay safe online. The content of these lessons equips children for life in a digital age and, due to the nature of how these lessons are organised, children are constantly revisiting key messages throughout the school year.

Lessons incorporate a range of teaching strategies from independent tasks, paired, and group work, as well as ‘unplugged’ practical activities and digital lessons using different technology. This variety means that our weekly computing lessons are engaging and appeal to those with a variety of learning styles.

Differentiated guidance is available for every lesson to ensure that content specific to each session can be accessed by all children. There are opportunities to challenge children’s thinking throughout the sequences of lessons in unit plans.  

Our scheme of work is organised into five key areas, creating a cyclical route through which children can develop their computing knowledge and skills by revisiting and building on previous learning.

Children encounter computing lessons that focus on:

• Computer systems and networks
• Programming
• Creating media
• Data handling
• Online safety

Impact
Our children leave our school equipped with a range of skills to enable them to succeed and be active participants in the ever-increasing digital world.

The children are critical thinkers who understand how to make informed and appropriate digital choices. They understand the importance that computing will have in both their educational and working lives and their social and personal futures.

Our curriculum enables children to understand that technology helps to showcase their ideas and creativity and equips them to use technology both individually and as part of a collaborative team. Children are aware of online safety issues and know how to deal with any problems of an online nature responsibly and appropriately.

Computing Long-Term Plan