Computing at St. Joseph’s aims to provide all students with the skills and knowledge required to access today’s everchanging technology and skills for the future technological advances. Computing skills are a major factor in enabling children to be confident, creative and independent learners and it is our intention that children have every opportunity available to allow them to achieve this. It is also important to teach children how to stay safe online and to evaluate what they see.

The National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE) have created a computing scheme of work inline with National Curriculum objectives and are funded by the Department for Education. This program of study covers all year groups from KS1 to KS4, providing a coherent and cohesive long-term plan. Our pupils are taught how systems work, how to create media, how to programme and how to analyse data through a range of hands on and theory-based lessons. These concepts are built on through each year group, allowing pupils to use their prior knowledge to help build a full picture of computing. The children have access to a range of technology including laptops, iPads, interactive whiteboards and visualisers in their lessons. Our pupils are taught using computing-specific vocabulary, allowing them the confidence to use words such as ‘algorithm’ and ‘hyperlink’ in their discussions. A glossary for the terms used can be found at Primary computing glossary – Teach Computing . Pupils will also consider internet safety through some of their lessons, as well as Internet Safety Day and discussions about Online Bullying during Anti-Bullying week. The curriculum journey map shows how the content that the children are learning now can support them throughout their school-life and provided them with skills for life. Computing is also integrated into the wider curriculum with its use for research across English and Topic lessons, apps for learning such as Times Tables Rockstars in maths and as Cameras to document learning across all subject areas.