Brill Church Of England School

Computing

What does computing look like at Brill?

The Vision For Our Curriculum

At Brill School we offer our pupils deep and purposeful computing learning experiences. In the technological world in which we live, it is so important for pupils to become confident and responsible users and creators of digital content so that they may participate effectively and safely at Brill and beyond. Our computing curriculum is firmly embedded within other subject areas and this approach means that pupils experience authentic learning opportunities and are highly motivated as a result of this. At Brill School we recognise and value the importance of educating pupils about online safety. E-safety is therefore taught routinely to all pupils and they learn how to keep themselves safe and to treat others with respect online. 

Through the Computer Science strand of the computing curriculum, pupils are taught the skill of 'computational thinking' so that they are able to tackle complex problems with confidence and resilience by first breaking them down into smaller parts (decomposition) before moving on to develop possible solutions in a step-by-step way (algorithms). This has obvious benefits when approaching programming tasks but also in the broader curriculum as it supports pupils in articulating and thinking through problems in logical manner.

'Pupils who can think computationally are better able to conceptualise, understand and use computer-based technology, and so are better prepared for today’s world and the future.'  CAS (Computing At School), 2013

Intent

At Brill C of E Primary School, we aim to prepare our learners for their future by giving them the opportunities to gain knowledge and develop skills that will equip them to become independent users and creators of technology in an ever-changing digital world. We want to model and educate our pupils on how to use technology positively, responsibly and safely, valuing the diversity of users and content created. Knowledge and understanding of Information Communication Technology is of increasing importance for children’s future both at home and for employment. 

Our Computing curriculum focuses on a progression of skills in digital literacy, computer science and information technology. Online safety is built into the planning every term, across the school, in order to ensure that children become competent in safely using and understanding a range of technology and to develop their health and well-being in an increasingly digital world. Our intention is for Computing to support children’s creativity and cross-curricular learning too, engaging children and enriching their experiences in school. 

We encourage staff to try and embed Computing across the whole curriculum to make learning creative and accessible. We want our pupils to be fluent with a range of tools and hope by Upper Key Stage 2, we have equipped the children to have the independence and confidence to choose the best tool to fulfil the task and challenge set by teachers. 

Implementation

Our whole curriculum aims to enable all children to succeed. We teach the National Curriculum, supported by a clear skills and knowledge progression. This ensures that children’s skills and knowledge are built on and sequenced appropriately during their time at Brill C of E Primary School in order to maximise learning for all children. To ensure a that children develop both a breadth and depth of skills and understanding, Computing is taught across three main strands: Digital Literacy, Computer Science and Information Technology. 

Within Digital Literacy, children develop practical skills in the safe use of ICT and the ability to apply these skills to solving relevant, relatable and real-life problems: for example, understanding safe use of internet, networks and email. In Computer Science, children are taught to understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science through practical experience creating exciting programs, allowing them to analyse and solve problems. As part of Information Technology, children learn to save, retrieve, create and organise data. Children are able to express themselves and develop their ideas through ICT by designing and creating a variety of digital content: for example, writing and presenting as well as exploring art and design using multimedia. Computing vocabulary is an integral part of supporting children in their understanding of the subject and our curriculum is designed to ensure that all children develop confidence when using complex technical language in their Computing lessons. Our exciting curriculum also provides plenty of opportunity for pupils to take learning risks and to build resilience in doing so. 

Impact

Our curriculum aims to make sure that the children of Brill C of E Primary School head into their secondary education and subsequent life as competent, resilient and safe users of ICT. We aim to provide every child with excellent skills and knowledge but also endeavour to make all learning meaningful and will always ask the WHY behind their learning and not just the HOW. We want learners to discuss, reflect and appreciate the impact computing has on their learning, development and wellbeing. At Brill, pupils will have developed a range of skills to express themselves creatively using digital media and be equipped to apply their computing skills moving forward. 

The way pupils showcase, share, celebrate and publish their work will best show the impact of our curriculum. However, the subject is monitored by the Computing leader via observing teaching, use of vocabulary, reviewing evidence of learning, speaking to learners and monitoring assessment, to ensure the intent and implementation in the subject lead to good impact and outcomes for all.