ABOUT US
Computing
Intent
As Badbury Park is a ‘state of the art’ building with a range of fantastic technology we want our computing curriculum to prepare children for their future within the forever changing digital world. It is important that our computing curriculum offers opportunities for children to experience technology inside the classroom and outside, across all subjects. We want our children at Badbury Park to understand how to use technology which will drive them forward into the future, ensuring they understand the advantages and disadvantages associated with online experiences. Our aim is for children to develop as respectful, responsible and confident users of technology.
Implementation
Our computing curriculum is a spiral curriculum which covers the 3 pillars of progression of the national curriculum: digital literacy, information technology and computer science. Here at Badbury Park, we use Oak National Academy. We chose to use the Oak National Academy scheme as the curriculum is more modern, emphasizing AI, data science, and practical project work to prepare students for a technology-driven world. It has been created by subject experts and allows learners to both consolidate prior knowledge and skills, whilst providing opportunities to learn new skills and knowledge. The scheme also provides cross curricular links with English, maths, music and art so that computing can really be embedded into everything we teach at our school. This curriculum enables our children to become confident and efficient users of technology.
We believe children have a right to enjoy the use of technology, to access safe online spaces and to benefit from all opportunities that a connected world can bring. Given this, we teach digital literacy at the start of every term before computing through common sense education. The areas covered within common sense education are Healthy Habits: Media Balance and Well-Being, Cyberbullying, Digital Drama & Hate Speech, Relationships & Communication, News and Media Literacy, Privacy & Security, Digital Footprint & Identity. In addition to this, International Online Safety Day is recognised.
A clear overview is set out for our school to ensure that teachers know the themes they need to be teaching from both National Oak Academy and Common Sense Education. Whilst computing is not a statutory requirement in EYFS, at Badbury Park we appreciate and use our Foundation Stage as the base to underpin the curriculum. Computational Thinking begins with verbal instructions and simple vocabulary interwoven through cross-curricular links. Children are given opportunities to explore hands on, practical and unplugged activities.
Overall, our curriculum aims to equip young people with the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to thrive in the digital world of today and the future.
In EYFS computing will be recorded on ILD through other subject areas and in KS1 and KS2 we record our computing work in individual books with clear learning objectives and high expectations for the presentation of the work presented. Where practical lessons happen, photos are taken and shared with the computing subject leader.
Impact
As the Oak National Academy scheme is a spiral curriculum it encompasses a blend of both physical and unplugged activities and ensures previous areas of learning are regularly revisited. This allows learners to both consolidate prior knowledge and skills whilst providing opportunities to learn new skills and knowledge. The success of the curriculum itself will be assessed via the analysis of yearly progress data, conducting regular pupil voice sessions, lesson observations and skills audits. This will then inform future adaptions of the scheme of work and help to ensure that progression is evident throughout school. Children will be confident in talking about how to keep safe online and will be enthusiastic about computing.
A range of formative assessment opportunities will be used by teachers to support learners and inform the pace of future sequences of lessons. Assessment will ensure the children at Badbury Park have gained the intended knowledge and skills, can use these effectively and know more, remember more and are able to do more.
Children and their families at our school will use technology responsibly and in line with the school’s acceptable use policy. The use of social media channels will give opportunities for families to engage with the school, keeping up to date with the learning of the children.
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Our Computing skills progression document is currently being updated and will be available shortly.
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Please click on the following links for some useful information on different apps to support children's learning:
