Subject leader: Mrs Jenny Brown

If you have any questions regarding computing, please contact Mrs Brown via the school office.

Intent:

Computing is an integral part of our everyday life and will play an immeasurable part in our children’s futures.  At Halton CC School we will provide all of our children with the skills, creativity and enthusiasm to live and thrive in a world increasingly dependent on computing. As computing technology underpins today’s modern lifestyle it is essential that all pupils gain the confidence and ability that they need in this subject, to prepare them for the challenge of a rapidly developing and changing technological world.

The children have many opportunities to use technology. While all the basics IT skills are covered, e.g.making a simple Word document or using Paint programs, the children’s experience soon develops and so at Halton children are beginning to blog, make web pages, create computer games and animation. As they go through the school they will explore augmented reality and social networking, coding and generate content for younger children as well. We believe it gives them all the experiences they need to prepare them for 21st century lifestyles.

All homework at Halton is set and submitted digitally from Reception to Year 6. This ensures that our pupils become digitally literate and able to express themselves, choose  for themselves how to demonstrate their learning and develop their ideas in a way that will equip them for the future workplace and as participants in a digital world. Online Safety is extremely important to us and the children are taught key skills to ensure they keep themselves safe when they are online both in school and at home.

Implementation

Our students will experience well-designed practical activities in the technologies. We offer our students opportunities to develop:

• curiosity and problem-solving skills, a capacity to work with others and take initiative

• planning and organisational skills in a range of contexts

• creativity and innovation, for example though computing and computer aided design and manufacturing approaches

• skills in using tools, equipment, software and materials

• skills in collaborating, leading and interacting with others

• critical thinking through exploration and discovery within a range of learning contexts

• discussion and debate

• searching and retrieving information to inform thinking within diverse learning contexts

• making connections between specialist skills developed within learning and skills for work

• evaluating products, systems and services

• presentation skills

Impact:

The implementation of this curriculum ensures that when children leave our school, they are competent and safe users of Computing with an understanding of how technology works. They will have developed skills to express themselves and be creative in using digital media and be equipped to apply their skills in Computing to different challenges going forward.

Our approach to the curriculum results in a fun, engaging, and high-quality computing education. A variety of evidence is used to feed into teachers’ future planning; teachers are able to revisit misconceptions and knowledge gaps in computing when teaching other curriculum areas. This supports varied paces of learning and ensures all pupils make good progress.

Our children learn to use coding software to program for different purposes. Much of the subject-specific knowledge developed in our computing lessons equip pupils with experiences which will benefit them in secondary school, further education and future workplaces. From research methods, use of presentation and creative tools and critical thinking, computing at Halton School gives children the building blocks that enable them to pursue a wide range of interests and vocations in the next stage of their lives.

Please click on the link below to see what is taught in each year group as part of their computing curriculum: