Computing at Langley Mill Academy

 Intent

We want our pupils to know how to keep themselves safe in an ever developing online world and we support pupils to make safe choices when online.  Our computing curriculum enables pupils to use technology to support their learning across the wider curriculum and is based on the National Curriculum.

Ensuring our pupils understand how to keep safe online is taught alongside the computing curriculum and has objectives for lower and upper school and can be read below.

Pupils are taught a progressive curriculum building on skills and prior knowledge in five key areas: Presentation, Algorithms and Programs, Using the Internet, Data Retrieving,  Organising and Databases. Our pupils are taught to be forward thinking and to be understanding of how quickly the world and our technology evolves. Skills are progressively developed over the four years.  

Computing Key Knowledge Progression 

Implementation

Direct teaching of the computing curriculum is taught weekly, or fortnightly for a longer session.  This is taught on laptops, iPads and with physical Indi Bots depending on which element of the curriculum is being taught.  In each of these sessions online safety is taught as an introduction and is both planned and reflective of any current circumstances.  

Computing skills are used throughout the curriculum at other times such as presenting work, or using the internet to find information.  Pupils save work in their own folder on the server, which is set up at the start of each year and being a good caretaker of personal files is a skill that is taught early and revisited throughout.  Links to the overarching curriculum themes are made, when they are appropriate, by teachers in each year group.  Our new Sphero Bots have a clear and direct link to developing, understanding and using mathematical skills such as percentage, angles and trial & error and link the curriculum naturally. Theme days and weeks are used to reinforce our fortnightly lessons, such as Safer Internet Day.

Impact

Pupils will be able to use a range of computing and technological hardware and software to aid both their learning across the curriculum and in computing.  They will know how to keep themselves safe when working online, both in school and at home and have a good understanding of how we code, why we code and the significance of coding within our world. With a constantly changing world of technology, coding and developing systems is a skill that is inherently present and is only continuing to grow at a rapid rate. Therefore, we ensure our children have the tools and understanding to contribute to and thrive in this environment. 

Computing will be evidenced in children’s folders on the server and sometimes in books and displays.

 Our computing lead is Mr Morledge.