Computing
"A computer is like a violin: You can imagine it making beautiful music, but you have to learn how to play it"
Bill Gates
Vision and Rationale
Computing education enhances pupils’ lives as well as their life skills. At Mendip Green, we believe that computing is an essential part of the curriculum that empowers children through knowledge and opportunities to develop their critical thinking skills. Our curriculum recognises that computers and technology are such a part of everyday life that our children would be disadvantaged if they were not exposed to a relevant, meaningful computing curriculum.
We recognise that engagement online can have an impact on mental health and wellbeing of our children. To this end, our online safety curriculum, which sits alongside our computing curriculum, is mapped to our PSHE curriculum and considers the impact of aspects such as screen time, anxiety and social pressure on the lives of young people.
The choices we have made within our computing curriculum will allow children to leave Mendip Green as digitally literate young citizens who feel empowered to further their knowledge and understanding. Our priority is to ensure that children are able to begin secondary education and enter the digital world safely and with the confidence and ability to continue learning.
Our Computing Curriculum
Early Years Foundation Stage – Understanding the World
The educational programme for understanding the world set out in the EYFS Framework is delivered in our reception classes in line with the Extend Reception Curriculum.
Key Stage 1 and 2 – Computing
We follow the national curriculum.
In Year 1, we teach computing in line with our multi-academy trust’s ‘Extend Early Curriculum’.
We follow the TEACH COMPUTING scheme of work from the National Centre for Computing Education to teach computing in Year 2-6. This scheme is fully aligned with the national curriculum whilst complimenting effective learning strategies through progressively sequenced teaching.
TEACH COMPUTING is structured into 6 units for each year group, and each unit is broken down into 6 lessons.
Alongside Teach Computing we use the ProjectEVOLVE’s UKCIS "Education for a Connected World" digital competencies framework resources to enhance our computing curriculum and to ensure a focus on online safety throughout the curriculum journey.
Overview
