At Ide Hill CE Primary School we believe that computing is a vital and enriching part of the curriculum that is an integral part of modern life. Through teaching computing and online safety we equip our children to participate in a rapidly changing world where work and leisure activities are increasingly transformed by technology.
Our computing curriculum enables our children to find, explore, analyse, exchange, present and create information for a range of purposes and audiences across the curriculum. We also focus on developing knowledge and skills necessary for children to be able to use information in a discriminating and effective way. Computing skills are a major factor in enabling our children to be confident, creative and independent learners.
The National Curriculum defines three clear aspects of the computing curriculum: computer science, information technology and digital literacy. Our children are given the opportunity to develop their knowledge and understanding in each of these areas from Year 1 to Year 6. In Early Years Foundation Stage we ensure the children build knowledge and skills that underpin their future learning in computing in KS1 and KS2.
The National Curriculum for computing aims to ensure that all children:
- can understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, logic, algorithms and data representation.
- can analyse problems in computational terms and have repeated practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve such problems.
- can evaluate and apply information technology, including new and unfamiliar technologies, analytically to solve problems.
- are responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology.
At Ide Hill CE Primary School we use the "Purple Mash" curriculum to support our teaching and learning in computing. This enables us to ensure we meet all of the aims of the National Curriculum, the expectations of Keeping Children Safe in Education, as well as giving our children a secure understanding of online safety in line with the "Education for a Connected World" framework.
The Purple Mash scheme becomes increasingly more challenging as the children move through the school and our children have the opportunity to apply their growing skills in a range of contexts. Teachers regularly adapt and enhance this learning to meet the needs of their class and to ensure we keep up to date with the latest technology. Teaching and Learning is supported by the PSHE curriculum, where children learn about the importance of healthy relationships in the real and digital world.
To enrich the children's understanding of online safety we take part in Safer Internet Day each year. In recent times this has included assemblies and workshops to meet the needs of the families within our school context.