Intention

The high quality computing curriculum at Star develops our pupil’s substantive knowledge and disciplinary skills through cross curricular and standalone lessons as part of our Rights Based Curriculum. We ensure that each child makes progress across all phases of development within the school through a blended, remote and asynchronous approach to learning.  Each aspect of our computing curriculum ensures the 4 c’s of successful learning are met: communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking.

At the very core, we expect our pupils to use our Thinking School’s approach to learning to think computationally and creatively through the principles of computer science; applying their skills to solve problems, have digital responsibility and change their world. Star pupils use technology to create digital content that empowers their freedom of expression; using, reading and making sense of ambitious technical vocabulary in an ever-changing digital world. 

Our pupils have the right to access information from a variety of sources and we teach them how to do this safely and respectfully to ensure they leave our school being digitally literate.

Our topic-based computing curriculum ensures our pupils are independent and confident digital learners that are able to express themselves, develop their ideas and be prepared for life-long effectiveness and success.

Implementation

At Star, our children are encouraged to achieve their potential and progress with confidence to the next phase of their computing education through our robust curriculum. 

• Bespoke and high-quality CPD ensures  that all staff have the knowledge, skills and understanding to use digital technologies across the wider curriculum. 
• Pupils understand the fundamental principles of computer science: abstraction, logic, algorithm and data representation. Through practical unplugged and plugged activities, pupils continually develop their problem solving, analytical and logical thinking skills and have repeated practice in reading and writing computer programmes to analyse problems computationally.
• Pupils search for and create ambitious digital content; using and selecting a range of software and hardware including new and unfamiliar technology. Pupils evaluate content for its effectiveness and reliability. 
• We promote online safety and digital responsibility. Pupils know and can use technology beyond the classroom and know how to safeguard themselves when online
• As a Google for Education school we have a set of workspace tools and 1:1 devices for all pupils from EYFS through to Year Six to ensure our pupils continue to access their learning at any time in any subject and hone their digital skills and apply their digital understanding in different contexts. 
• Online safety is explicitly taught each half term through a bold curriculum ensuring all pupils know how to safeguard themselves online.
• Pupils have the opportunity to develop their reading skills whilst searching for information online

Impact

Our staff and pupils show enthusiasm and excitement for our computing curriculum and as a result, pupils produce high-quality digital learning, show deeper knowledge of technical concepts and vocabulary as well as refine their computational skills across all three strands of the curriculum.  Our pupils are competent, confident and creative users of technology.

Pupils are increasingly independent in using technology. By the time they leave our school at the end of KS2  they are able to access safe and trustworthy information about local and global issues which helps them to develop their global citizenship; thinking not only about themselves but of others too. Pupils use technology, create ambitious content and are safety-conscious learners. Pupils think critically to solve logic problems, can debug algorithms and apply the fundamental principles of computer science.

Enrichment

We empower our pupils and prepare them for future industry through our Digital Leadership programme for children in KS2. We promote awe and wonder in each topic through immersive technology using  augmented and virtual reality to bring learning on the page to life. We enrich learning in all curriculum subjects using wireless radio technology, Now Press Play and enhance our bold offer with iOS and Android applications using both  iPad and Chromebook. We encourage pupils to apply their computing skills to create ambitious online home-learning content.  A wealth of hardware: beebots, codapillers, spheros and green screen are readily available to enrich learning experiences. Relationships with local companies and other schools such as Google for Education,  Prime VR, LGfL and Internet Matters (Internet Safety Day Workshops) allow us to invite specialists to meet with our pupils and inspire them to consider a career in computing.