Each half term, each year group has an in-depth document to support teachers in their planning and teaching of Computing.

This ensures progression across the school, the use of Computing specific vocabulary, links to E-safety and clear expectations of what knowledge and skills the children need to gain.

These units are bespoke to our school (to match our thematic curriculum), but are heavily influenced by the Hodder Education (previously Rising Stars) scheme of work.

Each document includes key areas including: 

E-Safety 

Specific link to E-safety. This E-safety is in addition to that which we teach through PSHE and links to the Computing unit being taught.

Progression 

This shows the progression to and from other units in other year groups. This links back to the whole school overview.

Vocabulary 

Vocabulary specific to the unit is displayed . This is at a level appropriate to the age group being taught. Vocabulary has definitions to ensure the language is taught consistently across each year group. This language is shared in the floor books (evidence books) so it can be revisited and is displayed in the classroom on the curriculum working wall.

National Curriculum 

The key objectives from the National Curriculum, which will be covered in this unit. A single unit may focus on one or several objectives, but they will all be covered multiple times across a key stage. 

Knowledge - declarative knowledge (‘knowing that’)

The KNOWLEDGE we expect the children to get from the unit. (The progression of this knowledge can clearly be seen in the Knowledge and Skills documents). The knowledge from one unit is revisited and built upon in future units, ensuring progression across the school. 

Skills - procedural knowledge (‘knowing how’)

The SKILLS we expect the children to develop from the unit. (The progression of these skills can clearly be seen in the Knowledge and Skills documents). The skills from one unit are revisited and built upon in future units, ensuring progression across the school. 

Links 

Computing has links to many other subjects. Through teaching all of the 3 core areas of Computing (computer science, information technology and digital literacy), there are easy links forged with a range of subjects including Literacy, Art, DT and History, not just the subjects Computing is more commonly associated with, such as Maths and DT.

Software

The software we use is progressive across the school.

For example, in programming children move from BeeBots in EYFS and Y1 to Botley and Scratch Jr in Y2, Scratch in Y3 and 4 and then other coding languages in Years 5 and 6.

All of this software is managed remotely and regularly updated.

Hardware

We have added a range of interesting hardware (including Lego, MicroBits and Botley) to our school selection as this makes the idea of input and output clearer to the children and makes programming more realistic and relevant to them.

Assessment 

Assessment is used to track the children’s progress. After a unit children are assessed using the relevant statements (linked to the expectations and knowledge and skills documents) to give them a best fit level of WTS (working towards the expected standard), EXS (working at the expected standard) or GDS (working above the expected standard). At the end of the year a best fit of these 6 grades is used to assess the child.

Below is an example of one of our medium term plans: