Welcome to Discovery Academy

Computing

At Discovery Academy, we believe that children learn their best when they are showing the Academy values of Discovering, Inspiring, Caring, Improving and Achieving within our curriculum. We believe in aspiration for all so want to create a world where the sky is the limit for all of our pupils; building pathways for all and focusing on personal and academic success and eventually progress to successful employment.

Subject Intent: Our aims with computing at Discovery Academy are to equip children to use technology and to help them become digitally literate. We want all children to know how technology can help them and to know how to stay safe and be responsible when using technology. We want to develop children’s systematic thinking skills as well as their creativity and problem solving skills.

Implementation: Our Computing curriculum is based on the National Curriculum and has three strands; digital literacy, computer science and information technology. We teach these through a spiral curriculum meaning that the children revisit and build on skills each year. Each Computing unit contains aspects of the different strands and e-safety is part of each unit too. We also celebrate Safer Internet Day in February and support parents with E-safety through workshops, handouts and through sharing guides and information on Twitter. We have mapped out the word processing skills for each year group to ensure there is progression.

We are well equipped to teach Computing with iPads, Chromebooks, programmable toys and interactive boards available for each class to use. We have software on the iPads and laptops to help with Computing as well as with other subjects, for example TT Rockstars and Lexia. The children also have ‘unplugged’ learning opportunities where they are computing without computers to develop their computational thinking. Computational thinking is the computing focus with the EYFS. Children within KS1 and KS2 are invited or nominated to become Digital Leaders. The roles of the Digital Leaders are to promote the use of technology, support teachers and peers with their use of technology and to promote e-safety in school.

As part of their formative assessment, children will self-assess and be assessed against clear learning challenges in each unit of work. Instant feedback will be given by the teacher and by peers to allow children to improve their work. Children are taught how to save their work and work is set through Google classroom so pupils can develop skills learnt when they were learning at home. Teachers will also track and assess their children against the statements based on the National Curriculum.

Non-negotiables:

  • EYFS will use resources from ‘Barefoot Computing’ to develop children’s computational thinking and teach an aspect of online safety each term.
  • Years 1 – 6 will use the NCCE computing scheme of work as organised for our school in the Computing curriculum document.
  • Online safety lessons planned using the ‘Project Evolve’ scheme of work. There are 8 strands and all of these should be covered at least once within each key stage.
  • Online safety posters should be on display in all classrooms and online safety should be regularly mentioned within Computing lessons but also as appropriate within other subjects such as PSHE.

Impact: Discovery Academy’s Computing Curriculum is broad and balanced and its aim is to be relevant to all children. Pupils who fully complete the curriculum will by the end of Year 6 be confident with coding, able to take and edit videos and photos, know how to create spreadsheets, understand how to use the Internet effectively and safely, be able to create quizzes, be able to communicate through blogs and email and so much more. We aim to inspire all children to be able to use technology in the real world. We care deeply about each child understanding the importance of their digital footprint and how technology can affect their health, wellbeing and lifestyle.