As quoted in our most recent Ofsted report, our school is proud of its ‘outstanding’ practices in computing. We have a dedicated and highly qualified computing lead who ensures that the curriculum is current, engaging, and fun.
We also rank highly in the Leigh Academies Trust engagement for digital blended learning, striving to achieve all expectations as a Primary School.
The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme is key to helping us achieve this by providing a strong SMSC curriculum, with British Values and our core values placed at the heart of everything we do. Our bespoke computing curriculum is uniquely designed to complement inquiry across the whole school.
In our ever-advancing technological world, it is imperative that our pupils at Peninsula East Primary Academy are fully prepared for the future. We are fully committed to ensuring that all children have a wealth of opportunities and build connections in the digital world to secure cultural capital. Thus equipping them with the fundamental knowledge to be successful in the modern world. At PEPA we want pupils to be masters of technology.
PEPA believes that the computing curriculum should promote curiosity, a love and thirst for learning. Our ambitious variety of computing activities spans and completely excels all expectations of the National Curriculum. During each module, the planned activities include the use of hardware and software, which are carefully selected to complement our inquiries. Skills are embedded through meaningful experiences to enhance the children’s learning.
We aim for our children to become skillful computer scientists, to use technology positively, responsibly, and safely in all aspects of the digital world. We encompass our Nursery children into the digital world, right through each year group to Year 6.
To understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, logic, algorithms, and data representation.
The children will be expected to evaluate and apply information technology, including new or unfamiliar technologies, analytically to solve problems in a confident and creative way, recognising their full potential. Our knowledge-rich curriculum is completely embedded and taught through our whole school’s transdisciplinary schemes which balances the opportunity for pupils to apply their knowledge using agency and fluidity.
At PEPA we aim to ensure the children are fluent with a range of tools, have agency to choose appropriate digital software to fulfil the task and challenges set; to showcase their knowledge and understanding. To be involved in both individual and collaborative repeated practical learning will enrich problem solving and computational skills alongside quality experiences.
To empower pupils to become responsible digital citizens, understand the implications of all aspects of e-safely and what to do if something worries them. Have a deep understanding of the responsibilities of being digital consumers on their time, relationships, and wellbeing.To keep others safe online and the importance of what they share in creating their own digital footprint.
The subject lead will ensure that the subject is well led, effectively managed and that standards and achievement in Computing and the quality of the provision are subject to regular and effective self evaluation.
Our bespoke Computing Curriculum is split into three areas:
- Digital literacy – the ability to find, evaluate and clearly communicate information through typing and other media on various digital platforms.
- Computer science – the study of computational, automation and information, programming, logical and computational thinking.
- Information technology – the use of computers for functional purposes such as collection and presentation, search technologies, e-safety and wellbeing.
All year groups receive highly engaging learning opportunities within each of these areas, creating blended learning within inquiry. We believe aspects of computing can be woven into all subjects in order to build the children’s digital literacy and ICT skills.
At Peninsula East Primary Academy we deliver Computing alongside The National Curriculum through the framework of the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme. Carefully designed to enable learning opportunities and assessment milestones for each year group; crafted to ensure progression and repetition in terms of embedding key learning, knowledge and skills; interleaved learning in Computing ensures consistency and progress of all learners.
The children link prior knowledge to new learning, deepening understanding. The staff ensures they are fully briefed on current learning and where the progression will lead in the following years.
Pupils have the opportunity to work with and on a variety of digital devices. Key Stage 2 children are privileged to have access to individual Chromebooks which are used on a daily basis. Year 2 also has a dedicated bank of Chromebooks which are used daily to access class resources. Year 1 has its own class set of iPads with Reception and Nursery having access to their own iPADs; which are very popular as they are constantly being used for a plethora of activities.
Children in our Early Years settings have access to a variety of early technology equipment to promote control and language skills through opportunities to explore using non-computer based resources such as controllable toys, telephone sets and listening centres.
Recording devices can support children to develop their communication skills. Implementation Our curriculum design is based on evidence from cognitive science; three main principles underpin it: 1. Learning is most effective with spaced repetition. 2. Interleaving (deliberate leaving and coming back to through beginning with exposure then keep returning to explore further) helps children to discriminate between topics and aids long term retention. 3. Retrieval of previously learned content is frequent and regular, which increases both storage and retrieval strength. In addition to the three principles we also understand that learning is invisible in the short term and sustained mastery takes time.
Constant access to chromebooks allows computing skills to be developed both discreetly and explicitly on a daily basis. All classes have an online classroom where children have access to a plethora of resources and build a digital portfolio of their progress. Children’s folders will move through school with them so there is a continuous record of their time at Peninsula East Primary Academy.
Both home and classwork activities are set, recorded and marked through Google Classroom. We endeavour to expose students to a variety of software, programs, and equipment in order to offer a range of appropriate challenges and experiences. The Computing Subject Lead regularly observes lessons, conducts book-looks, and engages with class teachers and children to monitor development which is underpinned by progression trackers. We use both dynamic and formative assessment to ensure pupils receive relevant feedback in a lesson and through tailoring our lessons based on the assessments made. During subject monitoring the children will have access to their folder to act as a prompt during pupil interviews about the subject.
Our digital innovator and coach are integral to developing teachers’ confidence in delivering high-quality lessons that have a transdisciplinary approach. To aid this, all teachers have completed Google Educator Level Two, and all support staff achieving Level One. Adobe Creative Cloud Level One and Two, training in Book Creator and numerous software tutorials to enhance the delivery. This allows us to be innovative in how we deliver our curriculum. Computing has become a subject that creates pathways for children to develop other skills and knowledge, such as transdisciplinary inquiries, whilst developing confidence in using a variety of tools and technology.
E-Safety and Digital Wellbeing
This is paramount, it is embedded throughout the school year in all year groups with dedicated sessions, joining National Online Safety assemblies and through being involved in safer internet days. The children are able to confidently discuss all aspects of staying safe and their consequences. Within PSHE our children are made aware of digital wellbeing and the effects it can have. Finding the right balance with technology is key to an effective education and a healthy life-style. We feel the way we implement computing helps children realise the need for the right balance and one they can continue to build on in their next stage of education and beyond.
Being in partnership with the National Online Safety, PEPA is an accredited and certified NOS school. All staff and governors are regularly trained in safeguarding delivered by NOS and guardians have all been invited to join where they can discover how to support their children, especially whilst using the latest online games. Parental workshops are organised and any new information is featured in our weekly newsletters.
ChildNet, National Online Safety, Thinkuknow and Digital Legends support our teaching of this vital subject; ensuring that pupils are well equipped to deal with any e-safety issues which may arise.
Computing is an integral part of the classroom experience and we aim to ensure children’s experiences are coherent, progressive and relevant as they progress through our school.
Our expectations include: pupils develop necessary skills, use devices and the internet in a safe way. To become responsible digital citizens. and approach the subject in a creative and imaginative manner. The impact of our varied, fun and knowledge rich Computing enables children to communicate and manipulate their ideas through the concepts of Computer Science and digital literacy. Much of the subject-specific knowledge developed in our Computing lessons equips pupils with experiences which will benefit them in secondary school, further education and future workplaces, from research methods to use of presentation and creative tools to critical thinking. Through learning computing at Peninsula East Primary Academy the children become responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology. This gives children the building blocks that enable them to pursue a wide range of interests and vocations in the next stage of their lives.
Impact can be seen in our Inquiry, Skills and Maths books, on each class’s Google Classroom, and through discussion with our children. Children are able to confidently select from a range of Google tools and appropriate software to share their work within the Academy and also with the wider world. The use of the internet allows children to create purposeful work for an online audience.
In our ever progressing digital world, Computing is part of our daily practice and as children progress through Peninsula East Primary Academy, their experiences grow in using a wider range of tools and programmes to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding.
Our pupils will constantly ask the WHY behind their learning and not just the HOW. We expect learners to discuss, reflect and develop an inquiring mind. We encourage regular discussions between staff and pupils to best embed and understand this. The way pupils showcase, share, celebrate and publish their work will best show the impact of our curriculum. We also look for evidence through reviewing pupil’s knowledge and skills digitally through saved projects on their Google Drive.
Motivation and enthusiasm are key attributes that we strive to embed in every pupil.
Early Years learning environments feature Computing scenarios based on experience in the real world, such as in role play. Children begin to recognise that a range of technology is used in places such as homes and schools. They will gain confidence to select and use technology for particular purposes.
The impact of our curriculum is that by the end of each milestone the vast majority of children have sustained mastery of the concepts and will demonstrate a greater subject knowledge and understanding.