Wavertree Church of England School

Belong Believe Achieve

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wavertree-ao@wavertree.liverpool.sch.uk

0151 7331231

Mrs Anna Brooksbank

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Computing

Wavertree Church of England School

Curriculum Statement of Intent

At Wavertree Church of England School, we understand and value the importance of a high-quality computing education.  We strive to provide rigorous, stimulating and safe opportunities both in Computing lessons and across the rest of the curriculum for all of our pupils to gain the knowledge and experience they need to successfully navigate the digital challenges and opportunities they will encounter in the modern world.

The sentiment and values contained within our school mission statement of ‘Belong, Believe, Achieve,’ form a central theme that runs right through our provision of Computing lessons and opportunities.   A secure knowledge of Computing helps us to belong to a number of different communities, to believe in ourselves and in other people and cultures around the world and to achieve a whole range of different goals from personal progress through secondary school and beyond to success and influence in our roles as global citizens in a digital world.

Curriculum Intent - BELONG

In accordance with the guidelines and expectations set out in the national curriculum for languages we aim to ensure that all pupils:

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 or unfamiliar technologies, analytically to solve problems
are responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology
We aim to create quality, interesting, fun and safe learning opportunities in computing for all of our children in order to allow them to belong in all of the various aspects and stages of their lives:

Belong in our school community by, for example, accessing Google Classrooms for their homework, accessing educational websites and online games or being able to add their own dojo reward points that are used in many of our classes.
Belong in communities outside of school, for example on games or social networks.
Belong in the wider world as they move through Secondary School and beyond

Curriculum Implementation – BELIEVE

Planning

The Computing lessons that we provide at Wavertree are firmly based in the aims of the National Curriculum.  To ensure this, we use a purpose made, integrated scheme of work produced by Twinkl that covers the learning across both KS1 and KS2.

Each year group’s lessons are organised within a series of half termly units tailored to meet the requirements of the national curriculum for computing. Each detailed lesson plan is directly linked to the curriculum aims. Lesson plans also include a differentiated sequence of learning, clear success criteria in child-friendly language, plus a handy list of keywords and ideas for extension tasks.

The units for each year group are designed collectively to cover the appropriate national curriculum requirements.  Each unit has its own theme and a number of age appropriate learning objectives. Each lesson is planned so that it builds on the learning of the previous lessons in the unit. Similarly, the units for each year group are planned so that they build upon the leaning of the units in previous years. The units within each year group also draw upon and reinforce the learning in the other units but do not necessarily have to be taught in a particular sequence.  Instead, class teachers have the freedom to organise the sequence of learning in order to best link in with other areas of the curriculum throughout the school year, as they see fit.

In this way we ensure appropriate age related learning and progression from the time pupils begin their Computing lessons in Key Stage 1 until the time they finish their lessons in Key Stage 2 and move on to the next stage of their digital education in Secondary School.  As a result of all this, we enable our students to believe in their computational abilities and the progress they are making.

What learning looks like

As a result of this national curriculum linked and coherent whole school planning, class teachers are able to deliver lessons confidently and effectively.  In addition, staff training sessions are regularly held to both refresh and reinforce existing knowledge, as well as to keep up to date with new developments. 

In order to implement these lessons in the most hands-on and direct manner for our children we provide a purpose built computer suite, equipped with enough desk tops and laptops to ensure that every child in each class can access and experience the learning directly.  Each computer is also accompanied by a set of headphones so that the weird and wonderful noises that accompany computing lessons do not interfere with the concentration and learning of the class as a whole.

In addition, the computer suite is also equipped with its own interactive Smartboard so that teaching points can be shown and demonstrated to the class as a whole when necessary.

Smartboards also play a major part in the integration of computing across the curriculum. Each classroom is equipped with its own Smartboard through which teachers deliver a significant part of the day’s learning.  Children become familiar with and gain a good practical knowledge of the various software packages and online websites used on a daily basis.  There are also plenty of opportunities for pupils to experience and control the Smartboard for themselves, for example by adding their own dojo good behaviour points or by clicking on or typing in answers during the input part of a lesson.

Computing opportunities from taking photographs and videos to be used as part of presentations, to researching specific topics of study to creating their own digital art and designs are further integrated into the curriculum by the use of the school’s collection of iPads.  They provide children with a fantastic opportunity to experience, learn and experiment with information technology for themselves in daily school life.

We believe this mix of discrete and focused lessons in addition to a planned integration and general immersion is the best way to get the children to believe in themselves as active participants in a digital world.

Curriculum Impact – ACHIEVE

Evidence of our pupils’ achievements in Computing is gathered and maintained in electronic portfolios that each child completes and saves their own work in.  This provides a constantly evolving record of Computing achievement not only for the children themselves, but also, for class teachers, the Computing coordinator and the SLT who can access these portfolios at any time for assessment or monitoring purposes.

Monitoring to assess achievement in Computing includes work scrutiny, lesson observations, learning walks and pupil voice interviews/questionnaires in order to ascertain correct curriculum coverage, the quality of teaching and learning as well as the children’s attitudes to and retention of knowledge in the three areas of Computing; Computer Science, Information Technology and Digital Literacy. This information is then used to inform future planning, additional measures to supplement or add challenge to pupils’ learning and further curriculum developments accordingly.

The achievements of our children are further demonstrated and seen in the fact that, where appropriate, all homework is successfully completed online via Google Classroom, and they are also celebrated and in evidence around the school in work created in books and classroom displays across the wider curriculum.

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