Intent

At St Paul’s CE Academy we believe that every child should have the right to a curriculum that champions excellence; supporting pupils in achieving the best of their abilities. As technology has advanced we understand the value technology and our Computing curriculum plays in supporting pupils within day-to-day life.

Computing is an integral part of the national curriculum and has deep links with Mathematics, Science, and Design Technology. By providing a high quality Computing education St Paul’s CE Academy will equip pupils with the use of computational thinking and the creativity to understand the ever changing technoloigcal world around us. At St Paul’s CE Academy we recognise that pupils are entitled to the quality hardware, software, unplugged resources and structured progressive approach to the learning of the skills needed to enable them to use effectively

Implementation

All Computing learning will begin by revisiting prior knowledge. This will be scaffolded in order to support children to recall previous learning and make connections. Staff will model explicitly the subject-specific vocabulary, knowledge and skills relevant to the learning to allow them to integrate new knowledge into larger concepts. Learning will be supported through the use of knowledge organisers that provide children with supports to help them retain new facts and vocabulary in their long term memory.  The knowledge organisers will also allow teachers to assess the children at the start and end of the topic and see whether they have retained the knowledge taught so far.

• Computing at St Paul’s CE Academy will be challenging, purposeful and enjoyable for all pupils.
• The long-term plan sets out the Computing units, which are to be taught throughout the year and ensures that the requirements of the National Curriculum are fully met.
• Children are able to attend a Computing club whereby they can display their knowledge and understanding while continuing to develop their confidence and capabilities.  
• All classes within St Paul’s will be provided with access to six Computing sessions within the Computer suite each term. Alongside this, pupils will have access to a range of equipment to develop their Computational thinking further.

Impact

At St Paul’s we believe that a well taught computing curriculum:

• Gives pupils immediate access to a rich source of materials.
• Can present information in new ways which help pupils understand access and use it more readily.
• Can motivate and enthuse pupils.
• Can help pupils focus and concentrate.
• Offers potential for effective group working.
• Has the flexibility to the individual needs and abilities of each pupil.
• Can equip pupils to participate in a rapid-changing world where work and leisure activities are increasingly transformed by technology.