Computing

Computing at Woodvale Primary Academy

As a school we aim to create a high-quality approach to computing where all pupils are engaged in making their own creative products that are open-ended, include lots of discussion, scaffold and use problem-solving approaches to design solutions.

Computing is a science, and we encourage pupils to design solutions that will develop their fundamental computational thinking skills.  These skills lie at the very heart of the National Curriculum, allowing pupils to make ‘problems’ easier to solve by splitting them down into more manageable parts (decomposition) and taking the detail out of problems to develop solutions that solve multiple problems (abstraction).  The learning that the pupils experience will equip them with key life skills – not just useful in programming.

Along with computing, pupils will be taught a range of Information Communication skills allowing them to express and develop their ideas digitally.  Pupils, along with becoming digitally literate, will develop resilience and persistence as it is about understanding how computers and computer systems work. It is important to learn that when things go wrong it is completely normal and also useful.

The children in Reception use tablets in their classroom and have access to classroom PCs.  All other children use one of our laptops or tablets in their own classrooms. 

All children have their own individual login details so are able to store all work they have completed on the school network. They also have access to Microsoft Teams where the class teacher may set various assignments, allowing a large range of computer based cross curricular and home-based computing opportunities.

In computing we provide exciting and relevant project-based series of lessons that help children develop skills by finding things out, develop ideas and make things happen.  They learn to present, record, store, exchange and share information.

E-safety and safeguarding online is extremely important.  There are units of work solely dedicated to E-safety, reinforced during PSHE and on Safer Internet Day as well as the UK’s Internet Safety Week. 

National Curriculum Link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/239033/PRIMARY_national_curriculum_-_Computing.pdf