Computing is an invisible footprint across all aspects of a child’s life. A high-quality computing curriculum equips children to use computational thinking and creativity to understand and change the world. Computing has links with mathematics, science and design and technology with insights into both natural and artificial systems. Computer Science is the core of computing where children are taught the principles of information and computation, how digital systems work and how to put this knowledge to use through programming. From here pupils are equipped to use information technology to create programs, systems and a range of content. Computing also ensures that our children are digitally literate; able to use, express themselves and develop ideas through ICT as participants in the digital world and in the future workplace.

It is our intention, that every child at Inkpen Primary School will be a confident and safe user of technology enabling them to access learning, entertainment, work and information from a range of devices and systems – some yet to be invented! As they progress, through the school they will develop their skills, knowledge and understanding of the equipment, of programming languages and systems and creativity through electronic means.

Through a developing knowledge and awareness ofwhat e-safety means for them the children will be able to look after themselves and others, mindful of the need to keep their information private and the need to manage their time spent using screens of all sorts.

It is important that our children feel confident in their use of technology and comfortable with it so that they can enjoy the many benefits it provides such as virtual visits to galleries, performances and sports as well as communication networks where so much of life is lived today.

We build and develop the following essential skills through three key strands to enable the children to become digitally literate:

• Computer Science
• Information Technology
• Digital Literacy – incorporating e-safety

At Inkpen Primary School, Curriculum for Computing is taken from Purplemash and ensures that all children, regardless of their ability, race or gender, are able to access their learning and achieve their potential.

We achieve this by:

• Using a range of teaching strategies from independent tasks, paired and grouped work as well as digital activities and learning platforms.
• The computing curriculum ensures a broad and balanced coverage developing a range of skills, such as coding, creating documents and presentations, and understanding how networks are built and used that allows the development of transferable skills to Science, Art and Music amongst others.
• Curriculum coverage is planned and organised to ensure that all areas of the National Curriculum are covered in a two-year programme of learning.

Computing is taught as a specific subject using our Chrome Books. Planning indicates the key learning for the lesson, the key questions to be investigated, the practical work to be completed and the success criteria for the lesson. The areas of learning include:

• Online or e-safety is a crucial skill in modern life. The children learn early at school that they should keep private information private. Support can be accessed via the PCSO service for community work to bring added awareness to the importance of safety online. This is reviewed constantly and runs as a thread through all the teaching about and using computers.

• Computer systems and networks which include learning about how computers work and how they are linked together locally and via the world wide web.
• Coding – we make use of our online subscription service to PurpleMash for our coding tasks.
• Creating media – the children learn t use PurpleMash, Google and Office software enabling them to create written documents, spreadsheets and presentations. They also use computing to compose music and create art pieces using a range of software products.
• Software is used to create data displays and to collect data efficiently. In the older years, children are encouraged to analyse their data.

Strong subject knowledge is essential in computing and the school has support in place for staff who need to find out more or deal with specific issues relating to computing.