Computing

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At Kirkby on Bain CE Primary School, we aim to provide a high-quality computing education that equips our pupils to use computational thinking and creativity – enabling them to thrive in the ever-evolving world they live in. We are passionate about providing our pupils with the skills they need to succeed in a technologically advancing society.

We use Kapow to support and guide our computing curriculum -  fulling mapping the National Curriculum across EYFS,  Key stage 1 and key stage 2. It offers pupils a computing education, designed for mastery, using underlining pedagogies and covering all objectives categorised into three strands: Digital Literacy, Information Technology and Computer Science. 

Intent:

The overarching aim of the scheme is to build an understanding of how Computing shapes our lives across various scales and over time. Through engaging with this curriculum, we hope to encourage pupils to evolve into resourceful, active citizens equipped with the skills required to contribute positively to their communities and enhance the world they inhabit. Furthermore, our programme is designed to support teachers in enhancing their subject knowledge and pedagogical skills, ensuring they are well-prepared to deliver engaging and information-rich lessons with confidence. In doing so, the curriculum remains both accessible and ambitious, promoting the full participation and potential achievement of all learners.

Implementation:

The implementation of the Kapow Primary Computing curriculum is structured to ensure that it aligns with the National Curriculum's requirements. It is recommended that Computing be taught for one hour per week, facilitating sufficient engagement without overwhelming pupils. Within this framework, the curriculum is divided into unit hubs, each containing essential lesson links, resources, and pertinent information relevant to the unit being taught. These unit hubs correlate with key Computing documents, such as the Progression of Skills and Knowledge and Vocabulary Progression, ensuring a coherent and comprehensive structure.

Moreover, the unit hubs serve as guides to useful resources and suggest potential cross-curricular links, building on pupils' existing knowledge or activating prior learning. A cornerstone of our curriculum design is the spiral curriculum model, which ensures that pupils revisit and further develop their understanding of key themes and concepts throughout their educational journey. By encountering the same ideas multiple times, with each revisit adding complexity, pupils are enabled to make meaningful connections. This approach further reinforces their learning, facilitating mastery over time.

Key aspects of our spiral curriculum include:

• Revisiting Key Concepts: Pupils are introduced to ideas repeatedly during their education, enhancing their understanding with each subsequent encounter.
• Progressive Depth: Concepts are not merely repeated; they are expanded upon, allowing pupils to forge deeper connections.
• Knowledge Retention: Regular exposure to fundamental ideas strengthens memory and mitigates knowledge erosion.
• Skill Development: Pupils refine and apply their skills in varying contexts, sharpening their critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities.
• Adaptive Learning: The curriculum is designed to build on prior knowledge, catering to pupils at their current level. This ensures support for all learners, including those requiring extra reinforcement and those ready for greater challenges.

Impact:

The curriculum is designed to build upon prior knowledge and lessons are sequenced to progress skills in a logical order. The impact and measure of our curriculum is to ensure that pupils achieve the age related expectations with regards to their knowledge, alongside a sound set of skills which will equip them for life in a technologically advancing world.

As a result of our thorough and robust curriculum, our children are confident using a wide range of hardware and software, and are diligent learners who can value online safety and show respect when communicating with one another. They are equipped, not only with the skills and knowledge to use technology effectively and for their own benefit, but more importantly, safely. As children become more confident in their computing skills, they will become more independent at key life skills such as problem-solving, logical thinking and self-evaluation.