A high-quality computing education equips pupils to use computational thinking and creativity to understand and change the world. Computing has deep links with mathematics, science, and design and technology, and provides insights into both natural and artificial systems. The core of computing is computer science, in which pupils are taught the principles of information and computation, how digital systems work, and how to put this knowledge to use through programming. Building on this knowledge and understanding, pupils are equipped to use information technology to create programs, systems and a range of content. Computing also ensures that pupils become digitally literate – able to use, and express themselves and develop their ideas through, information and communication technology – at a level suitable for the future workplace and as active participants in a digital world.

The national curriculum for computing aims 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.

KS1
Pupils should be taught to:

• understand what algorithms are; how they are implemented as programs on digital devices; and that programs execute by following precise and unambiguous instructions

• create and debug simple programs

• use logical reasoning to predict the behaviour of simple programs

• use technology purposefully to create, organise, store, manipulate and retrieve digital content

• recognise common uses of information technology beyond school

• use technology safely and respectfully, keeping personal information private; identify where to go for help and support when they have concerns about content or contact on the internet or other online technologies.

KS2
Pupils should be taught to:

• design, write and debug programs that accomplish specific goals, including controlling or simulating physical systems; solve problems by decomposing them into smaller parts

• use sequence, selection, and repetition in programs; work with variables and various forms of input and output

• use logical reasoning to explain how some simple algorithms work and to detect and correct errors in algorithms and programs

• understand computer networks including the internet; how they can provide multiple services, such as the world wide web; and the opportunities they offer for communication and collaboration

• use search technologies effectively, appreciate how results are selected and ranked, and be discerning in evaluating digital content

• select, use and combine a variety of software (including internet services) on a range of digital devices to design and create a range of programs, systems and content that accomplish given goals, including collecting, analysing, evaluating and presenting data and information

• use technology safely, respectfully and responsibly; recognise acceptable / unacceptable behaviour; identify a range of ways to report concerns about content and contact.

The curriculum has been written to support all pupils, with units containing a number of scaffolding activities and utilising effective pedagogies to ensure high quality teaching. However, you may still need to adapt resources to enable some of your pupils, to access lessons fully.

The following principles will help you make adaptations that benefit all learners, and these will be more effective if you identify clearly what it is your individual pupils need help with – do they have poor working memory that means that following instructions is more difficult, or do they need help to stay focussed when completing projects?

1. Identify essential learning and misconceptions: Determine the key learning in each unit that every child should know. Provide repeated opportunities for pupils to revisit this content in different ways. Identify any likely misconceptions and address these explicitly in lessons. For example, in the year 3 Animation unit, pupils tend to move characters too far between frames, so ensure this is highlighted and modelled well.
2. Pre-teach key vocabulary: Pre-teach the essential vocabulary for each unit, provide learners with a word list supported by images and use the vocabulary regularly throughout the unit with a consistent definition. Concentrate on a small number of terms and consider using a graphic organiser to highlight relationships between concepts, e.g. the Frayer model.
3. Create step-by-step instructions: Break down complex tasks and routine skills for using software and hardware into smaller steps and create pictorial instructions for children to follow. For example, in year 4 Audio Editing, you could create a handout with a sequence of instructions for trimming audio clips in Audacity based on the video guide.
4. Provide templates: In Creating Media or Data & Information unts, support task completion by providing a template for pupils to modify – removing the fear of the blank page and helping to build confidence. For example, in the year 6 Web Page Creation unit, you could set up a simple site with pages and navigation for pupils to fill in the content.
5. Consider non-computing barriers: Consider if difficulties in other areas, such as writing or maths, present barriers to completing a task and if so, modify the task to help mitigate these. For example, in the year 6 Communication and Collaboration unit, during lesson 3 where pupils work collaboratively to create slides, they could dictate content into the document rather than type it.
6. Use the PRIMM framework or Parson’s problems: In programming units, add extra scaffolding using PRIMM and Parson’s problems. Some pupils may not be able to create a program, but they can practise reading and exploring code in a working program, then modify it to make it more personalised. For example, in the year 4 Repetition in Games unit, for the final task learners can modify the bat catching game by changing the backdrop, adding a new costume to the sprites to change their appearance, and adding a different sound. The aim is to remove these scaffolds as children develop their skills, but some learners may not become fully independent.
7. Harness pupils’ special interests: Increase engagement and make learning more relevant by incorporating pupils’ special interests. This is also important in terms of culturally relevant pedagogy. For example, in the year 5 Vector Drawing unit, pupils could use what they have learnt to create a logo for their favourite sports team.
8. Use unplugged activities and the semantic wave: We can use unplugged activities to help make computing concepts more relevant and understandable for learners. However, it is very important to ‘repack’ the knowledge of the abstract concept so that learners understand what it means in a wider context and they can use the technical language. For example, in the year 5 Selection in Physical Computing unit pupils consider examples of selection in everyday life. Children then need to see the link between these examples and how this is used in a program and have the opportunity to use the key language in context. Pupils with SEND may need repeated examples and smaller steps to repack the knowledge, e.g. you could provide learners with some printed selection blocks from the Crumble software to add everyday examples to.
9. Support planning: Break down the planning process into smaller parts which can be ticked off as each one is completed and provide a planning scaffold for learners where required. For example, when planning out algorithms for Scratch, provide printed versions of the blocks to manipulate and order, to help pupils to focus on only the code required.
10. Reinforce digital skills: A significant barrier to accessing the whole computing curriculum is a lack of key digital skills, for example being able to log on to a computer and use the keyboard effectively. Time spent revisiting digital skills across all units is important to develop fluency. Some pupils may also benefit from extra time to practise these skills in small groups or may need image-supported help sheets to support specific repeated tasks, such as saving work.

Be safe, respectful and knowledgeable users of technology and the World Wide Web.

Be confident and competent users of a wide variety of software and hardware.

Recognise and appropriately use the vocabulary associated with technology including basic coding language.

Understand how technology has developed over time and continues to change according to demand and how they can use it to their advantage across all aspects of life and learning.

Please click on the information below for important information on keeping your children safe online – click here.

• KS1 – Ages 5-7
• KS2 – Ages 8-11
• Scratch MIT
• Turtle Academy
• ChildNet Kidsmart
• Online Safety workshop

Computing curriculum termly overview

• Ergonomic supports and posture awareness are embedded into computing lessons. 
• Movement breaks and sensory tools help pupils manage screen time and maintain focus.