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Computing

Intent

Our intent is to teach the skills required to embrace the use of technologies and apply them across the curriculum and apply them to everyday life now and in the future.

Computing at Reed First School ensures the requirements of the National Curriculum are met across all year groups. We use materials from Purple Mash as a basis for teaching and learning.

Our aims:

  • Provide an exciting, rich, relevant and challenging Computing curriculum for all pupils.
  • Enthuse and equip children with the capability to use technology throughout their lives.
  • Give children access to a variety of high quality hardware, software and unplugged resources.
  • Teach pupils to become responsible, respectful and competent users of data, information and communication technology.
  • Teach pupils to understand the importance of governance and legislation regarding how information is used, stored, created, retrieved, shared and manipulated.
  • Equip pupils with skills, strategies and knowledge that will enable them to reap the benefits of the online world, whilst being able to minimise risk to themselves or others.
  • Provide technology solutions for forging better home and school links.
  • Utilise computational thinking beyond the Computing curriculum.
  • Exceed the minimum government recommended/statutory guidance for programmes of study for Computing and other related legislative guidance (online safety).

Online safety has a high profile. We ensure this profile is maintained and that pupil needs are met by the following:

  • A relevant up-to-date online safety curriculum which is progressive from Early Years to the end of Year 4.
  • A curriculum that is threaded throughout other curriculums and embedded in the day-to-day lives of our pupils.
  • Training for staff and governors which is relevant to their needs and ultimately positively impacts on the pupils.
  • Scheduled pupil voice sessions and learning walks steer changes and inform training needs.
  • Through our home/school links and communication channels, parents are kept up to date with relevant online safety matters, policies and agreements. They know who to contact at school if they have concerns.
  • Our online safety policy clearly states how monitoring of online safety is undertaken and any incidents/infringements to it are dealt with.
  • Filtering and monitoring systems for all our online access.
  • Data policies which stipulate how we keep confidential information secure.

The Purple Mash scheme of work supports our teachers in delivering fun and engaging lessons which help to raise standards and allow all pupils to achieve to their full potential. We are confident that the scheme of work more than adequately meets the national vision for Computing. It provides immense flexibility, strong cross-curricular links and integrates perfectly with the 2Simple Computing Assessment Tool. Furthermore, it gives excellent supporting material for less confident teachers.

Whilst computing is taught through discrete lessons, it is used creatively in other areas of the curriculum to both consolidate and stretch the children’s understanding of digital literacy.

At Reed, we are well equipped with chromebooks for the children to use during computing lessons and across other subjects. Every child at Reed has their own Google Suite for Education account. Gsuite is a suite of tools that allows students and teachers to collaborate in real-time to create documents, presentations, surveys, spreadsheets and even websites. Mathletics and TT RockStars are also used in school and at home to provide online resources for Maths and times tables.

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NSPCC helpline (0808 800 5000) for support and advice if you have concerns about your own or another child’s safety. The Together, we can tackle child abuse campaign also provides information on the signs of child abuse and neglect.

Thinkuknow by National Crime Agency- CEOP has developed activities to support your child’s safe use of the internet and the Lucy Faithfull Foundation’s Parent Protect website also provides advice on how to help protect children from child sexual abuse.

If you see sexual images or videos of someone under 18 online, report it anonymously to the Internet Watch Foundation who can work to remove them from the web and help to identify victims and survivors.

You can contact Stop It Now! for information and advice if you have concerns about someone’s behaviour, including children who may be displaying concerning sexual behaviour.

You can also contact The Marie Collins Foundation, help@mariecollinsfoundation.org.uk for support, including advice and individual counselling, for your child if they have been subjected to online sexual abuse – support is also offered to parents and carers.