Subject Curriculum Lead: Mrs Liz Antal

Online safety is very important at Cowling Community Primary School. We ensure this profile is maintained and that pupil needs are met by providing the following:

• A relevant up-to-date online safety curriculum which is progressive from Early Years to the end of Year 6 and beyond giving children a firm foundation and understanding of staying safe online.
• An Online Safety Policy which is regularly reviewed and updated.
• The Online Safety Policy includes a section summarising responsibilities for Parents and Carers and an Online Safety agreement for Parents / Carers.
• Every month parents are sent an online safety newsletter which has up to date information on the latest online platforms and games and how to keep their child safe. This is also available on the school website.
• Filtering and monitoring systems for all on-line access in school.
• Data policies which stipulate how we keep confidential information secure.

Intent: As a school, we have chosen the Purple Mash Computing Scheme of Work from Year 1 to Year 6. The scheme of work supports our teachers to deliver engaging lessons which help to raise standards and allow all pupils to achieve their full potential. Purple Mash provides flexibility and strong cross-curricular links as well as excellent support material for less confident teachers. 

Technology is everywhere and will play a pivotal part in students’ lives, Therefore, we model and educate our pupils on how to use technology positively, responsibly and safely.  We want our pupils to be creators not consumers and our broad curriculum encompassing computer science, information technology and digital literacy reflects this. Our pupils will understand that there is always a choice with using technology and as a school we utilise technology (especially social media) to model positive use. We recognise that the best prevention for a lot of issues we currently see with technology/social media is through education. 

Key Stage 1 learners: A two year rolling programme ensures that the Computing topics are taught to all pupils during their time in Key Stage 1, taking into account the mixed-age structure of our classes. Please see our progression document for the content of our curriculum.

Key Stage 2 learners: Year 3 and Year 4 pupils and Years 5 and Year 6 pupils follow a 2 year rolling programme. This ensures pupils have access to the full curriculum within the mixed-age group structure of our classes. Where necessary pupils are taught particular topics at the beginning and end of the same year so that our curriculum is consistently skills progressive.

Implementation: It is important in the Early Years stage of schooling to give children a broad, play- based experience of computing in a range of contexts. We plan for purposeful opportunities throughout the year linked to our topics to give children the skills they require for computing in  Key Stage 1. Children at Cowling School experience a computing lesson once a week from year 1-6. We have created a comprehensive progression document for staff to follow to best embed and cover every element of the computing curriculum. The knowledge/skills statements build throughout our computing curriculum to deepen understanding and challenge our learners. 

Assessment in Computing: Children’s learning is assessed throughout the unit from lesson to lesson. Children’s learning is revisited at 2 weeks, 6 weeks and 12 weeks to ensure that learning is embedded in the children’s long-term memory.

Impact: We encourage our children to enjoy and value the curriculum we deliver. We regularly ask the why behind their learning and not just the how. We teach learners to discuss, reflect and appreciate the impact computing has on their learning, development and wellbeing. In Key Stage 1 children learn the basic skills of computing and use various programs to develop their confidence and skills with technology. This enables our Key Stage 2 children to become more independent learners. Children have the confidence to use computers in Key Stage 2 for a variety of cross curricular projects.        

EYFS: At Cowling School we provide our pupils with a broad, play-based experience of Computing in a range of contexts. We believe that Early Years learning environments should feature ICT scenarios based on experience in the real world, such as in roleplay. Pupils gain confidence, control and language skills through opportunities to ‘paint’ on the interactive board/devices or control remotely operated toys such as the insects and beebots. Children at Cowling school have the opportunity to use I-pads to access a range of apps including the camera, video and QR code scanner.

SEND: At Cowling School, we aim to enable all children to achieve to their full potential. All children including those with SEN are given opportunities to learn computing. Often technology provides great opportunities for accessing learning, for enabling communication and preparing them for their future lives and careers. We have aspirational targets for all children including children with additional needs. We place particular emphasis on the flexibility technology brings to allowing pupils to access learning opportunities, particularly pupils with SEN and disabilities. With this in mind, we will ensure additional access to technology is provided throughout the school day.

Enrichment of Computing at Cowling: At Cowling school we offer a coding club to Key Stage 2 children during lunchtimes for one term each year. The curriculum is organised to create links between different subjects, supporting different learning styles and providing a more holistic approach.