Computing at Queen's Drive Infant School 

Vision – All children to have the skills and knowledge in order to use computing across the curriculum and in everyday life.

INTENT - Computing is a rich and relevant subject. We want all our children to love computing! At Queen’s Drive, we want all children to feel confident using technology in the digital world, in a safe, responsible and exciting manner.

IMPLEMENTATION - One important aspect of teaching computing is programming.

Why Should children Learn Coding?

At Queen's Drive Infant School we teach coding through Purple mash online platform. Some of these advantages include:

• Boosting creativity - coding demands repeated experimentation. The process of trial and error encourages children to use creativity.

• Better mathematical skills - coding mainly involves visualising abstract concepts that can be applied to mathematical problem-solving. This, in turn, helps kids improve their maths skills and use them in real-life situations.

• Builds confidence in problem-solving - since coding often involves making mistakes until you can get it right, children will learn that there's always more than one way to complete any task.

• Enhances academic writing performance - coding supports planning and organising skills. Children will be able to put their thoughts in order and can improve their writing skills.

How is Computing taught?

Computing is taught termly following the National Curriculum (2014) using the Purple Mash scheme. We also plan in computing skills discretely across KS1 which builds on early skills taught in EYFS. Teachers assess children's learning through observations and interactions with pupils during activities. 

In EYFS, we nurture a greater understanding of the world by recognising the variety of technology used in the home and school. Children are given the opportunity to use a range of equipment in school including iPads, cameras, microphones, remote control toys, programmable robots and PCs allowing them to understand how and why certain things happen. Teaching of computing is not explicit, however, our children access a wide range of IT throughout curriculum eg. Role play washing machines and other equipment.

We believe that good computing thinking can be done in EYFS and KS1 in the form of.........

Tinkering – playing and exploring

Making – making things, checking things and fixing things

Collaboration – playing and working collaboratively

Persevering – not giving up

Logic – anticipation and explaining is logical reasoning

Pattern – grouping things, comparing, spotting similarities and differences, working out rules

Abstraction – Naming and labelling, working out what is important, sticking to main theme, ignoring what is not important, creating a summary

Algorithms and decomposition – responding to instructions, ordering things, sequencing things, introducing storylines, working out different ways to do things, breaking problems down into small steps.

Throughout KS1, regular usage of iPads and laptops continue to take place. In Year 1, children explore different apps on the iPads to create, organise, store, manipulate and retrieve digital content. In Year 2, we allow children to build on their iPad skills where they learn to implement algorithms, create and debug simple programs.

BOOKS

Look Inside How Computers Work by Alex Frith

Code Academy - Code Confusion! by Kirsty Holmes

My Digital World by Ben Hubbard

Drones by Stephen White-Thomas

Code Academy - Debugging Disasters by Kirsty Holmes

How Coding Works by Ben Hubbard

Learn the Language of Video gaming by William Anthony

The Internet by William Anthony

KNOWLEDGE ORGANISERS

It is important to the teaching of computing that all staff and children are taught key vocabulary in order to enable a clear understanding of aspects of computing. Please access the 'Knowledge Organisers' in order to see key concepts and vocabulary taught during the Autumn term.