Intent

At Lambton, we believe in preparing our children for a technological future. We believe that technology, already merged with our ethos, pedagogy, vision and environments, will give our children a relevant and successful education which will enhance their learning opportunities. This will develop individuals and prepare them for the technological future in their everyday and working lives.

Children develop skills in using hardware and software to find, process and display information. They are taught the principles of 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. Pupils regularly use computers to reinforce or extend skills in other subjects.

The school operates an Internet Use Policy to ensure safety at all times.

Implementation

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 year on year to deepen and challenge our learners.

The school has a fully equipped, networked computer suite as well as computers in classrooms. There is also a mobile suite of tablets and a mobile suite of Chromebooks. Each class has Chromebooks which are used for research and small group work. These computers are all linked to the Internet.  We also have a range of programming hardware including the following: Coding Critters, BlueBots, Lego Wedo robots, MV3 robots.

Impact

We use individual assessments to track children’s progress in Computing.  We are also introducing self-assessments at the end of each unit.

We ensure that the Computing curriculum is progressive.  This allows children to develop skills and apply them across the curriculum.  We encourage our children to enjoy and value the curriculum we deliver. We will constantly ask the WHY behind their learning and not just the HOW. We want learners to discuss, reflect and appreciate the impact computing has on their learning, development and well being. Finding the right balance with technology is key to an effective education and a healthy lifestyle. We feel the way we implement computing helps children realise the need for the right balance and one they can continue to build on in their next stage of education and beyond.