Statement of Intent

At our school, we recognise that Computing is an essential part of the curriculum; a subject that not only stands alone but is woven as an integral part of all learning.  Computing, in general, is an increasingly significant part of daily life, and children should be at the forefront of new technology in order to thrive in a digitally-advanced society.  Computing within schools can therefore provide a wealth of learning opportunities and transferrable skills explicitly within the Computing lesson and across other curriculum subjects. 

With the ever-increasing social media platforms used by children, we prioritise coaching our children (and parents) to remain safe and respectful online. Through a thorough and robust Computing curriculum, children will be able to develop a wide range of fundamental skills, knowledge and understanding that will enable them to participate actively, effectively and safely in the rapidly changing digital world. At our school the computing curriculum is delivered through the iLearn2 scheme of work.

The intent of iLearn2 is to help pupils become independent, creative, safe, respectful and problem-solving digital citizens with a broad and transferrable skillset. iLearn2 makes computing fun for pupils, inspiring them to develop skills beyond the classroom and building an awareness of all the opportunities the subject provides.

iLearn2’s Progression of Skills page is the suggested teaching sequence of our activity packs and the skills within them. The page also includes how the activities meet the expectations of the national curriculum programmes of study for Key Stages 1 and 2. It has been designed to make sure pupils learn computing skills from the three recognised aspects of computing (below) within each year of their primary education. This means that pupils will build upon skills and concepts they established from the previous year and develop them further in the current and subsequent year. 

For example, pupils will learn how to program keyboard or touch screen inputs in Year 3 to control a sprite in Scratch, then develop this further into a racing game in Year 4 using conditions and variables. Before introducing random variables in Year 5 to make the game unpredictable. Also, basic ebook creation skills can be introduced in Year 2 with text and images and developed further in year 4 and 5 with the addition of hyperlinks and interactive elements.

 The three aspects are:

• Computer Science (highlighted blue in the progression) – this covers programming (both block-based and text-based), including computational thinking using web-based software such as Scratch. Pupils across Key Stage 1 and 2 will write code to program physical and on-screen objects, interactive games and use text-based language, such as HTML and Python by the end of Key Stage 2.
• Information Technology (highlighted purple in the progression) – this covers the use of applications to create digital content, including document creation and editing, video making, digital art, graphic design, animation, 3D modelling and website building. 

• Digital Literacy (highlighted green in the progression) – covers skills to find, evaluate, utilise and share using technologies and the Internet. This includes important e-safety and internet research skills, as well as an understanding of computer networks in Key Stage 2. 

Statement of Implementation 

iLearn2 includes activity packs with step-by-step, easy to follow video tutorials and challenges for both teachers and pupils to access. This has many advantages including:

• Pupils can learn computing skills at their own pace, developing independent learning skills with opportunities to continually review and revisit the skills covered.
• The pupil activity codes help teachers provide pupils with specific activities, meaning pupils can access resources and content suitable for their individual ability and needs.
• The pupil activity packs are available across Key Stage 1 and 2. Key Stage 1 pupils learn how to apply the skills they learn in the tutorials to their own work. Key Stage 2 pupils apply and develop the skills they learn in the tutorials into their own projects, independently improving and evaluating their work.
• The video tutorials are compatible with Google Chrome’s Live Caption tool, meaning pupils with hearing loss can access the video content. 

The Embed page on iLearn2 provides pupils with cross-curricular projects, helping apply computing skills across the Key Stage 1 and 2 curriculums. The activity packs cover skills for the three most common platforms; Microsoft, Apple and Google.

Children evaluate projects and determine what can be improved/adapted, both through class/group discussion and independent critical thought. This helps pupils reflect on the development of their computing skills to apply their knowledge, solve problems, stay safe and respect others.

Computing skills are taught both discretely and cross-curricular, supporting other areas of learning across the school, and will include out-of-school experiences as available (such as a visit to the Warning Zone E-Safety Zone in Leicester).  

Statement of Impact

After the implementation of the Computing curriculum, our children will be digitally literate and able to join the rest of the world on its digital platform.  They will be equipped, not only with the skills and knowledge to use technology effectively and for their own benefit, but more importantly – safely.  The biggest impact we want on our children is that they understand the consequences of using the internet and that they are also aware of how to keep themselves safe online. 

As children become more confident in their abilities in Computing, they will become more independent and key life skills such as problem-solving, logical thinking and self-evaluation become second nature.