INTENT

Computing is a subject of key importance for 21st century learners, so our aim is for pupils to develop the skills, knowledge and understanding for their future growth in this area. To accomplish this, we have worked alongside an Apple Educator to develop a scheme of work based on plans from the National Centre for Computing Education, adapting these so that they work in relation to the devices and infrastructure within our schools.

We intend our curriculum to be the starting point for a journey to a future digital world that we can’t yet imagine, so it is important that the separate elements of computing (computer science, information technology and digital literacy) are covered through a curriculum that builds skills, knowledge and understanding sequentially. We want pupils to be active, responsible participants in this future world, so we also understand the need to promote key e-safety messages and advice as a means to combat the risks that come from the pervasive nature of technology. 

We know that it will take time for all teachers to be confident in the flexible use of digital technology, but our aim is for computing skills to be employed across the curriculum so that pupils understand how they can be used effectively across a range of contexts. 

IMPLEMENTATION

Pupils will receive weekly computing lessons, with these following a carefully sequenced curriculum. Teachers will be supported in the delivery of these through detailed lesson plans. For teachers who lack confidence, we have developed a website that houses a variety of additional support materials. This is managed by a specialist Apple Educator who works remotely to provide additional support and guidance by creating video tutorials or offering online meetings. For teachers who require intensive support, he will also provide direct training within the classroom. In addition, we have a bank of Trust teachers who have specialist knowledge and skills in this area.

As stated, we have aligned the NCCE curriculum to the software and Apple devices used by school. To make sure that we get the most from these, we also employ specialist technicians who look after the computing infrastructure within the schools.

Covid Adaptations:

We have been developing our own curriculum over the past few years. It followed the same strong principles and covered the same areas of learning, but it lacked the lesson-by-lesson planning. This was the reason for incorporating the NCCE plans, with this also working to support teacher workload and make monitoring more effective. 

The NCCE website has guidance for supporting teachers at this time of recovery. In respect to this and the implementation of the lesson plans, our main aim has been to get the Rainbow support website operational for the start of the academic year as we see this as the best way to assist teachers in supporting pupils’ return to school. If teachers or pupils struggle with lesson content, specialist support will be on hand through our in-house website.