At St James, we aim to create motivated life-long learners through the use of technology to enhance teaching and learning.

 

Education in the 21st Century is preparing children for a future in which computing is a rapidly changing, integral part of society and therefore it is our aim to ensure that our children develop these necessary skills.  Our computing curriculum will equip pupils with the knowledge and understanding to change the world through logical thinking and creativity. We aim for all learners to be safe, confident and independent in their use of computing to solve problems across the curriculum. In particular the new National Curriculum for computing makes strong links with mathematics, science and design and technology.

 

The core of computing is computer science, in which pupils are taught the principles of information and computation, and how digital systems work. Computing equips pupils to use information technology to create programs, systems and a range of media. It also ensures that pupils become digitally literate – able to use, and express themselves and develop their ideas through, information and communication technology – at a level suitable for the future workplace and as active participants in a digital world.

 

At St James, we teach computing in line with the current National Curriculum. We teach discrete skills-based lessons that follow six flexible units for each year group:

• Programming
• Computational thinking
• Creativity
• Computer networks
• Communication and collaboration
• Productivity

 

Each year group carry out computing lessons on a weekly basis with access to a class set of laptops, still and video cameras, microphones. We also have access to software such as Scratch, which allow pupils access to a child-friendly programming language. We also endeavour to embed these skills into the wider curriculum, with computing being used throughout the day in a range of lessons. We are excited about the prospect of using ipads in 2017 which, following fund-raising and donations, we are delighted to have finally purchased!