Computing

We recognise that using computers skilfully, and often creatively, is vital in order to access and change the world in the 21st century. By developing early computational thinking and digital literacy, our children will be equipped for higher levels of learning. Thus, as capable digital natives, they will be ready to become the managers, designers and engineers of the future.

Progression of Computing Teaching and Learning

At Manorside, we carefully sequence our teaching of Computing to enable our children to be safe and confident users of computing technology and appropriate online platforms. Our Computing curriculum is shaped by the Purple Mash Computing scheme for learning.

Children have a timetabled lesson in our Computing Room once a week. The majority of these lessons are to facilitate the Computing curriculum. However, learning may also centre around other curriculum areas. This regular use of our Computing Room supports children to embed confident and sensible use of computers right from their early visits in Reception.

Our Computing Room being used for some Wider Curriculum learning

We focus our Computing curriculum around three key concepts: Computer Science, Digital Literacy and Information Technology.

In Computer Science learning, children develop their knowledge and understanding of algorithms. From Year 1, children are taught that algorithms are sets of instructions which can be followed to cause an event or solve a problem. Children progress and learn to create their own, increasingly complex algorithms as well as to debug existing algorithms throughout their learning journey at Manorside. Children learn to add and control their own timers, repeated commands and ‘if’ variables into their programs. They develop the ability to control digital movement and sound as well as make use of a variety of inputs. Children also learn about the hardware of computers and the networks that link computers and digital devices.

Children are taught appropriate e-mail conventions and are enabled to send and reply to emails within Purple Mash as part of their learning. They learn how to add attachments and use e-mail appropriately and safely.

In Digital Literacy, children are taught to save their work in a variety of storage options, including Purple Mash, the school network and online cloud platforms such as Microsoft Teams. Children are taught then how to find and access their saved work to review and edit it. Children are taught to use search engines effectively, efficiently and judiciously. As part of this, children are taught how to report unacceptable use of technology and unacceptable materials both within school and within the wider, online world. From the beginning of their Computing learning, children are taught the importance of keeping personal information private and this is revisited and developed progressively each year.

Online Safety is taught explicitly in our Computing curriculum each year. It is revisited continually and progressively during Computing lessons throughout the year, as well as having its own explicit place in our Wellbeing (RSHE) lessons.

Information Technology learning further develops the children’s ability to sort, retrieve and send information using the skills they have acquired in other areas of the Computing curriculum at Manorside. The children are taught to manipulate, save and access documents, photos, text and sounds to create and share information. They are taught to use a selection of software to create, analyse and present this information including online tools on Purple Mash as well as Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Children are taught how to use software to animate, make music, create and use spreadsheets and databases, create games and write blogs.

Using Purple Mash to create algorithms for a game

If you would like to have a snapshot of what Purple Mash provides for our children, please watch this video.