Computing

Computing Learning Pathway at St John's

At St. John’s our aim is to provide an innovative Computing education which will equip our pupils to harness technology in a safe, purposeful and inspired way.

Our Computing curriculum focuses on a progression of skills in digital literacy, computer science, information technology and online safety to ensure that children become competent in safely using, as well as understanding, technology.

Our intention is that every child will leave the school having all the skills required to become active and discerning participants in the digital world. They will be confident users of various forms of digital devices and be able to manipulate data in a range of digital formats. They will have a good understanding of how computing controls real world systems and will be able to write programs to control models of such systems. Further to this, they will be digitally literate and able to present information in a range of digital formats as well as make informed decisions as to the quality of the source of information they have researched. Moreover, they will be able to make informed decisions as to how they present themselves in the digital world and understand the benefits and risks of doing so. This will ensure that every child has the skills required to be an active participant in the constantly changing digital world.

We believe that Computing is a subject that should be an integral part of all learning. It is a key skill for everyday life, providing pupils with essential knowledge that will enable them to participate effectively and safely in the digital world.

At St John’s, pupils have the opportunity to evaluate and apply information technology and are encouraged to apply their skills to analytically solve problems. We want pupils to develop the confidence to become responsible and proficient when using technology. Pupils will use computational thinking to understand the concepts of computer science, including algorithms and data representation.

We aim to ensure that pupils become digitally literate, independent and skilful users of digital technology and will be forward thinking in this rapidly changing technological age.

Computing within our school will provide a wealth of learning opportunities and transferrable skills across our entire school curriculum. A high quality computing education is a tool for learning and a key factor in raising standards in Maths and English.

Pupils are taught through the iCompute scheme as a whole-class with interactive teaching. Lessons are sequenced so that concepts are developed in logical steps with particular attention given to fundamental concepts and where key skills are revisited and built upon. This ensures that all children can master concepts before moving to the next stage,

Online safety is a large part of the computing curriculum at St John’s. We wholeheartedly believe that children need to learn, from a young age, how to keep themselves safe online.