At the Valley, we use a knowledge and skills based approach to teaching and learning using objectives taken from the National Curriculum. We teach Computing skills discretely, ensuring all children can access all areas of the Computing Curriculum. Where there are meaningful links to other subjects, we promote cross-curricular links.
We use the Rising Stars’ Switched on Computing scheme of work as detailed in the curriculum overview. It fully meets all needs of the Computing Programme of Study (National Curriculum 2014) and has been created and written by Computing at School alongside a vast number of leading educational organisations. The plans from the scheme split up the Computing curriculum into 3 main strands: Digital Literacy, Computer Science and Information Technology. Where appropriate, Computing is taught discretely, for example, programming using ‘Scratch’ on laptops. Timetabling ensures all classes have access to devices and the Computing Suite. Due to the ever-increasing significance of Digital Citizenship (within which online safety falls into), the school has an enhanced emphasis on equipping pupils to use the internet in a safe and positive manner. Details of our teaching of Digital Citizenship can be found in the Digital Citizenship document.
Online safety and digital citizenship remain high priorities and are taught across the Computing curriculum as well as specific elements within the school’s PSHE scheme (Jigsaw). The school has also participated in Safer Internet Day each year. The school’s e-safety champions spread key themed messages across the school year to their peers within school. Further details of Computing at the Valley can be found in the key documents and useful links.
