Computing

 

Children are growing up in a technology rich environment. Computing in its many forms underpins today’s modern lifestyle.  This means that we need to give our children opportunities to experience and develop skills in its use that will help them make the most of adult life. 

Computing is not just about computers - it includes anything that requires the input of instructions to produce specific outcomes (answering machine, mobile phone, DVD player, washing machine, traffic lights and even speed cameras); it is about safely accessing information ideas and experiences from a range of people communities and cultures via the internet to enhance learning and about different ways of communicating with the world.

The new computing curriculum, adjusted to keep pace with the advances in ICT, is divided into the following components:

Digital Literacy: Pupils learn about how to become good digital citizens they build their knowledge on how communication tools and the internet works whilst understanding the importance of keeping safe.

Computer Science: Pupils learn how the technology in our world is controlled through instructions and how computers need these programs to work. Pupils will learn how to write these programs using visual programming and simple text based languages (coding)

Information Technology: Pupils learn how to use a range of creative tools to support learning across different subject areas, using multimedia, word-processing, digital imagery, manipulating sound and video. They learn how to collect sort and manipulate data to answer questions. 

At Meridian Angel we have a creative approach to teaching these three computing components, aiming to incorporate the teaching of it across the curriculum (including through our topic work); computer capability is further enhanced by teaching certain aspects of the subject discretely.

Using the national curriculum, we aim for all pupils:

• can understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, logic, algorithms and data representation (Computer science)
• can analyse problems in computational terms, and have repeated practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve such problems (Computer science)
• can evaluate and apply information technology, including new or unfamiliar technologies, analytically to solve problems (Information technology)
• are responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology. (Digital literacy)