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CURRICULUM – COMPUTING

Through the teaching of computing we aim to give our pupils the life-skills that will enable them to embrace and utilise new technology in a socially responsible and safe way in order to flourish. Technology is everywhere and will play a pivotal part in students’ lives. Computing skills are a major factor in enabling children to be confident, creative and independent learners who will ultimately go on to use these skills in the world of work. Therefore it is our intention that our pupils have every opportunity available to allow them to achieve this.  

Our broad and balanced computing curriculum, encompassing  information technology, digital literacy and online safety reflects these aims. We want our pupils to have a breadth of experience to develop their understanding of themselves as individuals within their community but also as members of a wider global community and as responsible digital citizens. This is at the heart of our curriculum, and specifically one of our three curriculum drivers ‘Global and Local Community’. We recognise that the best prevention for a lot of issues we currently see with technology/social media is through education. Through digital literacy and online safety, we want to model and educate our pupils on how to use technology positively, responsibly and safely. This supports another of our three curriculum drivers, ‘Spiritual and Moral’. We recognise that technology can allow pupils to share their learning in creative ways. We also understand the accessibility opportunities technology can provide for our pupils. We encourage our staff to embed computing across the whole curriculum to make learning creative and accessible. We want our pupils to be fluent with a range of tools to best express their understanding and hope by the time they move on to secondary school, our children have the independence and confidence to choose the best tool to fulfil the task and challenge set by teachers.

 

What do our pupils say about Computing at Camp?

“I love using the Chromebooks at school because the activities on Purple Mash are really fun and interesting.  Sometimes, I love them so much that I play them on my computer at home!”  Sadie, Yr 2

 
“We really love Serial Mash!  It’s where you get to choose a book and then answer some questions about it.  We get to practise reading a lot when we have our Chromebook lessons.”  Elisabeth and Roumaisa, Yr 6
 
“I love doing coding in our Chromebook lessons.  We do it in Purple Mash on a program called 2 Code: Chimp.  It’s great because it’s difficult, but not too difficult and at the end you produce something that you can be really proud of.”  Ted, Yr 4
 

EYFS Progression

Progression of Skills

E-Safety

Over the past year the internet has become more important than ever and Camp School recognises that internet, mobile and digital technologies provide a good opportunity for children and young people to learn, socialise and play, provided they are safe. We are very aware that young people’s future economic success may be partly dependent on their online skills and reputation and we are committed to ensuring that all pupils will be able to use these technologies safely. This is part of our safeguarding responsibility.

At Camp School online safety remains a high priority; all classes learn about practical ways to remain safe online through lessons within Computing, as well as considering the moral, social and emotional implications of online activities during PSHE lessons. We have recently reviewed the ‘Online Safety Policy’, which can be found on the policies page. This policy includes an ‘acceptable use agreement’ (Appendix D) for all pupils. This is a set of online safety rules which pupils must agree to adhere to. Children will have the opportunity to read and discuss this document in school, with pupils signing a class copy to be displayed in the computer area of each classroom. We are asking that you have a conversation with your child/children about this agreement at home.

In July 2022 we invited Gareth Cort,  from the organisation ‘Connected Minds’, to deliver a parent workshop focusing on online safety. Gareth is an independent online safety specialist who provides advice, training and resources to schools. He is a former primary school teacher and school governor, with a wealth of experience in both education and online safety. He works to raise awareness around online safety risks, providing practical advice to parents. He has recently delivered his training sessions to teachers and parents at various local St Albans schools with positive feedback. The session provided an opportunity to share helpful resources and enable parents to ask questions.
Feedback following the session was overwhelmingly positive. 100% of those questioned said they would recommend the workshop to other parents. 
Please can you explain why you would recommend the workshop to other parents: 
Responses included: 
Very clear, lots of information, links to follow.’  
‘Lots of info I wouldn’t have thought of and that I haven’t heard before.’
Was there anything about the workshop which was particularly helpful for you as a parent?
~How to talk to your child effectively about online safety 
Any additional comments regarding the workshop:
‘Excellent and useful’ 
‘It was definitely worth attending’ 
In September 2022 Gareth returned to our school to deliver staff training on online safety. 
He provided a wide range of information and resources for staff to use in order to enhance their teaching of online safety for children of all ages at Camp Primary and Nursery School. Feedback from teachers was once again overwhelmingly positive. 

 

Online Safety Policy Guide
Online Safety Coverage
HFL-Online Safety Newsletter – Autumn 2023
Conversation Starters
Family Online Safety Plan
Parents and Carers Resource Sheet
What to Trust Online
Safer Internet Day​