Subject lead: Mr Bromwich 

Fun facts about me:

I like to relax by playing video games and my favourites are Sonic, Knights & Bikes, Tearaway, Mario Kart and Luigi’s Mansion. I also like going exploring in places I have never been before and going out to watch live music. My favourite thing to do though is to go out walking with my dog Sunny!

Subject vision:

At Cooper and Jordan, our vision is to prepare children and ensure they have the skills to thrive in the digital world. This is across all aspects of Computing from effective use of new software & hardware, to ensuring that the children are safe when using the Internet.

In lessons, we aim to provide the children experiences with up-to-date hardware using a combination of iPads, laptops and Chromebooks to support learning. We hope to provide children with the opportunities to use a variety of software across these devices to present and record work, as well as  looking at how these skills are transferable in the wider world.

A key focus for us in school as we look at ways that children can stay safe across a variety of devices from laptops and computers, through to games consoles and mobile phones. We want to ensure that our children are safe online by keeping personal information private, identifying scams and viruses, learning how to use search tools effectively and also knowing how to block and report suspicious people and sites. We also strive to ensure that the children are respectful and conscientious citizens when using the internet thinking about the effects that their actions can have on others.

It is really important to all of us to make sure that children are getting the chance to enjoy and feel free to explore during lessons, whilst staying safe. Everyone in Cooper and Jordan loves to see the fantastic and imaginative pieces of work that children create in the subject and share these great ideas around school.

Curriculum:

Across the School we are currently using the Rising Stars ‘Switched on Computing Curriculum’. This is a fantastic scheme that runs from EYFS up to Year 6 that encourages progression on skills all the way through. To support this we have a range of hardware, as mentioned above, that includes laptops, Chromebooks, iPads and a range of toys to help with coding in Lower Key Stage 1 and EYFS.
Not only do the children now have to look at software to create word documents and presentations, but now also looking at coding elements. In EYFS this begins as looking at programming toys to make movements, through to Year 6 where children can begin to use Python to create their own games. These skills are built upon every single year through a range of different topics that have fantastic cross curricular links.

Regarding Online Safety, we are now using Project Evolve in our classrooms with each year group taking a look at lessons from across the scheme to help children understand more about online safety and having a healthy relationship with technolgy. This is supported outside of school with a bespoke Google Classroom page which is accessible by all children, which has a weekly focus on a different area of online safety. To find out more about this please visit our Online Safety page

The computing areas of study are set out in the Foundation Stage Curriculum and National Curriculum 2014.

EYFS:

In the Early Years Foundation Stage, we teach Computing through the Switch on ICT in the Early Years Scheme from Rising Stars. Ongoing experiences and opportunities linking to children’s developing understanding of the world are planned from the objectives set out in the Early Years Framework, which underpin the curriculum planning for children aged 3-5 at Cooper and Jordan.

The experiences that we provide ensure that children develop a secure understanding of the world around them, and by the end of the reception year, children will have developed an awareness and understanding of the technologically diverse world around them.

KS1 and KS2:

The Primary National Curriculum for Computing aims to ensure that all pupils:

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

Using the National Curriculum aims in tandem with the Switched on Computing Scheme, we endeavour to ensure that a progression of skills occurs from Year 1 up to Year 6 whilst keeping lessons interesting and engaging. As a school, we also look at how children can use these skills outside of the classroom to help them create and engage with technology at home, we support this with optional tasks that are set on Google Classroom allowing the children to independently further their understanding.

The topics that are covered in Computing by the children in KS1 and KS2 can be seen in the downloads menu at the top of the page

Assessment: 

Throughout the topics we are constantly assessing in class to make sure that the children are understanding what is being asked of them and to help them develop in the subject.

At the end of topics, the children complete a self assessment sheet, which is supported by a teacher assessment as well. Not only do these help us as a school understand how the children are performing in lessons, but we have also added a pupil voice aspect which allows them to share their own ideas about the topics and also suggest ways to improve it. We feel that this is really important to help our topics evolve around the needs of the children. 

Trips and enrichment:

Each year we carry out an Internet Safety Day where the school focuses more on how to stay safe online and also celebrating all of the amazing things that the internet can do. In the past, we have visited places such as the National Videogame Museum to find out more about how computing has changed throughout the years and the ways in which it can be used. We also have links with several companies who develop software who are often in contact with the school. Checkpoint Magazine, HelloWorld, The Beano and other publications have also been in touch looking at work that we have carried out in school and also allowing us to write for them.

Cooper and Jordan have established links with Special Effect, a charity who help make computers and gaming accessible for people with disabilities. Over the past few years, we have supported the charity by carrying out Charity raffles, creating our own e-book, playing a  FIFA tournament against other schools and also having an AV-1 Robot in school to speak to children who are unfortunately too poorly to be able to go to school.

Pupil Voice: 

Leah said "Using the iPads is great fun because we get to research different things and find out more about the world."

Joseph said  "I love doing the lessons because I like to go on technology and find out how to use it."

Millie said "We get to make and play our own games using coding which is really good fun."

Olivia said "I like computing because you can be really creative and learn new skills that I can use at home as well."

Jess said  "I really like when we get to make slideshows because I can show what I like and have researched in lessons, then present them to the class."

Olaedo said "It allows me to improve skills which will be important at secondary school."