Computing
Our aims
At Scotton Lingerfield Primary School, we want children to become confident, creative and responsible users of technology. Our computing curriculum helps them understand how digital technology works and gives them the knowledge and skills to solve problems, communicate ideas and create their own digital content.
We encourage children to be curious about technology, to explore how things work and to persevere when something does not go as expected. Alongside practical skills, children learn to question the information they find online and make informed choices about how they use technology.
How we teach computing
Computing is taught weekly through a two-year rolling programme for our mixed-age classes. We use Kapow Primary to support planning and teaching. Our curriculum brings together three connected areas: computer science, information technology and digital literacy. Children learn how computers and programs work, use software to create and handle information, and develop their understanding of safe and responsible technology use.
Our progression documents set out how knowledge and skills build from Reception to Year 6. Children revisit important concepts through increasingly challenging tasks, drawing on previous learning as they encounter new software, devices and problems.
Practical computing is supported by activities away from the screen. These help children understand ideas such as sequencing instructions, spotting patterns and breaking a problem into smaller steps before applying them through programming. Regular opportunities to practise keyboard, mouse and file-management skills help children use technology with increasing independence.
In Reception, adult-led activities and opportunities within provision allow children to explore technology through play and practical experiences.
Children also apply their computing skills in other subjects, using technology to research, organise information and communicate their learning. Teachers adapt tasks, resources and support so that children can access the learning and become increasingly independent.
Building skills across ages and stages
In Reception, children explore familiar technology and learn to use equipment with care. They develop mouse and keyboard skills, create simple digital pictures and take photographs. Through games and practical activities, they practise giving and following instructions in the correct order. They begin to program Bee-Bots using simple commands and, with adult support, work out how to correct mistakes. Sorting, grouping and making physical pictograms introduce the foundations of handling data.
In Years 1 and 2, children become more confident in logging on, using a keyboard, saving work and selecting simple software tools. They take and edit photographs, create digital images and begin to organise and interpret information using pictograms and other representations. Programming develops through Bee-Bots, practical activities and ScratchJr. Children learn that an algorithm is a precise set of instructions, predict what a program will do and identify and correct errors, known as debugging. They also explore computer components and begin to understand inputs and outputs.
In Years 3 and 4, children deepen their understanding of computer systems, networks and the internet. They learn about the parts inside a computer and how devices share information. Using Scratch, they develop programs that include repetition and begin to use variables, applying logical thinking to test and improve their code. Creative projects include video trailers and website design, while email and shared documents introduce digital communication and collaboration. Children also use databases and spreadsheets to organise, compare and interpret information, including exploring how technology collects weather data.
In Years 5 and 6, children apply their knowledge with greater independence and tackle more complex problems. Programming includes Micro, creating music through code and an introduction to the text-based language Python. Children take a more systematic approach to debugging, explaining errors and refining their programs. They develop their understanding of how search engines work, how computers represent information and how data is collected and used in the wider world. Projects such as stop-motion animation give them opportunities to plan, create, edit and improve digital content for a purpose. Learning about the history of computers also helps them consider how technology has changed and how it may develop in the future.
Online safety and responsible use
Online safety is revisited throughout the year, alongside our wider computing learning and activities for Safer Internet Day. It is included alongside each unit, and teachers respond to relevant issues as they arise. Teaching develops as children grow older and their experiences of technology change.
Younger children learn about keeping personal information private, asking permission before sharing, being kind online and telling a trusted adult if something worries them. As they move through school, children learn to distinguish between facts, opinions and beliefs, question the reliability of online information and recognise advertising and other attempts to influence their choices.
Older children explore online reputation, secure passwords, scams, privacy and app permissions. They learn how to respond to online bullying, use reporting and blocking tools, and seek support. Throughout school, children consider how technology can affect their feelings and wellbeing and the importance of balancing time online with other activities.
Developing confidence and independence
We want children to understand the choices they make when using technology and to explain how they have approached a task or solved a problem. Opportunities to predict, test, discuss and improve their work help them develop this understanding.
By the end of Year 6, our aim is for children to have secure foundations in computing, the confidence to explore unfamiliar technology and the judgement to use it safely and responsibly as they move to secondary school.
Long term plan Progression document
