Computing Rationale
At Woodside Academy, pupils learn how to use a wide range of computing technology to help them participate in a rapidly changing world. All pupils have the right to a complete learning experience in Computing including Information Technology (IT), Computer Science (CS) and Digital Literacy (DL). Computing has opportunities for inherent cross-curricular learning too; mostly inclusive of maths. In order to develop as computational thinkers, children engage with computational concepts and approaches including logic, algorithms and decomposition.
Building this knowledge teaches pupils to use computational thinking and creativity for them to implement through programming and computer science activities. Instructing our children to think computationally helps teach them how to problem solve and not to abandon the task at hand. Pupils also have the opportunity to take part in creative and combined activities with peers.
Pupils at Woodside are also taught how to become safe digital citizens in an increasing computer-dominated society. In every year group, a segment of their lessons are dedicated to being safe online. This is to help pupils understand the implications of technology in society as they start to become digitally literate.
Combining this knowledge and understanding will ensure our pupils are equipped to become digitally independent and able to put across their ideas as they further themselves in education and for future workplaces, should they need it.
Intent
At Woodside, we intend to prepare our children for a rapidly changing world through the use of technology. Our high-quality computing curriculum is designed to enable them to use computational thinking and creativity to further understand our world. Our curriculum design has deep links with maths, science, literacy and art. Building on this knowledge and understanding, we intend for our children to become digitally literate – able to use, express themselves and develop their ideas at a level suitable for the future workplace and as active participants in a highly digital world.
Computing at Woodside
We have a fully-equipped computer suite with enough machines for a whole class at any one time. Each class from reception upwards has a weekly session here, taught by their class teacher following the 'Teach Computing' Curriculum or 'Barefoot' Curriculum for the EYFS children. Children learn how to use the computers for different purposes. There is a focus on keyboard skills with touch-typing at the start of each lesson so that children learn to work quickly and accurately.
With the increasing use of tablets and laptops at home, we have invested in two class sets of Apple iPads to enhance Computing lessons. We use these to create movies, audio recordings and coding using Scratch and other apps.
We also have a full set of headphones for the children to create their own coding games with audio. They get the opportunity to test the games of their peers giving feedback to them.
Since lockdown and online learning, we now make great use of Google classroom and the many Google apps to do corresponding learning across classes and year groups.
We also ask parents to introduce children to a mouse before starting at Woodside; with the increasing use of touch-screen technology, most children are not able to use this when starting school.
As well as the computers linked to the whiteboard or large teaching screen in every classroom, we also have mobile sets of laptops for additional computer use in older classes and iPads are in use around the school along with Apple TV in every classroom.
Useful Links
Below are links to useful sites that your child may be familiar with using at school. Most children will have usernames and passwords to these websites, if necessary.
Children will be set homework on MyMaths every week on a Friday and must be completed by the following Wednesday.
Children from Year 1 through to Year 6 have been given usernames and passwords to TT Rockstars. The children are set times tables according to ability and are able to battle against one another or practise individually to improve their knowledge.
KS2 children will have been given login details for SPAG.com to practise past test papers that are age-appropriate to their year groups. These test papers focus on spelling, punctuation and grammar.
A digital learning platform for individual, or guided reading.
Digital learning resources for Modern Foreign Languages.
Online scheme for teaching the national curriculum for Music.
Scratch is a free programming language and online community where you can create your own interactive stories, games and animations using the basic introduction of coding.
Try a one-hour coding tutorial with fun lessons for KS2. Recommended for children aged 7 and over.