Intent

At the Queens’ Federation we aim to foster ‘Learning for Life.’

We will provide a rich, relevant and inspirational curriculum that promotes a lifelong love of learning and equips our pupils with the key knowledge and understanding, skills and personal qualities that they will need to thrive in a rapidly changing world. Our curriculum is designed to be relevant to our children and is linked to the context of our school and the local community.

At the Queens’ Federation, we recognise that technology is an integral part of everyday life. We aim to prepare our pupils for a future in an environment that is shaped by technology and for them to develop the knowledge, skills and understanding that they will need to thrive in the digital world of today and in the future. We aim to develop confident, independent learners who are able to plan, design, create, program and evaluate information through the use of ICT.

Online safety is an integral part of both our Computing and PSHCE curriculum. Whilst ensuring pupils understand the advantages and disadvantages associated with online experiences, we want our pupils to become respectful, responsible and confident users of technology, aware of measures that can be taken to keep themselves and others safe online.

Implementation

At the Queens’ Federation, computing is taught through the use of the online computing program, Purple Mash. This program ensures that pupils are able to develop depth in their knowledge and skills over the duration of each computing topics. The Purple Mash scheme of work ensures a balanced coverage of the three strands of the computing curriculum – Computer Science (programming and understanding how digital systems work), Information Technology (using computer systems to store, retrieve and send information) and Digital Literacy (evaluating digital content and using technology safely and respectfully).

Each school within the Federation has a computing suite and sets of class IPads, ensuring that pupils use computers for a range of purposes across the wider curriculum, as well as in discrete lessons. Visualisers and interactive whiteboards are available in each classroom.

Alongside the development of basic computing skills, we ensure that teaching is enhanced by the use of technology in all aspects of the curriculum, enabling pupils to see the benefits of becoming computer literate for the future. Our curriculum is further enriched by visiting experts and through the use of additional curriculum days such as Online Safety Day.

We view assessment as a holistic process, which takes place in every lesson through observation of, in questioning and in conversation with pupils and in the production of written outcomes. Computing assessment criteria set out the key knowledge and skills that a pupil should achieve at the end of each unit of work.

Impact

Our Computing curriculum ensures that pupils become digitally literate; they are able to express themselves and develop their ideas through information and communication technology as active participants in a digital world. Pupil outcomes evidence a broad and balanced computing curriculum and at the end of each year, pupils achieve age related expectations and retain the knowledge and skills learnt from each unit of work.

Yearly Overview

The table below outlines the areas of the curriculum and when they will be taught.

By the end of the Foundation Stage, the curriculum states children should ‘recognise that a range of technology is used in places such as homes and schools. They select and use technology for particular purposes.’ We give children opportunities to explore technology in fun and purposeful ways.

 

E-safety is is taken very seriously by all staff and children at Queen Emma. For more information please see our Online Safety Policy on our Policies page.

Examples of Learning

We used our computing skills in Year 6 to attach a red nose to our selfies in recognition of Red Nose Day.

Falcon Class enjoyed online safety day and watched the BBC live lesson about AI. They matched up true/false statements about AI and made a poster. They also made cautionary tales about online safety using a Goldilocks story as their model.