Computing

Key Stage 1

Year 1

Learning how to login and navigate around a computer, developing mouse skills, learning how to drag, drop, click and control a cursor to create works of art inspired by Kandinsky and self-portraits.

Developing early programming skills using either the Bee:Bot or virtual Bee:Bot.

Using creativity and imagination to plan a miniature adventure story and capture it using developing photography skills. Learn to enhance photos using a range of editing tools as well as searching for and adding other images to a project, resulting in a high-quality photo collage showcase

Learn what data is and the different ways that it can be represented and developing an understanding of why data is useful, how it can be used and ways in which it can be gathered and recorded both by humans and computers

Developing keyboard and mouse skills through designing, building and testing individual rockets by creating a digital list of materials, using drawing software and recording data

Learning about online safety, including using useful tips to stay safe when online; how to manage feelings and emotions when someone or something has upset us online; learning about the responsibility we have as online users; exploring the idea of a ‘digital footprint’

Year 2

What is a computer? – When picturing a computer, thoughts are often of a screen, mouse and keyboard. This unit explores exactly what a computer is by identifying and learning how inputs and outputs work, how computers are used in the wider world and designing their own computerised invention

Learn about word processing and how to stay safe online as well developing touch typing skills. Introduce important keyboard shortcuts, as well as simple editing tools within a word processor including: bold, italics, underline and font colour as well as how to import images

Programming: ScratchJr – Explore what ‘blocks’ do, using the app ‘ScratchJr,’ by carrying out an informative cycle of predict > test > review, programme a familiar story and an animation of an animal, make their own musical instrument by creating buttons and recording sounds and follow an algorithm to record a joke

International Space Station – The International Space Station (ISS) is a fascinating real-world setting for teaching about how data is collected, used and displayed as well as the scientific learning of the conditions needed for plants and animals, including humans, to survive

Stop motion – Storyboarding and simple animation creation using either tablet devices or devices with cameras

Using tablet devices Stop motion

Online safety Y2 – Learning about online safety, including: what happens to information posted online; how to keep things private online; who we should ask before sharing online; describing different ways to ask for, give, or deny permission online

Algorithms and debugging – This combination of unplugged and plugged-in activities develop an understanding of; what algorithms are, how to program them and how they can be developed to be more efficient, introduction of loops

Lower Key Stage 2

Year 3

Networks and the internet – Introduction to the concept of networks, learning how devices communicate. From identifying components, learn how information is shared and deepen this understanding by exploring examples of real-world networks

Emailing – Being able to send an email is a valuable skill. In this unit, learn how to send emails with attachments and how to be a responsible digital citizen by thinking about the contents of what is sent

Programming: Scratch – Building on the use of the ‘ScratchJr’ application in Year 2, progress to using the more advanced computer-based application called ‘Scratch’, learning to use repetition or ‘loops’ and building upon skills to program; an animation, a story and a game

Journey inside a computer – Assuming the role of computer parts and creating paper versions of computers helps to consolidate an understanding of how a computer works, as well as identifying similarities and differences between various models

Digital literacy – Developing filming and editing video skills through the storyboarding and creation of book trailers.

Digital literacy – Using devices other than iPads

Top trumps databases – Using the theme of the popular game, Top Trumps, to understand what a database is by learning the meanings of records, fields and data. Further exploration will lead to the development of the ideas of sorting and filtering

Online safety Y3 – Learning about online safety: ‘fake news’, privacy settings, ways to deal with upsetting online content, protecting our personal information on social media

Year 3 – Programming

In computing lessons Year 3 have been learning how to use Scratch to programme an animation, a story and a game.

Year 4

Online safety Y4 – Learning how to navigate the internet in an informed, safe and respectful way

Further coding with Scratch – Using variables in coding

Investigating weather – Researching and storing data using spreadsheets; designing a weather station which gathers and records data; learning how weather forecasts are made and using green screen technology to present a weather forecast

Website design – Website creation and Google Sites.

HTML – Editing the HTML and CSS of a web page to change the layout of a website and the text and images

Collaborative learning – Google Docs, Slides, Form and Sheet

Computational thinking – Plugged and unplugged activities to develop the four areas of computational thinking