Computing

Computing at Gateway Primary School

At Gateway Primary School we provide pupils with a computing education which will enable them to participate successfully in a rapidly changing world, where work and leisure activities are increasingly transformed by technology.  We give our pupils the life-skills that will enable them to embrace and utilise new technology in a socially responsible and safe way.

The Computing curriculum has four key areas – Computer Science (basic coding), Digital Literacy (understanding how technology works), Information Technology (using computers) and E-Safety (staying safe online). Each year the children undertake learning, which consolidates and builds on previous learning and utilises common google programs on Chromebooks (such as docs, sheets, slides) as well as coding programmes such as Scratch. Computing has deep links with mathematics, science and design and technology, and provides insights into both natural and artificial systems. There are many opportunities for children to work collaboratively, as well as individually, helping them develop their resilience as sometimes it takes several attempts to achieve the desired effect – whether this is creating a persuasive advert about a holiday destination or getting a series of sprites to complete tasks in a self-written program. We use a suite of Chromebooks, i-pads and other technologies such as Bee-bots and data loggers as well as ‘unplugged’ tasks to help children achieve these goals

Computing Aims

We aim 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.