Computing
Quality of Education
Curriculum
Developing independence is at the forefront of the Computing curriculum. It is vital students recognise the significance of digital technology in their everyday lives. Functional skills are embedded throughout lessons to ensure students have the skills and knowledge they need to become creative, digitally literate, computational thinkers. Communication is rooted within the curriculum, through rich questioning teachers scaffold computing enquiry to enable them to solve problems in anticipation for adulthood. Students are encouraged to gain a greater knowledge of themselves and be curious learners. In turn, this provides them with opportunities to achieve ‘excellence for all.
Inspire Pathway: Students study Computing 1 lesson per week at Key Stage 3 and 2 lessons a week at Key Stage 4, covering a broad and balanced Computing curriculum. Students’ progress sequentially through bridge and then milestone objectives, allowing them to develop a greater depth and understanding of how to use a range of computer software and hardware. This allows them to progress on towards accessing a range of qualifications including Level 1 and Level 2 accreditation.
SMSC underpins students’ experiences in Computing, as the subject offers a vast array of opportunities to explore values both in and outside the classroom. Students will use the internet to research and communicate along with considering the consequences, advantages, disadvantages and dangers of privacy, cyber bullying, making ‘virtual friends’ as well as understanding the need for respect for themselves and others when using media sites.
Extra-Curricular Opportunities: Computing is fundamental to everyday life as such Elms Bank equips students with ‘hands on experience’ of computing, this includes using everyday software and learning how to stay safe online.
CEIAG: Computing is a creative and highly inter-connected discipline that is essential to everyday life. Learning is related to real life and covers areas such as word processing, emailing, internet searching and safety safe online.
Wellbeing: The Technology department supports the development of positive learners by using the marking and feedback policy students aspire to achieve and respond positively to regular praise, use of stickers and stamps, pathway champions and postcards.
Values: The Technology department supports the development of positive and resilient learners through the use of the marking and feedback policy. Learning is scaffolded, modelled and revisited to allow for students to succeed and opportunities to try again. Students achieve external accreditation in Computing and this is differentiated across 3 pathways. Finally, students deepen their morale code in attending Computing lessons by discussing real life examples such as those touched on above. Helping them to develop into students with integrity and a strong moral sense of right and wrong.