St Edward’s Church of England Academy Computing Department is a dynamic and successful area. Computing is taught across both Key Stages and pupils are offered numerous opportunities to develop their computing capability.
Computing is a practical subject, where invention and resourcefulness are encouraged. Pupils studying computing gain insight into computational systems of all kinds, whether or not they include computers. Computational thinking influences many fields such as biology, chemistry, linguistics, economics and statistics. It enables us to solve problems, design systems, and understand the power and limitations of human and machine intelligence.
Computational thinking is a skill that empowers. Pupils who can think computationally, are better able to conceptualise and understand computer-based technology, and so are better equipped to function in modern society.
Key Stage 2
Pupils should be taught to:
- Design, write and debug programs that accomplish specific goals, including controlling or simulating physical systems; solve problems by decomposing them into smaller parts
- Use sequence, selection, and repetition in programs; work with variables and various forms of input and output
- Use logical reasoning to explain how some simple algorithms work and to detect and correct errors in algorithms and programs
- Understand computer networks including the internet; how they can provide multiple services, such as the world wide web; and the opportunities they offer for communication and collaboration
- Use search technologies effectively, appreciate how results are selected and ranked, and be discerning in evaluating digital content
- Select, use and combine a variety of software (including internet services) on a range of digital devices to design and create a range of programs, systems and content that accomplish given goals, including collecting, analysing, evaluating and presenting data and information
- use technology safely, respectfully, and responsibly; recognise acceptable/unacceptable behavior; identify a range of ways to report concerns about content and contact
Key Stage 3
Pupils should be taught to:
- Design, use and evaluate computational abstractions that model the state and behaviour of real-world problems and physical systems
- Understand several key algorithms that reflect computational thinking [for example, ones for sorting and searching]; use logical reasoning to compare the utility of alternative algorithms for the same problem
- Use two or more programming languages, at least one of which is textual, to solve a variety of computational problems; make appropriate use of data structures [for example, lists, tables or arrays]; design and develop modular programs that use procedures or functions
- Understand simple Boolean logic [for example, AND, OR and NOT] and some of its uses in circuits and programming; understand how numbers can be represented in binary, and be able to carry out simple operations on binary numbers [for example, binary addition, and conversion between binary and decimal]
- Understand the hardware and software components that make up computer systems, and how they communicate with one another and with other systems
- Understand how instructions are stored and executed within a computer system; understand how data of various types (including text, sounds, and pictures) can be represented and manipulated digitally, in the form of binary digits
- Undertake creative projects that involve selecting, using, and combining multiple applications, preferably across a range of devices, to achieve challenging goals, including collecting and analysing data and meeting the needs of known users
- Create, re-use, revise and re-purpose digital artefacts for a given audience, with attention to trustworthiness, design and usability
- Understand a range of ways to use technology safely, respectfully, responsibly, and securely, including protecting their online identity and privacy; recognise inappropriate content, contact, and conduct and know how to report concerns
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Facilities
The ICT provision in our school is excellent with three networked computer rooms and a cluster of machines distributed in curriculum areas around the school. Pupils also have access to laptops, ipads, netbooks to capture both still images and video clips.
We also use the Windows 10 Operating System running some of the software titles listed below:
- Microsoft Office 2019
- Serif Design Suite (incorporating web design, video creation, drawing, and photo editing) Smart ICT Skills Builder
- Scratch Programming Software
- Pivot Stick Animation
- Additionally, other departments within the Academy utilise specialist software dedicated to their particular subject.
All stations have filtered internet access and every pupil has their own email address. At lunchtime, all pupils have access to the Computing club for homework and research.
