Computing

Computing at Weston

Technology is part of children's lives from an early age. Our Computing curriculum helps pupils understand the digital world around them and gives them the knowledge and skills to use technology confidently, creatively, critically and safely.

Children learn how computers and networks work, how programs are created, how digital information and media can be produced and interpreted, and how to make thoughtful choices when using technology online.

As children grow older, they also begin to explore increasingly important areas such as data, artificial intelligence, misinformation, privacy and digital responsibility.

What Children Learn

Our Computing curriculum develops learning through a number of connected strands.

Digital Foundations

Children develop the practical knowledge they need to use digital devices successfully.

This begins with recognising technology and using basic controls and develops into confident use of computers, files, programs, keyboards and a range of digital tools.

Computer Systems and Networks

Children learn how digital devices work and communicate.

They develop an understanding of devices, the internet, the World Wide Web and computer networks, building towards more sophisticated knowledge of connectivity, permissions, searching and how online information is organised.

Digital Citizenship

Being safe and responsible online is taught throughout the curriculum rather than as a one-off topic.

Children learn progressively about:

• personal information and privacy

• communicating respectfully online

• digital footprints

• online bullying

• gaming and age restrictions

• healthy online habits

• scams and suspicious content

• reliable and unreliable information

• misinformation and disinformation

• consent and reporting concerns.

The curriculum becomes increasingly sophisticated as children mature. For example, older pupils learn to distinguish fact, opinion and belief, evaluate the reliability of digital content and think critically about what they encounter online.

Programming and Physical Computing

Children develop computational thinking by learning how instructions and algorithms work.

They learn about sequence, repetition, selection, debugging and variables, applying these ideas through programming and physical computing.

Younger pupils begin with simple algorithms and programmable devices; as they progress through school, children use increasingly sophisticated programming concepts and devices such as micro:bits.

Creating Media

Children learn to use technology as a creative tool.

Across the school, they develop skills in creating and editing different forms of digital content, while learning to think about purpose, audience and design.

By Year 6, pupils draw together skills developed during their time at Weston to create increasingly independent digital outcomes.

Data and Information

Children learn how information can be collected, organised, represented and interpreted.

Their understanding develops from simple charts and patterns in data to considering its accuracy, reliability, protection and appropriate use. Pupils also learn that data should be collected responsibly and with appropriate consent.

Artificial Intelligence

Our curriculum introduces children to artificial intelligence in an age-appropriate way.

Children first explore the idea that AI technologies are created by people and can use data to identify patterns and perform particular tasks. As they move through school, they consider how AI systems work, the information they use, bias and, eventually, the ethical and responsible use of AI.

By Year 6, pupils consider both the possibilities and limitations of AI and how systems can be designed and used in ways that are safer, fairer and more useful.

How Learning Develops

Our Computing curriculum is carefully sequenced so that important ideas are revisited and developed over time rather than taught once and forgotten.

In Year 1, children establish important foundations: recognising and using technology, understanding simple online safety, following algorithms, creating digital content and beginning to collect and represent data.

As pupils progress through Key Stage 2, they encounter increasingly sophisticated ideas. They move from understanding individual devices to networks; from following algorithms to using repetition, selection and variables; from basic online safety to critical digital citizenship; and from using digital tools to making purposeful choices about how technology can solve problems and communicate ideas.

Computing in Reception

In Reception, Computing is not treated as a separate formal subject. Children encounter technology naturally across the EYFS curriculum and provision.

They have opportunities to explore how technology is used, develop early computational thinking and problem-solving, and begin to understand how to interact safely with the digital world.

This provides important foundations for the more structured Computing curriculum that begins in Year 1.

How We Teach Computing

Computing is practical, but effective computing teaching involves much more than simply giving children access to devices.

Teachers explicitly teach the knowledge, vocabulary and processes children need before supporting them to apply these independently.

Our whole-school universal teaching routines are used in Computing as they are in other subjects:

I → We → You helps pupils see a process modelled, practise it with support and then apply it independently.

Scaffold → Fade means prompts, visuals, worked examples and step-by-step support are provided where helpful and reduced as pupils become secure.

Retrieval, little and often helps pupils revisit important vocabulary, concepts and previous learning.

Words & Visuals make technical vocabulary and abstract computing concepts clearer and more accessible.

This gives pupils a familiar approach to learning while still allowing teaching to respond flexibly to individual need.

Inclusion in Computing

Computing is for every child.

Our starting point is high-quality, inclusive classroom teaching. Teachers anticipate potential barriers and use modelling, visuals, vocabulary support, structured steps, guided practice and appropriate adaptations to help all pupils participate.

Support is reduced when children are ready so that adaptations enable pupils to become more independent, rather than creating reliance on adult help.

Where individual pupils need something additional or different, teaching and resources are adapted accordingly.

Assessment

Assessment takes place throughout Computing lessons.

Teachers use questioning, observation, pupils' explanations and their practical and digital work to check whether children have understood important concepts and can apply what they know.

Short retrieval activities help teachers identify what pupils remember from previous learning, while the subject leader uses a range of evidence — including pupils' work, discussions with children and monitoring of teaching — to understand how well the curriculum is being learned across the school.

Computing Beyond the Computing Lesson

Children's digital knowledge supports learning throughout the curriculum. They use technology to research, communicate, create, present, collect information and solve problems in purposeful contexts.

Online safety and responsible use of technology are also reinforced through the wider curriculum and school life.

Our Computing Curriculum

The document below shows how Computing is organised from Reception to Year 6 and the knowledge children develop as they move through school.