Computing Curriculum

What's happening?

Year 1

Improving mouse skills

Children learn 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. 

Algorithms Unplugged

This unplugged unit requires no computers so that algorithms, decomposition and debugging are made relatable to familiar contexts, such as dressing up and making a sandwich, while learning why instructions need to be very specific.

Programming Bee Bots

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

Rocket to the moon

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.                                     

Year 2

What is a computer?

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.

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.

Programming: Scratch Jr 

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.

Creating Stop Motion 

Storyboarding and simple animation creation using either tablet devices or devices with cameras.

Year 3

Networks and the internet

Introduction to the concept of networks, learning how devices communicate. Identifying components, learning how information is shared and exploring examples of real-world networks.

Journey Inside a Computer 

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

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.

Video Trailers

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

Year 4

Further coding with scratch

Understand how to create a simple script in Scratch and Use decomposition to identify key features and understand how to decipher actions that make the quiz game work.

Computational Thinking

Plugged and unplugged activities to develop the four areas of computational thinking:
decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction and algorithms.

HTML

Children learn about the markup language behind a webpage; becoming familiar with HTML tags. They will change HTML and CSS code to alter images and ‘remix’ a website’s text and images to create a fake news story.

Website Design

Children develop their research, word processing, and collaborative working skills whilst learning how web pages and web sites are created, exploring how to change layouts, embed images and videos and link between pages.

Year 5

Mars Rover 1

Children will learn about data transfer and binary code.  

Mars Rover 2

Using online programs to create 3D models of the Mars Rover.

Programming Micro:Bit

This topic highlights the meaning and purpose of programming. Pupils create algorithms and programmes that are used in the real world. They will predict, test and evaluate to create and debug programme with specific aims: a simple animation, a polling programme, pedometer and scoreboard.

Stop Motion Animation

Children will use stop motion technology to Storyboard ideas, take photographs and edit to create a video animation.

Year 6

Bletchley Park

Children will use code breaking and password hacking to understand the vital role Bletchley Park played in WW2.

The History of Computers

Children write, record and edit radio plays set during WWII, look back in time at how computers have evolved and design a computer of the future.

Big Data 1 

Year 6 children will learn to identify how barcodes and QR codes work and how these mechanisms are used for different purposes in the world. They learn ways of collecting and sending data and why it is important to analyse data collected.

Inventing a Product

Designing a product, pupils: evaluate, adapt and debug code to make it suitable and efficient for their needs; use a software program to design their products; create their own websites and video adverts to promote their inventions.