Computing at Martock Primary School

Computing Curriculum Rationale

At Martock Primary School, our computing curriculum is designed to equip our pupils with the knowledge, skills, and understanding they need to thrive in an increasingly digital world. By adopting the Teach Computing scheme, we aim to provide a progressive, interconnected, and inspiring computing education that aligns with the requirements of the National Curriculum and meets the unique needs of our school community.

The Teach Computing scheme has been carefully crafted by subject experts to ensure that it is research-based and pedagogically sound. The curriculum is structured to enable pupils to revisit key concepts, building upon their prior knowledge and deepening their understanding over time. This approach aligns with our school's vision of providing excellent opportunities for our staff and children to flourish in a nurturing environment.

Our computing curriculum is designed to be aspirational, challenging our pupils to explore the full breadth of the subject, from computer science and digital literacy to information technology. By incorporating opportunities for after-school clubs and career exploration, we aim to foster a love of computing and inspire our pupils to consider the diverse pathways available within the field.

The Teach Computing scheme is particularly well-suited to our school context, as it provides a wealth of CPD resources to support our staff in developing their subject knowledge and pedagogical expertise. This is a key priority for our school, as identified in our recent Ofsted inspection, where the need to improve staff subject knowledge and consistency of curriculum implementation was highlighted.

Whole School Aims

Our computing curriculum aligns seamlessly with the school's vision and values. By providing a nurturing environment with excellent opportunities for our staff and children to flourish, we aim to empower our pupils to make a positive difference to the world around them. The Teach Computing scheme supports this vision by equipping our pupils with the digital skills and computational thinking they need to navigate and shape the future.

Our school's values of kindness, perseverance, respect, and collaboration are woven throughout the computing curriculum. Pupils are encouraged to work collaboratively, demonstrate resilience when faced with challenges, and show respect for one another's ideas and contributions.

Subject Vision

At Martock Primary School, we believe that computing is a vital subject that underpins our pupils' ability to thrive in the 21st century. Through the Teach Computing scheme, we aim to develop our pupils' understanding of computer science, information technology, and digital literacy, enabling them to become confident, creative, and critical users of technology.

Our computing curriculum is designed to address the school's improvement priorities, particularly in the areas of curriculum coherence and the progress and outcomes of SEND pupils. By providing a well-sequenced, interconnected curriculum, we aim to ensure that our pupils build upon their prior knowledge and are able to apply their skills across different contexts. Additionally, the Teach Computing scheme offers a range of scaffolding strategies and differentiated resources to support the learning of our SEND pupils, helping them to develop the independence they need for future success.

Communication with Stakeholders

To ensure the successful implementation of our computing curriculum, we will engage in effective communication with all stakeholders, including parents, carers, and the wider school community. We will utilise a range of channels, such as the school website and newsletters, to share our computing curriculum rationale, vision, and the opportunities available to our pupils.

By highlighting the progressive nature of the Teach Computing scheme and the ways in which it supports our school's improvement priorities, we aim to foster a shared understanding and appreciation for the importance of computing education. Additionally, we will encourage parental engagement in learning through initiatives such as family online safety workshops, further strengthening the home-school partnership.

Addressing Inspection Feedback

The Teach Computing scheme directly addresses the key areas for improvement identified in our recent Ofsted inspection. By providing a well-sequenced, interconnected curriculum, we aim to ensure that our pupils build upon their prior knowledge and are able to apply their skills across different contexts, addressing the need to identify the specific knowledge we want pupils to learn.

The Teach Computing scheme also offers a range of teaching strategies and resources to support the consistent implementation of the curriculum across subjects and age groups. This will help to address the variability in curriculum delivery highlighted in the inspection feedback, ensuring that all pupils, including those with SEND, learn well across the curriculum.

Furthermore, the Teach Computing scheme provides extensive CPD resources to support the development of our staff's subject knowledge and pedagogical expertise. This will directly address the need to improve subject leadership and ensure that teachers are equipped to deliver high-quality computing education.

By adopting the Teach Computing scheme, we are confident that we can address the key areas for improvement identified in our Ofsted inspection and provide our pupils with a computing curriculum that is ambitious, coherent, and tailored to their needs.