Computing

Curriculum Intent

At Aycliffe Drive Primary School, our Computing curriculum is designed to equip pupils with the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to use technology creatively, safely and effectively.

We want pupils to become:

Digital creators, who can design and create digital content
Digital communicators, who use technology to share ideas appropriately
Digital citizens, who understand how to stay safe and responsible online

Our curriculum reflects the importance of computing in everyday life and future employment. It ensures that pupils develop strong foundations in computer science, information technology and digital literacy, while also learning to think critically about the digital content they encounter.

Online safety is fully embedded within our curriculum and supports pupils in making informed choices, recognising risks and knowing how to seek help.

Implementation

Curriculum Structure

Computing is taught through a carefully sequenced curriculum from Year 1 to Year 6, aligned with the National Curriculum.

Learning is organised around three core strands:

Computer Science – programming, algorithms, debugging and understanding how computers work
Information Technology – creating and presenting digital content such as documents, images, data and media
Digital Literacy and Online Safety – using technology safely, respectfully and responsibly

Key concepts are revisited regularly so that pupils build understanding over time and apply their learning with increasing confidence and independence.

Teaching and Learning

Computing is taught through discrete lessons with clear learning objectives and success criteria.
Lessons include opportunities to explore, practise and apply skills, particularly through problem-solving and programming tasks.
Pupils are encouraged to experiment, debug and refine their work, developing resilience and logical thinking.
Computing skills are applied across the wider curriculum, for example through research, data handling, digital presentation and creative projects.
Lessons are adapted where needed so that all pupils can access and succeed in computing.

Online Safety Education

Online safety is taught explicitly and progressively as part of the computing curriculum and is reinforced through PSHE and wider curriculum links.

Pupils learn to:

Keep personal information safe
Recognise unreliable or misleading online content
Understand appropriate online behaviour and digital footprints
Know how to report concerns or seek help

Teaching is responsive and allows pupils to discuss current issues and risks in an age-appropriate way.

Impact

By the time pupils leave Aycliffe Drive Primary School, they will:

Have a secure understanding of age-appropriate computing knowledge and skills
Be able to write, test and debug simple programs
Use technology confidently to create, organise and present information
Demonstrate safe, respectful and responsible online behaviour
Think critically about digital content and recognise that not everything online is true

The impact of our Computing curriculum is seen in pupils’ confidence, independence and ability to apply their skills meaningfully across subjects, preparing them well for the next stage of their education and for life in a digital world.