At St Mary’s CE Primary School, our Computing curriculum is designed to equip pupils with the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to participate safely, confidently and purposefully in an increasingly digital world. Rooted in our Christian vision and values of Love, Trust and Hope, we aim to develop responsible digital citizens who use technology with kindness, integrity and respect for themselves and others.
Through a broad, balanced and progressive curriculum, pupils develop their understanding of computer science, information technology and digital literacy. They learn how digital systems work, how to create and debug programs, how to collect and analyse data, and how to use a range of digital tools to communicate, collaborate and create. Our curriculum follows a carefully sequenced progression from the Early Years through to Year 6, ensuring that knowledge and skills are built systematically over time.
Children begin their computing journey in the Early Years through exploration, problem-solving and programmable toys, developing the foundations of computational thinking. As they progress through school, they move from creating simple algorithms and digital content to designing programs, analysing data, creating websites, developing games and working with physical computing devices. Throughout the curriculum, pupils are encouraged to think logically, solve problems creatively and become resilient learners who can apply their knowledge in a range of contexts.
A central feature of our curriculum is the teaching of online safety and digital responsibility. Pupils learn how to stay safe online, protect their personal information, communicate respectfully, evaluate the reliability of online information and recognise the risks associated with digital technologies. We recognise that technology plays a significant role in children’s lives both in and beyond school, and therefore online safety is woven throughout the curriculum and reinforced through our wider safeguarding curriculum.
Our curriculum encourages pupils to be creative, reflective and responsible users of technology. By providing meaningful opportunities to create, evaluate and innovate, we foster confidence, independence and curiosity whilst preparing children for the next stage of their education and for life in a rapidly changing technological world. Through Computing, we aspire to develop learners who use technology with wisdom, make informed choices and live out our values of Love, Trust and Hope in both the real and digital world.
Progression
Our Computing curriculum is carefully planned to ensure clear progression from Early Years to Year 6. Knowledge and skills are revisited and built upon through increasingly sophisticated learning experiences across computing systems and networks, programming, data and information, and creating media. This enables pupils to develop secure foundations, deepen their understanding over time and become competent, responsible and safe users of technology who are well prepared for the opportunities and challenges of the future.
