Computing
Our vision is that every child will leave our school digitally literate, confident in their ability to use technology creatively in a wide range of contexts. Through high quality teaching and the use of a range of equipment, they will have developed skills in computer science, digital literacy and information technology. These skills will be transferable across all areas of the national curriculum and will be regularly implemented within lessons.
At Starks Field School we regularly invest in equipment such as iPads, laptops and interactive screens within each classroom. We aim to ensure our pupils have access to, and are able to, interact with the most up-to-date equipment; evolving their learning as technology itself evolves.
We consider online safety to be a crucial part of the curriculum at Starks Field School and regularly address the requirements for being a good digital citizen in the modern age. As modern day technology provides higher safety risks revolving around social media and the perpetual development of apps available to young people, we are constantly improving our safeguarding and educating staff more on how to protect our pupils in order for them to stay safe online. During online safety week and as part of our online safety lessons, we strongly promote the use of CEOP to our students. CEOP is a government run website where children can report online incidents. Please click here for more information.
In KS1 and 2 computing is taught through the Kapow curriculum, a scheme which aims to deliver high quality computing education. In Year 1 coding is introduced through algorithms and the content becomes increasingly more complex as pupils advance through the school. By Year 3 pupils move on to using Scratch, a visual programming language where they can create their own interactive stories and then share and discuss their creations with one another. In Year 4 the pupils design websites on Google Sites, making links between pages and embedding content from external sites.
In the Early Years Foundation Stage pupils are provided with equipment such as cameras and iPads to develop their interest in technology. They learn to use technology for a particular purpose as well as completing simple programmes on a computer. They have the opportunity to enjoy playing games and activities on the interactive whiteboard while learning that information can be retrieved from computers.
As part of our commitment to preparing pupils for the modern digital world we also introduce pupils to age-appropriate concepts surrounding Artificial Intelligence (AI). Pupils are supported to develop an understanding of what AI is, where it is used in everyday life and how it can be used safely, responsibly and ethically. Through guided discussions and carefully selected activities, pupils learn to question digital content, understand the limitations of AI and develop critical thinking skills when engaging with emerging technologies.
