St. Finian's Catholic Primary School

Computing and digital literacy skills are fundamental to our everyday lives. ‘Computational thinking’ is a skill children must be taught if they are to be ready for the workplace and able to participate effectively in our digital world. The national curriculum for computing has been developed to equip young people in England with the foundational skills, knowledge and understanding of computing they will need for the rest of their lives. 

At St.Finian's we strive to model and educate our pupils on how to use technology positively, responsibly and safely. We want our pupils to be safe creators not consumers and our broad curriculum encompassing computer science, information technology and digital literacy reflects this.

We have created a comprehensive progression document for teachers to follow to best embed and cover every element of the computing curriculum. The knowledge/skills statements build year on year to deepen and challenge our learners.

The National Curriculum states: 'Computing has deep links with mathematics, science, and design and technology, and provides insights into both natural and artificial systems' and as such you will see Computing used across a range of subjects in a range of situations to enhance learning and equip children.

In dedicated units or through weekly conversations, children learn about online safety and what to do if they encounter something which makes them feel uncomfortable as well as what personal information is and why it is important we don’t share it with someone on the internet.

Finding the right balance with technology is key to an effective education and a healthy life-style. We feel the way we implement computing helps children realise the need for the right balance and one they can continue to build on in their next stage of education and beyond. We encourage regular discussions between staff and pupils to best embed and understand this.

Progress of our computing curriculum is demonstrated through outcomes and the record of coverage in the process of achieving these outcomes.