The computing curriculum is taught weekly at HFJS though the Teach Computing Scheme of Work from the National Centre for Computing Education.  This is a new scheme at the school and will be taught through a timetabled hours lesson in the ICT suite. The curriculum is structured into 6 units for each year group, with each unit broken down into 6 lessons.

 

The units are based on a spiral curriculum, meaning that each of the themes is revisited at least once in each year group allowing pupils to consolidate and build on prior knowledge within that theme.

 

Lessons are sequenced so that learning builds from the previous week and, where appropriate, there are scaffolding activities with visual resources that enable all pupils to engage and achieve the intended goals.

 

Some lessons will be ‘unplugged’ where pupils learn without the aid of a device, for example in Year 6 when discovering how messages are broken down into small packets which are then moved form an IP address then through a network of routers before arriving at the intended IP address destination, where they are collated in the correct order, ready to be viewed.

 

Other lessons will include physical resources such as Crumble controllers in Selection in Physical Computing lessons or iPads for Stop-Go-Animation. Pupils will also work on a dedicated PC in the suite.

 

Within the lessons there are opportunities to link the topic being taught to online safety or digital citizenship. The suite uses posters and themed displays to promote positive online behaviours.