Pupils in Year 5 have two lessons of Computing a week. In Years 6, 7 and 8 they have one lesson per week. The course equips pupils to understand and use computers and information technology effectively and responsibly. E-safety is an important component part.
All years follow courses which cover the following topics;
Computer Science (Algorithms & Programing):
Algorithms are written steps, a bit like a recipe. They are written (or sometimes drawn) so that they can be easily understood. This helps in thinking about how a computer might manage to do a task.
Pupils design and write programs to make the computer do various things. A program is a list of instructions. When a program is ‘run’, the computer carries out the instructions.
Programing currently happens like this:
Year 5: Flowol and Scratch
Year 6: Scratch and Kodu
Year 7: Kodu, GameMaker and an introduction to Python3
Year 8: GameMaker and Python3.
Database:
Pupils use Microsoft Access, a world standard database programme, to find information and to create their own databases.
In Year 6, they look at ways to find and interpret information from the Internet.
Hardware and Software:
In Years 7 & 8, pupils find out about how computers work and what they are made of. Topics include input and output devices, memory and storage, and inside the processor chip.
Communication:
This area is about how computers transfer information, or ‘speak’ to each other. Networks, wi-fi and other means of data transfer are looked at. Year 8 also look at ‘digital collaboration’; its risks and benefits.
Information Technology:
In IT, pupils learn how to use software to create and combine ideas, edit work, and present information for different audiences.
Digital Literacy:
All pupils undertake modules which develop their digital literacy. All pupils are taught about the growing importance of technology in our lives. They develop skills to think critically about computer technology and learn how to stay safe online.