Computing
Computing at Ellenborough is vital in helping children understand the digital world around them. Computational thinking is more about teaching children problem-solving than coding languages, and the intellectual skills they'll gain will be useful for whatever they do in life. To teach computing at Ellenborough, we follow the Purple Mash Curriculum.
In Years 1 and 2, your child will be taught to:
- Understand what algorithms are (a set of step-by-step instructions for carrying out a function), how they are used as programs on digital devices, and that programs work by following these precise instructions.
- Create and debug (find and remove errors from) simple computer programs.
- Use logical reasoning to predict the behaviour of simple programs.
- Use technology to create, organise, store, manipulate and retrieve digital content.
- Recognise common uses of information technology in the wider world.
- Use technology safely and respectfully, keeping their personal information private.
- Know where to go for help and support if they’re worried about anything they see on the internet or other online technologies.
In computing lessons in KS1, children tackle projects such as:
- Write a set of step-by-step instructions, helping them gain an understanding of algorithms.
- Program a programmable toy such as a Bee-Bot to travel around the classroom floor.
- Use a program such as Paint to create a picture.
- Use PurpleMash to record and store the results of a science experiment.
- Use search engines to collect information
- Computing lessons in school won't all be done at a computer, as learning about the principles of computer science can be done in a hands-on, screen-off way, too.
