Computing
Computing at Clowne Junior School is fun and exciting.
It has taught me how to do skills I had no idea even existed!
Year 6 pupil
Intention
💻 Our curriculum design
Clowne Junior School has created bespoke curriculum to teach all of the KS2 National Curriculum for Computing objectives. There are four main focus areas:
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Computer Science and Programming: Learning how computers "think." This includes using logic, algorithms (step-by-step instructions), and data to solve puzzles.Getting hands-on experience writing code. We use a games-based approach, meaning you learn the "boring" stuff by doing fun, creative projects.
- Information Technology - Information Technology underpins all that we do in Computing and children are given lots of opportunity to design and create content using a variety of multimedia software.
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Digital Literacy: Becoming an expert at using devices. This means getting faster at typing, learning how to organise files, and knowing how to use different software.
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Online Safety: Understanding the "Rules of the Road" for the internet. This includes spotting fake news, managing social media, and knowing what "cookies" and data ownership really mean.
Implementation
At Clowne Junior, we deliver a dynamic Computing curriculum tailored to primary age children, ensuring they are well-prepared for the digital world.
- Our content is organised into termly blocks or themes, each designed to build on skills progressively while keeping learning engaging and relevant.
- We focus on developing essential computing skills and digital literacy, empowering students to use technology safely and confidently.
- Interactive learning experiences encourage creativity and problem-solving, critical components of our Computing education.
Every child learns differently, so our lessons use a variety of styles:
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Device Variety: We use Chromebooks and iPads, but we also do "Unplugged" activities where children learn computer logic away from a screen using games and paper-based tasks.
- Physical Computing: Lessons are practical and hands-on and each year uses physical computing devices. This includes programmable robots as well as microcontrollers in upper KS2. These gadgets allow students to see their code and instructions come to life in the real world.
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Research Skills: Children learn to find their own information using videos, photos, and independent web searches.
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The PRIMM Method: We use a structured way to teach programming (Predict, Run, Investigate, Modify, Make) to help children understand code before they start typing it.
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Mixing Tasks: Using a blend of teacher-led demonstrations and independent "have a go" tasks.
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Building Fluency: Regular practice in typing and word processing so they become "digitally literate."
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Interactive Learning: Using online quizzes to help children remember what they’ve learned and holding class discussions about their online experiences.
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Increasing Independence: As children move through the school, they are encouraged to take more control of their digital projects and ask their own "how" and "why" questions.
Impact
At Clowne Junior School, we don’t just look at a finished project to see how a child is doing. Because technology is about thinking as much as doing, we use a variety of ways to capture the fuller picture of a child’s progress.
💡 Understanding the "Why" and "How"
It can be tricky to assess computing—sometimes children work in groups, or lessons are guided and supported. To make sure we see every child’s individual growth, we focus on several different things:
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Big Discussions: We use open-ended questions to see if children truly understand a concept (like how the internet works) rather than just knowing which buttons to click.
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Smart Questions: As children move through the school, we look for their questions to become more precise. We love seeing them use "prior knowledge"—connecting what they learned previously to a new challenges.
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Technical Vocabulary: Every lesson, children are encouraged to use technical language to further their understanding of concepts. As they become more familiar with this technical language they are encouraged to use this language in their own explanations.
🛠️ Practical Skills & Independence
We monitor how "fluent" children are becoming with technology. This includes:
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Digital Research: How well can they find, check, and use information from the web on their own?
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Programming During computer science lessons, we use tools like Code.org or Kodable.com which tracks and monitors progress to see exactly how an individual child is progressing through coding puzzles.
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Project Quality: We look at the final piece of work—whether it’s a game, a video, or a spreadsheet—to see if they can apply their skills to a real-world task.
🏫 Growing Together as a School
To make sure our teaching is the best it can be, our teachers and school leaders regularly work together to:
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Review Work: We look at projects across all four year groups to make sure the challenge is growing as the children do.
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Collaborate: Teachers share what’s working well in their classrooms to improve learning for everyone.
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Look Outward: We compare our work with other schools to ensure Clowne Junior students are ready to tackle the everyday challenges of living in the technological age.