At Smawthorne Henry Moore Primary Academy, we are committed to delivering a high-quality, progressive Computing curriculum that prepares our children to thrive in an ever-changing digital world. In line with our vision of nurturing confident, happy, and well-rounded individuals, Computing is an essential subject that enables our pupils to become digitally literate, computationally thinking, and safely connected citizens.
Through engaging, purposeful, and practical experiences, our Computing curriculum aims to:
- Empower children to confidently use a wide range of technology to create, communicate, research and present ideas effectively.
- Develop children’s problem-solving, logical reasoning and critical thinking through programming and understanding systems and networks.
- Ensure all pupils understand how to use technology safely and responsibly, with a strong focus on online safety, digital wellbeing, and ethical use.
- Encourage children to reflect on the role of Computing in their lives and in the wider world, recognising how it influences their lives.
By the end of their primary journey, all children at Smawthorne Henry Moore Academy will be equipped with the digital knowledge, skills and confidence they need to succeed in the next stage of their education and beyond.
Computing is implemented through a carefully sequenced and progressive curriculum that ensures pupils gain the skills, knowledge and confidence needed to become independent and responsible users of technology.
We follow the Teach Computing scheme of work, developed by the National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE), which provides comprehensive, age-appropriate units across the strands of Computer Science, Information Technology, and Digital Literacy. This scheme ensures clear progression from Year 1 through to Year 6, building on prior knowledge and skills year on year.
Our teaching approach is active, practical, and engaging. We use a blend of direct instruction—to explicitly teach key digital skills and concepts—and hands-on exploration, where children apply their learning through creative tasks and problem-solving challenges.
To ensure consistency and progression:
- Each year group follows a long-term plan which maps out the computing units taught across the academic year, aligning with national curriculum expectations and ensuring full coverage of all three strands.
- Our medium-term plans, adopted from the Teach Computing curriculum, outline the key concepts, learning objectives, and expected outcomes for each half term’s unit. These plans guide teachers in delivering lessons with clear purpose and structure.
- All pupils, regardless of starting point or ability, have access to a broad and balanced Computing curriculum. Lessons are adapted to support and challenge learners appropriately.
- Skills development is supported by a range of digital tools and software, helping pupils to become confident users of different technologies.
- Online safety runs through our Computing curriculum and complemented by discrete teaching as part of our wider safeguarding provision.
- Teachers use formative assessment strategies during lessons to assess understanding, address misconceptions, and inform future planning.
The Early Years Foundation Stage
Within the EYFS, Computing is taught as an integral part of the curriculum and is embedded across areas of learning through purposeful, play-based opportunities as set out in our Computing long term plan.
Our EYFS Computing approach focuses on both unplugged and plugged in, hands-on activities that build children’s listening skills, curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving abilities. These early experiences introduce key concepts in a developmentally appropriate way.
Technology in the Early Years can take many forms, including:
- Taking photographs or videos using iPads
- Using the interactive whiteboard to play educational games
- Exploring programmable toys like Beebots
- Watching short video clips or listening to music
- Investigating mechanical devices such as old typewriters, telephones, or toys
- Engaging in conversations about how technology helps us in everyday life
- In Summer 2, children are introduced to the Computing Room where they practise logging in
Children are given the opportunity to explore technology in an adult-led, child-led and exploratory manner, helping them to develop familiarity with devices, technical vocabulary, and digital experiences in a meaningful context. These experiences foster confidence and independence, providing a strong and seamless transition into Key Stage 1 Computing, where they will begin to apply more structured digital skills through our whole-school Computing curriculum adopted from ‘Teach Computing’.
