Computing & E-Safety

At Sedbergh Primary School we want our children to be confident, respectful and safe when using technology. As a school, we understand that technology will pay a pivotal part in our pupils’ lives and we want to equip the children with the tools they need to use technology purposefully and positively. Our computing curriculum will enable our children to become digitally literate and will ensure they can use and express themselves through communication and information technology. Safety is at the forefront of everything we do and we teach our children to be safe online from the start of their journey through education until they leave us for secondary school.

Years 1-6 we follow the Teach Computing scheme of work, building on what the children have learnt in the EYFS whilst following the Barefoot curriculum. The Teach Computing curriculum has been created by subject experts, using the latest pedagogical research and teacher feedback. The curriculum has been built around an innovative progression framework where computing content has been organised into interconnected networks called ‘Learning Graphs’.

The KS1 and KS2 units are based on a spiral curriculum, meaning that each of the themes is revisited regularly (at least once in each year group), and pupils revisit each theme through a new unit that consolidates and builds on prior learning within that theme. This style of curriculum design reduces the amount of knowledge lost through forgetting, as topics are revisited yearly. It also ensures that connections are made even if different teachers are teaching the units within a theme in consecutive years. Our curriculum ensures that all 3 strands are covered; these include computer science, information technology and digital literacy.

The national curriculum for computing aims to ensure that all pupils:

• can understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, logic, algorithms and data representation
• can analyse problems in computational terms, and have repeated practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve such problems
• can evaluate and apply information technology, including new or unfamiliar technologies, analytically to solve problems
• are responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology

Through the implementation of our comprehensive computing curriculum, we will ensure that children leave Sedbergh Primary School able to use technology safely and competently. We hope that our pupils will be confident in applying their skills in computing to become active participants in our ever changing digital world.

E-Safety is taken very seriously in the school and is taught throughout every year group. In addition, each year children and families sign an ‘Acceptable Use Agreement’ outlining a sensible approach to staying safe whilst using digital technologies. We also maintain a clear set of guidelines for the safe use of web based technologies in our Online Safety Policy and Procedures.

Further resources and advice for children, parents and families about E-Safety can be accessed using the following links;

NSPCC Guidance about Online Safety and working together to resolve concerns.
Think You Know – guidance from CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre)

In addition, the following sites have information and advice aimed at parents and adults working with children;
Parent Info (from CEOP and Parent Zone) – guidance about many issues that affect children and young people
NSPCC – Online Safety
CEOP Command – National Crime Agency
Parents and carers can also read our E-Safety guidance booklet – this can be found in our key information section.

https://www.childnet.com/resources/looking-for-kidsmart
https://parentinfo.org/
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/
https://www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/