Computing at Northgate

The Northgate Computing curriculum is designed to reflect the ever-changing technological world that our children are growing up in. It enables pupils to experience exciting and skills-based activities and learning experiences which facilitate independence and exploration, allowing pupils to apply their skills to their own paths of enquiry. It is designed to consider the ways our children can use technology to learn and communicate and teaches them how to be safe when doing so. 

In Early Years, we focus on the foundation of technology knowledge to support children to learn about the wider world at the same time as improving their computing skills. We use phonics games, develop our understanding of how to keep safe, we turn on music, use toys with on/off buttons and things which need controls to work, use BeeBots, maths games, use iPads to research pictures of animals, landscapes and environments. We also use our interactive whiteboards to create pictures and iPads to take pictures of our construction pieces of work.​

From KS1 onwards, our core Computing learning comes under the three strands of E Safety, Coding and Media. Throughout their Computing lessons, children also develop an understanding of how computer networks and the world wide web function.

ESAFETY SKILLS PROGRESSION

We learn to BLOCK and REPORT unkind messages

We identify TRUSTED ADULTS who we talk to about anything that upsets or worries us

We learn to be UPSTANDERS to online bullying and how to support the target in public and private ways

 

Year 1

We listen to Smarty the Penguin stories and learn to show our grown-ups nasty messages and how to block the sender.

 

Year 2

We listen to DigiDuck stories and learn to keep our passwords to ourselves and to look out for fake facts.

 

Year 3

We learn to block, report and talk to a trusted adult when things go wrong, online.

 

Year 4

We learn to detect fake images and facts and how to respond to in-game messages.

 

Year 5

We learn about phishing as a scam to get your personal information with the aim of accessing your bank account and money. We also learn how to deal with in-game messaging.

 

Year 6

We read scenarios of things that can happen when we are online and advise the person whether to reply, block, report, ignore, be an upstander or to talk to a trusted adult. We also learn to use our refusal skills and how to divert/distract.

 

MEDIA SKILLS PROGRESSION

Y1 Digital Painting (Paint)

Pupils use a range of tools for digital painting, choosing colours and brush styles to create an artistic effect.

 

Y2 Digital Photography

Pupils use iPads to capture, edit and improve photos, and learn how to take an effective photograph.

 

Y3 Desktop Publishing (Canva)

Pupils format text and images and use placeholders (templates) to design cards. They learn how to change font style, colour and size. They use Canva software to insert and edit images.

 

Y4 Photo Editing

Pupils edit digital images using a range of tools and techniques. They combine images and text from different sources to create a fake image. They develop media literacy to know that not all images are real.

 

Y5 Vector Drawing

Pupils learn to create vector images, which are made up of shapes. They learn how to use different drawing tools and how images are created in layers. They group, resize, rotate and duplicate images, to create a more complex piece of work. 

 

Y6 3D Modelling (Tinkercad)

Pupils use Tinkercad software to produce 3D models. They combine 3D objects to make accurate 3D models of pencil holders and keyrings. Pupils use accurate measurements and 3D objects as placeholders. They learn the importance of grouping 3D objects.