Here at Dormers Wells computing is an important subject in which children learn to feel empowered, skilled and safe. It is our responsibility at Dormers Wells to teach our children to be good, responsible, digital citizens and to prepare the children for careers and jobs that, at present, may not exist yet. We believe our children need to be prepared for a rapidly changing world and we need to ensure that no child gets left behind. Exposing our children to new technologies and ways of doing things is a privilege and an opportunity to allow our children to believe, aspire and flourish. In computing children can explore their curiosity and interests and become digitally literate through mastering a range of skills. Technology can be used for a variety of reasons and can allow our children to communicate, learn, create platforms and gain moral tools to be successful throughout their lives. The computing skills children learn whilst at Dormers Wells will equip them to access the world around them and to relate their skills to real life situations. At Dormers Wells we believe computing to be an exciting subject that can engage and stimulate children from Nursery through to Year Six and are committed to working together as a team to create skilled individuals who can thrive in 21st Century life.
In Eary Years, children learn computing skills through using the class Interactive Whiteboard, iPads and technological toys such as, beebots. The children follow the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum and the objectives taught come from the Understanding the World area of the curriculum, in particular the Technology aspect. The children are also able to explore their own interests and ideas using technology and learn to relate this technology use to real life events and situations. It is also important that we teach the children at an early age how to be safe online and protect themselves from the dangers of the online world. We achieve this by using a range of stories and videos that represent real life situations using fictional characters.
In KS1 we continue to teach children the importance of being safe online and begin each half term topic with an online safety session. The whole first half of the Autumn term is also dedicated to online safety and the children explore a variety of pitfalls that they may encounter in the online world. The children in KS1 begin their computing learning journey by gaining and developing skills in coding, creating digital content and exploring different technologies available to them. The children learn to create and debug simple programs and to create content for real life situations.
In KS2 the children begin their computing learning journey in a similar way to KS1 with online safety being of high importance and driving the learning of the whole first half of the Autumn term and further sessions at the beginning of each new topic. The children in KS2 continue to build on their existing skills in coding and creating digital content and begin to gain skills in effective searching methods and how to evaluate data and information that is presented to them. The children also learn that content created online is available to a wider audience and how to appropriately create their online content that promotes them as a good, responsible digital citizen.
Here at Dormers Wells due to the current situation we have used Office 365 and the wide range of apps that it provides to engage our children in learning opportunities. Children and staff alike have gained new skills and have used the current situation to their advantage and been exposed to learning experiences that they may not have necessarily had before.
Dormers Wells Primary School is a Right Respecting School we follow the UN Conventions Rights for children where we teach children about rights, through rights and for rights. We believe children who have understanding of their rights also understand how others and how they should be treated. Also, we aim to create a safe environment and atmosphere for our children. Rights Respecting gives children a voice to express themselves and challenge any injustices. They feel empowered to access information and make informed decisions about their learning, health and wellbeing. As a school, we want to equip our children to advocate for rights where they can promote equality, fairness and safety.
Computing
Article 13- Every child must be free to express their thoughts and opinions and to access all kinds of information, as long as it is in the law.
Article 16 – Every child has the right to privacy. A child’s private, home and family life must be protected.