The Hundred of Hoo Academy believes that the ever growing use of technology is changing the way we live. Therefore, allowing the children to make use of technology within their learning is very important. To enable this to happen, children should have access to a secure and comprehensive computing curriculum that involves a variety of engaging lessons, delivered by well trained teachers and by the end of a child’s learning journey at our school, children will be able to transfer the skills and knowledge that they have learned to their secondary school of choice. This will be supported with an extensive range of equipment that children and staff will have access to, as well as a progression map that is supported by the computing lead. Technology will be used within Inquiry learning and the IB PYP framework to help children develop their computing skills and express their ideas in a variety of ways.
To enable students to become the best learner they can be, and to enable them to become familiar with how the world works, including technology, students are given many opportunities to use the IT equipment that we have at Hundred of Hoo. Staff are equipped with IT resources as well as given opportunities to attend CPD. Also, staff will be able to develop their knowledge further by attending specific CPD according to their year group. As we teach a transdisciplinary curriculum, children are able to make connections with the real world when taking part in their computing programme of study and will be able to evidence their learning where possible, this being in their Inquiry books, on the Foundation Assessment Framework or within their Google drives. To embed learning further, children have many opportunities to take part in themed activities such as E-safety day and STEM workshops. There is also the opportunity to take part in extra curricular activities such as computing club, where Covis-19 allows. To make sure children are retaining information from their computing curriculum, practical lessons are encouraged at Hundred of Hoo, especially lessons that link to real life scenarios. This links in well with the IB PYP framework. To make sure that children are able to smoothly transition into their next year of studies, progression will be made clear within each year group, with help from Target Tracker to inform the teachers planning and delivery. As well as this, key vocabulary would play a big part within the school’s curriculum as a whole, allowing children to make connections with all aspects of their learning, rather than the computing curriculum in isolation.
Enabling children at the Hundred of Hoo Academy to have access to a tailored computing curriculum will help them develop their skills further as well as make connections to the real world. Allowing children to make connections will enable them to become independent, capable computer scientists with the knowledge and expertise they would need to move onto their secondary school education. Linking with this, having a secure progression map and using the Foundation Assessment Framework effectively, as well as staff having a secure understanding of the PYP framework and its concepts, children will be able to make an appropriate amount of progress, and be able to become good communicators and knowledgeable inquiry learners. With this in mind, allowing students to make the right choices in their learning and giving them ownership of which technology will be used, allows them to develop their student agency, as well as their voice, choice and ownership of their work. This is something that would be evident across all year groups.