COMPUTING AT SCHOOL

E D U C ATE • E N G A GE • ENC OUR A GE

In collaboration with BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT

Computing in
the national
curriculum
A guide for primary teachers
Computing in the
national curriculum
A guide for primary teachers
Foreword
Computers are now part of everyday life. For most
of us, technology is essential to our lives, at home
and at work. ‘Computational thinking’ is a skill
children must be taught if they are to be ready for
the workplace and able to participate effectively in
this digital world.

The new national curriculum for computing has

been developed to equip young people in England
with the foundational skills, knowledge and
understanding of computing they will need for the
rest of their lives. Through the new programme
of study for computing, they will learn how
computers and computer systems work, they will
design and build programs, develop their ideas
using technology and create a range of content.
But what does this mean for primary schools?
How should school leaders be planning for the
new curriculum and how can teachers develop the
additional skills they will need?

The programme of study is expressed in precise

but perhaps unfamiliar language. This guide has
been written especially for primary teachers, to Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders and obtain their
demystify the programme of study for primary permission for the use of copyright materials. The authors and publisher will
schools. It will enable teachers to get to grips gladly receive information enabling them to rectify any error or omission in
subsequent editions.
with the new requirements quickly and to build All facts are correct at the time of going to press. All referenced websites were correct
on current practice. It includes help for schools at the time this book went to press.
with planning and gives guidance on how best to
Text © Computing at
develop teachers’ skills. School. Published
2013.
The new national curriculum for computing
Author: Miles Berry.
provides schools with an exciting opportunity Consultants: Amanda Jackson, Penny Patterson and Dave Smith of Havering
to reinvigorate teaching and learning in this School Improvement Services.
Text design, Typesetting and Cover Design: Burville-Riley Partnership.
important area of the curriculum. We hope
Photography: Ron Coello.
this guide will help you on your way.
Computing at School are grateful to the following contributors: Phil Bagge, Andrea
Carr, Emma Davis, Graham Hastings, Lance G. Howarth, Simon Humphreys, Chris Mairs,
To find out more about Computing At School, Joe McCrossan, Simon Peyton-Jones. Thanks to the children and teachers of Ringwood
please visit us at Infants School and Ringwood Junior School, Ringwood, Abbotswood Junior School,
www.computingatschool.org.uk/primary Totton and Gordonbrock Primary School, Lewisham.

We would like to acknowledge and thank ARM Holdings and Raspberry Pi

You will also find an eBook version of this guide Foundation for their kind financial support without which the production of this guide
there, which can be freely shared with colleagues. would not have been possible.

Simon Peyton-Jones
Chairman, Computing At School

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-

ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data.

A CIP record for this book is available from the British

Library. ISBN: 978-1-78339-143-1

Printed by Newnorth Print, Ltd. Bedford.

Contents
Introduction 4
Getting started 5
Subject knowledge 7
Key stage 1 7
Key stage 2 10
Planning 14
Starting with the programme of study 15
Starting with projects 16
Using a pre-written scheme of work 16
Using a pupil-centred approach 16
Resourcing 17
Teaching 18
Technologically enhanced learning 20
Inclusion 20
Gifted and talented pupils 21
Informal learning 21
Assessment 22
Formative assessment 22
Summative assessment 23
Concluding remarks 26
Glossary 27
Resources 28
Background 28
Subject knowledge 28
Teaching resources and ideas 29
Media 29
Support 30
Background 31
INTRODUCTION

Introduction There is more to computer science than

programming, though. It incorporates
techniques and methods for solving problems
The 2014 national curriculum introduces a new and advancing knowledge, and includes a
subject, computing, which replaces ICT. This distinct way of thinking and working that sets it
represents continuity and change, challenge apart from other disciplines. Every core principle
and opportunity. It gives schools the chance to can be taught or illustrated without relying on
review and enhance current approaches in order the use of a specific technology.
to provide an even more exciting and rigorous
curriculum that addresses the challenges and The role of programming in computer science
opportunities offered by the technologically rich is similar to that of practical work in the other
world in which we live. sciences – it provides motivation, and a
context within which ideas are brought to life.
Computing is concerned with how computers
and computer systems work, and how they are Information technology deals with applying
designed and programmed. Pupils studying computer systems to solve real-world problems.
computing will gain an understanding of Things that have long been part of ICT in schools,
computational systems of all kinds, whether such as finding things out, exchanging and sharing
or not they include computers. Computational information, and reviewing, modifying and
thinking provides insights into many areas of the evaluating work, remain as important now, for
curriculum, and influences work at the cutting a broad and balanced technological education,
edge of a wide range of disciplines. as they ever were. The new programme of study
provides ample scope for pupils to develop
Why is computational thinking so important? It understanding, knowledge and skills in these
allows us to solve problems, design systems, and areas, as you’ll see from some of the examples
understand the power and limits of human and in this guide.
machine intelligence. It is a skill that empowers,
and one that all pupils should be aware of and Primary teachers currently equip pupils with high-
develop competence in. Pupils who can think level skills in using ICT, preparing them to apply
computationally are better able to conceptualise, these across the curriculum in secondary education.
understand and use computer-based technology, It’s unclear whether pupils leave primary school
and so are better prepared for today’s world and with much knowledge of how computers, software,
the future. the internet, the web and search engines work,
or a critical understanding of the impact of these
Computing is a practical subject, in which technologies on their lives and on society.
invention and resourcefulness are encouraged.
As teachers, we are competent and confident
The ideas of computing are applied to users of technology in our own personal and
understanding real-world systems and creating professional lives, and yet relatively few of us are
sure how the software running on our computers
purposeful products. This combination of works, what the difference is between the web
principles, practice and invention makes and the internet, or how search results are
ordered, and we’re even less sure of how to teach
computing these things to our pupils. However, with help
an extraordinarily useful and intensely
from the web, new publications and resources,
creative subject, suffused with excitement, both
and colleagues (and pupils!) willing to support us,
visceral (‘it works!’) and intellectual (‘that is so
it is time to give it a go.
beautiful’).1
Note: throughout the guide we have highlighted
The focus of the new programme of study
computing terms in orange. The definitions of
undeniably moves towards programming and
these terms are in the glossary on page 27.
other aspects of computer science. Programming
has been part of the primary national curriculum
right from the start, as ‘control’ or ‘sequencing
instructions’, although this has too often been
overlooked or treated superficially.

Adapted from A Curriculum Framework for Computer Science and Information Technology: www.computingatschool.org.uk/data/uploads/Curriculum
1
%20Framework%20for%20CS%20and%20IT.pdf

4
Getting
GETTING STARTED

One way of thinking about these aspects is as

started the foundations, applications and implications of

computing. The aims for the subject as a whole
reflect this distinction.
As with other subjects in the new national
curriculum, the programme of study document [All pupils] can understand and apply the
for computing2 begins with a brief introduction. fundamental principles and concepts of computer
It presents the subject as one lens through which science, including abstraction, logic, algorithms
pupils can understand the world. There is a focus and data representation. (CS)
on computational thinking and creativity, as well
as opportunities for creative work in programming [All pupils] can analyse problems in computational
and digital media. terms, and have repeated practical experience of
writing computer programs in order to solve such
The introduction also makes clear the three problems. (CS)
aspects of the computing curriculum: computer
science (CS), information technology (IT) and [All pupils] can evaluate and apply information
digital literacy (DL). technology, including new or unfamiliar
technologies, analytically to solve problems. (IT)
The core of computing is computer science,
in which pupils are taught the principles of [All pupils] are responsible, competent,
information and computation, how digital systems confident and creative users of information and
work and how to put this knowledge to use communication technology. (DL)
through programming. Building on this knowledge
and understanding, pupils are equipped to use It’s worth noting that computer science aims to
information technology to create programs, cover two distinct, but related, aspects. There’s
systems and a range of content. Computing also a focus on computer science itself (the ideas
ensures that pupils become digitally literate – able and principles that underpin how digital
to use, and express themselves and develop their technology works) but this sits alongside the
ideas through, information and communication practical experience of programming, almost
technology – at a level suitable for the future certainly the best way for primary pupils to
workplace and as active participants in a digital learn about computer science.
world.
Your school has a statutory duty to offer a broad
and balanced curriculum that prepares pupils
to ‘use computational thinking and creativity to
understand and change the world’.3 Therefore,
as your school develops its scheme of work for
computing, it would be unwise to ignore any of
these aspects, or to give too much emphasis to
one to the detriment of the others.

That said, you have the freedom to decide how

much time you spend on any aspect of the
programme of study, and there’s no implication
that the number of bullet points or words should
be proportional to the time spent on any aspect,
as long as pupils have been taught all the content
by the end of the key stage.

See
2 and 3

www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-
curriculum-in-england-computing-programmes-of-
study/ national-curriculum-in-england-computing-
programmes-of- study

5
GETTING STARTED

We will look in more detail at the programme

of study, but a quick scan of the subject
content shows expectations for the three
aspects of computing at each key stage. The
content has
been adapted below to show how it can be broken
down into three sub-sections.

KS1 KS2
Understand what algorithms are; Design, write and debug programs that accomplish
how they are implemented as specific goals, including controlling or simulating physical
programs on digital devices; and that systems; solve problems by decomposing them into
programs execute by following smaller parts
precise and unambiguous
Use sequence, selection, and repetition in programs; work with
instructions
variables and various forms of input and output
CS Create and debug simple programs
Use logical reasoning to explain how some simple algorithms
Use logical reasoning to predict the work and to detect and correct errors in algorithms and
behaviour of simple programs programs
Understand computer networks including the internet; how
they can provide multiple services, such as the World
Wide Web
Appreciate how [search] results are selected and ranked
Use technology purposefully to Use search technologies effectively
create, organise, store, manipulate and
Select, use and combine a variety of software (including
retrieve digital content
IT internet services) on a range of digital devices to design and
create a range of programs, systems and content that
accomplish given goals, including collecting, analysing,
evaluating and presenting data and information
Recognise common uses of Understand the opportunities [networks] offer for
information technology beyond communication and collaboration
school
Be discerning in evaluating digital content
Use technology safely and
DL respectfully, keeping personal
Use technology safely, respectfully and responsibly;
recognise acceptable/unacceptable behaviour; identify a range
information private; identify where
of ways to report concerns about content and contact
to go for help and support when
they have concerns about content
or contact on the internet or other
online technologies

It should be noted that the statutory requirements

are not labelled under these three headings in the
programme of study, and the distinction between
information technology and digital literacy is open
to some interpretation. The important thing is to
cover the content in a balanced, stimulating and
creative way rather than being overly concerned
about the specifics of terminology.

There are big changes in assessment, too, as

with other subjects of the national curriculum.
The old system of levels will be abolished and
is not being replaced. How your school
chooses to assess, record and report pupils’
mastery

6
of the curriculum content is your decision, but
we explore some possible approaches in the
Assessment section.

7
Subject
SUBJECT KNOWLEDGE

There are many different programming languages.

knowledge They each have their own vocabulary, grammar

and features that make them appropriate for
particular tasks. The current favourites in primary
The statements in the programme of study are schools are Scratch, Logo and Kodu.
brief. Let’s take a slightly more detailed look at
the concepts each statement refers to. Programs are made up of statements in a limited,
but precisely understood, vocabulary. Each
statement in the program has one particular
Key stage 1 meaning. The computer follows the instructions
given: nothing more and, almost always, nothing
Understand what algorithms are; less.
how they are implemented as
programs on digital devices; and A ‘computer’ is not just a traditional desktop or
that programs execute by laptop PC; it is any device that accepts input,
following precise and processes it according to a stored program, and
unambiguous instructions produces an output. The input, stored program
and output are all encoded as numbers, making
An algorithm is a precisely defined procedure – these devices ‘digital’. Digital devices include the
a sequence of instructions, or a set of rules, for controller in your car or microwave oven, your
performing a specific task (e.g. instructions for mobile phone, tablet, laptop and desktop, as well
changing a wheel or making a sandwich). While as high-end supercomputers and ‘virtual’ servers
all correct algorithms should produce the right in the ‘cloud’.
answer, some algorithms are more efficient than
others. Computer scientists are interested in Create and debug simple programs
finding better algorithms, partly out of intellectual
curiosity, and partly because improvements in The best way for pupils to learn what an algorithm
algorithms can result in massive savings in terms is, and how it can be implemented as a program, is
of both cost and time. to write some programs themselves. Programming
involves taking an idea for doing something and
Computer programs, like algorithms, are turning it into instructions the computer can
comprised of sets of rules or instructions, but understand. In the infant classroom this could be
they differ in that they need to be written in a writing a set of commands for a Bee-Bot, Pro-
precise language a computer can ‘understand’. Bot or Roamer, or snapping on-screen program
A computer’s central processor understands a building blocks together in Scratch.
very limited set of simple instructions written in
machine code. Very few programmers work at When you write a program you need to have a
this level, so computer scientists have developed clear idea of what it will do and how it should do
programming languages, which sit somewhere it. This is where algorithms come in, and thinking
between the ideas in the algorithm and the algorithmically is an integral part of the craft of
computer’s machine code. programming.

A programmer can turn an algorithm into code Most programs don’t work as they should first
using a programming language that has time round; professional programmers have this
enough in common with the English experience all the time! One of the most
language to make it easy to rewarding aspects of programming is finding and
read, remember and write. The fixing these mistakes. Mistakes in programs are
programming language takes called ‘bugs’, and finding and fixing them is
care of the minute details, like ‘debugging’.
how to do multiplication or
where data should be stored The process of debugging often involves identifying
in the computer’s memory, that there is a fault, working out which bit of the
which means the programmer program (or underlying algorithm) has caused the
can focus on the big picture. problem, and then thinking logically about how
to fix it. In the classroom, this can provide a great
opportunity for collaborative work.
7
SUBJECT KNOWLEDGE

As a teacher, you should identify clear steps that and video (including animations), writing computer
pupils can follow so that they can fix their code. programs, and creating online content such as blog
These might involve identifying what the fault is, posts, forum contributions, wiki entries and social
finding out which part of the code is creating the network updates. This creative work is digitised
problem, and then working towards a fix. (i.e. converted to numbers) once it’s on the
computer.
Pupils should be encouraged to work
together to identify bugs, as programmers are The sheer quantity of digital information makes
often blind to their own mistakes. Although it the skill of organising digital content more
might be appropriate to help pupils compare important than ever. In more practical terms, we
code or identify which section to look at, it is might think of how to bring together different
rarely helpful for you to fix a bug for pupils digital media, how to order a series of paragraphs,
until they have worked through the stages of how to organise the files in our documents
debugging directory, or how to tag photos and posts online.
themselves. Debugging code develops valuable
learning skills that are transferable right across the Storing digital content is perhaps something we
curriculum, such as independence, resilience and take for granted. Knowing where a file is saved in
persistence. the directory structure is important. It’s vital to
be able to distinguish between the hard disk (or
Use logical reasoning to predict the solid state storage) inside the computer itself,
behaviour of simple programs the school’s network server, USB disks or
memory cards, and online storage via the
Computers are deterministic machines. We internet.
can predict exactly how they’ll behave
through Content is stored digitally. Size is measured in
repeated experience or by developing an internal bytes, one byte being the amount of information
model of how a piece of software works. Stepping needed to encode a single character of text. A
through the program can give a clear sense of kilobyte (kB) is 1000 bytes, 1000 kB is a megabyte
what it does, and how it does it, giving a feel for (MB), 1000 MB is a gigabyte (GB) and 1000 GB is
the algorithm that’s been implemented. one terabyte (TB). The list continues beyond that.
A short word-processed document might be
In the classroom, getting one pupil to role-play 25 kB, a digital photo 5 MB, a feature-length,
a floor turtle or screen sprite while another high- definition film 4 GB and the data on a
steps through the program can give a far more computer hard drive 1 TB.
immediate sense of what’s going on. When
working with a computer, encourage pupils to
Manipulating digital content is likely to involve
make a prediction about what the program will using one or more application programs, such
do before they press return or click the button, as word-processors, presentation software, or
and to explain their prediction logically; this is image-, audio- or video-editing packages. The
part of computer science. pupil makes changes to the digital content,
which might include combining content from
Logical reasoning also implies that pupils are multiple sources. The skill here is not just using
following a set of rules when making predictions.
the software tools, but also knowing how best to
Pupils who step outside the boundaries of these
change the content for the audience and purpose,
rules are not using logical reasoning. A pupil who
and to take into account principles of good design.
expects a roamer to jump doesn’t understand
the constraints of its programming language or
Retrieving digital content could be seen as the
hardware.
reverse of storing: the skills of opening and saving
documents are similar. Retrieving content requires
Use technology purposefully to
you to know what you called the file, what file
create, organise, store, manipulate
type it is, and where you stored it.
and retrieve digital content
Finding files can be time-consuming, especially
Creating digital content has many practical
when the filing system is not well organised.
possibilities. These include commonplace tasks
Computer filing systems have search features
such as word-processing, creating pictures using
to make this easier, but are reliant on the user
paint packages, working with digital photographs
8
 SUBJECT KNOWLEDGE

remembering enough about the file to be able to Use technology safely and
search for it. The problem of finding a particular file respectfully, keeping personal
is harder on the web, although the links between information private; identify where to
web pages help, and these are at the centre of go for help and support when they
Google’s algorithm for ranking search results. have concerns about content or
contact on the internet or other
Recognise common uses of online technologies
information technology beyond
school This statement covers the key principles of pupils’
e-safety. Pupils should be aware of the main risks
Digital technology is a part of all our lives, with associated with the internet, and recognise that
almost no sphere untouched by it. A key stage 1 they should not share certain types of personal
pupil might be woken by a digital alarm clock, information online.
have a bowl of microwaved porridge for
breakfast, and then watch digital TV or play an Young children have little awareness of who
iPad game before travelling to school, their can access online information, so it is best to
journey guided or tracked via GPS. teach them not to communicate any personal
information online. Pupils should develop their
sensitivity to others online, treating them with
respect, and showing respect for their privacy.

Pupils should have an age-appropriate

understanding of their responsibilities under the
school’s acceptable use policy. As pupils may
inadvertently access inappropriate content on the
web, they need to know how to report a worry,
and they should be encouraged to talk to teachers
or parents about their concerns.

Adults worry about extreme content, but pupils’

worries are often at a lower level, related to
material they consider unfair or unkind. In order
for pupils to feel supported, it is important
that adults empathise with, and address, these
While they’re at school, their attendance, progress worries, and there should normally be no blame
and lunch are tracked through the management attached to a pupil reporting such concerns.
information system, they engage in activities on
tablets, and research things on the web. Their Pupils must have a clear understanding of what
parents use digital technology at work, perhaps to do if they have concerns about inappropriate
using computerised control and monitoring online behaviour (such as unwelcome contact
equipment in manufacturing, productivity suites or cyberbullying). Telling a teacher or parent
in an office, or high-end digital tools in creative should normally be the first response, but pupils
industries. should also know that they can talk directly and
confidentially to Childline about such matters.
The ingredients for the evening meal may have
been ordered online, or a parent may have You must follow your school’s child protection
scanned them at the supermarket, whose supply policy, and your child protection lead must be
chain is controlled by smart systems. Evening informed about any potential abuse, whether
entertainment might be computer gaming with a online or offline. This may include informing the
Wii or Kinect. Parents and older siblings socialise Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre
on smartphones or laptops, and the book at (CEOP).4 Further information for teachers on
bedtime might be read on an e-book reader. e-safety is available on CEOP’s Thinkuknow5 site.

There are many opportunities for pupils to

consider the applications of algorithms, programs
and systems. 4
See www.ceop.police.uk

9
5
See www.thinkuknow.co.uk/teachers/

10
SUBJECT KNOWLEDGE

Key stage 2 Use sequence, selection, and

repetition in programs; work with
Design, write and debug programs variables and various forms of input
that accomplish specific goals, and output
including controlling or simulating
physical systems; solve problems by Sequence in this context is the step-by-step
decomposing them into smaller nature of computer programs, mirroring the
parts sequence of steps the algorithm would list.

The focus on algorithms at key stage 1 leads pupils Selection refers to instructions such as if ... then ...
into the design stage of programming at key stage otherwise decisions in which the operation (what
2. Algorithms are the necessary start of the the program does) depends on whether or not
process of creating working code, and identifying certain conditions are met. For example, a quiz
the steps needed to solve any problem is provides different feedback if the player answers
essential. the question correctly or incorrectly. It is helpful
to refer pupils to selections (choices) they make
Splitting problems into smaller parts is part of in everyday life; for example, if it rains in the
computational thinking. For example, designing morning, then I will wear my anorak to school,
a game in Scratch will involve thinking about otherwise I won’t.
algorithms, programming, drawing sprites and
backgrounds, making animations, and even Repetition is a programming structure such as a
composing music or recording sound effects. repeat ... until loop in which the computer runs
part of the program a certain number of times or
We think of computers as boxes with keyboards, until a particular condition is met.
mice and displays, but built-in computers (or
‘embedded control systems’) are an increasingly In the case of the quiz, we might want to ask
significant application of information technology. ten questions, or keep going until the player
Pupils can gain valuable insights into how has scored five correct answers. Again, it is
computers are used to monitor and control real- useful to
world systems by using sensors, switches, motors refer pupils to loops or repetition in daily routines.
and lights. Computers also make it possible to For example, the traffic lights on a pelican crossing
explore real-world situations that would be too will stay green until someone presses the button
difficult, too expensive or too dangerous to create to cross the road; an oven heats up until it reaches
in real life. the right temperature. There are many loops in
the wider world, such as the days of the week or
the moon travelling around the Earth.

11
12
 SUBJECT KNOWLEDGE

Variables are used to keep track of the things that Understand computer networks,
can change while a program is running. They are a including the internet; how they
bit like x or y in algebra, in that the values may can provide multiple services, such
not initially be known. Variables are not just used as the World Wide Web, and the
for numbers. They can also hold text, including opportunities they offer for
whole sentences (‘strings’), or the logical values communication and collaboration
‘true’
or ‘false’. For our quiz we would use variables to This is a challenge because most of us have
keep track of the player’s score and the number not thought about how these ever-present
of questions they attempt. Variables are like technologies do what they do.
boxes, in that the computer can use them to
store information that can be changed by the Computer networks, including the internet, are
user, the program or by another variable. made up of computers connected together. The
computers include fast, dedicated machines
We may think of input as keyboard and mouse that pass on data that’s not intended for them
(or touch screen), and output as the computer (called ‘routers’, ‘gateways’, ‘hubs’ or ‘switches’,
display, but pupils’ experiences should be depending on particular roles), and ‘servers’
widened beyond this. Working with sound (always-on machines looking after emails, web
is straightforward, as laptops have built-in pages and files that other computers might ask for
microphones and speakers. The latest version from time to time). The connections between the
of Scratch provides support for using webcams. computers in a network may consist of radio or
Digital cameras allow interesting work using satellite signals, copper wires or fibre-optic cables.
image files.
Information stored on computers and information
The reference in the programme of study to travelling over networks must be digitised
‘controlling physical systems’ implies the use (i.e. represented as numerical data). The
of sensors, motors and perhaps robotics. Midi computer network in your school and the internet
instruments like an electronic keyboard, and use the same method or ‘protocol’ to send and
devices such as MaKey MaKey6 and Microsoft receive this data. The data is broken up into small
Kinect provide yet further experience of working ‘packets’, each with identifying information, which
with various forms of input. includes the IP (internet protocol) address of the
sender and recipient.
Use logical reasoning to explain how
some simple algorithms work and to These packets of information make their way
detect and correct errors in across the internet from source to recipient. At the
algorithms and programs far end, the packets get stitched back together in
the right order and the email is delivered, the
Key stage 2 pupils should be able to explain the website is accessed, or the Skype call gets
thinking behind their algorithms, talking through connected. Many of these packets, travelling at
the steps and explaining why they’ve solved a near light-speed, are generated by web servers
problem the way they have. They also need to returning web pages to the browser requesting
be able to look at a simple programming project them.
and explain what’s going on. This is made easier
with languages like Scratch, Kodu and Logo, By connecting people around the world and
which feature an on-screen sprite or turtle. The passing on packets of data from sender to
immediate feedback helps pupils to understand recipient, the internet has created many
and debug their programs. Pupils might also be opportunities. These range from communication
expected to look at someone else’s algorithm and (such as email, video conferencing, blogs, forums,
explain how it does what it does. social networks) and collaboration, such as wikis
(including Wikipedia), to real-time collaborative
Thinking through programs and algorithms helps editing, Creative Commons media (permission
develop pupils’ abilities to think logically and to share and use creative work with conditions
algorithmically, which leads to planned debugging stated by the creator) and open-source software,
of code rather than just a trial-and-error which is available for us to use and change.
approach.

13
 6
See www.makeymakey.com

14
SUBJECT KNOWLEDGE

Use search technologies Select, use and combine a variety of

effectively, appreciate how results software (including internet
are selected and ranked, and be services) on a range of digital
discerning in evaluating digital devices to design and create a
content range of programs, systems and
content that accomplish given
Using search technologies involves aspects of goals, including collecting,
computer science, information technology and analysing, evaluating and
digital literacy. Effective use of search engines presenting data and information
gets the results you want. It relies on specifying
the right keyword, skimming and scanning the This is something of a catch-all requirement,
results to see which seems most relevant, and bringing together various aspects of the
distinguishing between the main results and computing curriculum. Pupils might typically be
adverts presented as sponsored results. It may expected to demonstrate progression by:
also involve using other features7 of the search
engine, including searching for phrases rather • using software under the control of the teacher
than keywords, or limiting searches to a particular • then, using software with increasing
time frame, language, reading level or website. independence
• then, combining software (e.g. importing an
In order to return results, search engines use edited image or video into a presentation or
‘web crawler’ programs. These programs visit the web page)
pages of the web, follow the links they find and • then, selecting software themselves (perhaps
can make a copy of each page visited. The pages from the full range of applications installed on
are indexed, keeping track of keywords on each computers, smartphones and tablets at home
page. When you enter a search query, the search or at school, or available to them via the web).
engine returns pages from its index on which
your keyword(s) or phrase appears. Internet services might include, for example,
learning platforms, school, class or individual
Search engines take many factors into account. blogs, and cloud-based tools such as Google Drive,
At the heart of Google’s algorithms8 is ‘PageRank’, Office 365 or image-editing sites.
which determines the quality and rank of a page
based on the quality of the pages that link to it. The reference to ‘a range of digital devices’
Their quality is, in turn, determined by the quality encompasses using both fixed and mobile
of the pages that link to them, and so on. technologies. It also includes running software
(such as that described in the previous paragraph)
Just because a page has a high rank in Google on web servers via the internet.
or another search engine for a particular query,
it doesn’t mean that the content is true, age- There is also recognition that design and creativity
appropriate or relevant to a particular project. in computing encompass many forms, from
Pupils need to develop skills in evaluating the content familiar to many from the old ICT
digital content, including how trustworthy the programme of study, the programming as required
information is (perhaps by verifying it with by earlier statements in the new programme
another independent source), whether it’s of study, to more complex, system-level ideas,
something that the audience for a project would combining software and hardware to achieve a well-
be able to grasp, and why the content was posted defined goal with a particular audience in mind.
in the first place (e.g. to give a balanced overview,
or simply to advance one side of an argument). There is an important distinction between data
and information at GCSE and A level, where
information is defined as structured data that
has been processed and has meaning attached
to it. At key stage 2 it might be more helpful to
think of data as numbers and information as
richer media such as text, images, audio, and
7
See, for example, www.google.com/advanced_search
8
There’s an overview of some of Google’s
video or 3D representations. However, it is worth
algorithms at remembering that both data and information are
www.google.co.uk/intl/en/insidesearch/howsearchworks digitised by computers (i.e. stored in the form of
/ algorithms.html
15
numbers).

16
 SUBJECT KNOWLEDGE

Collecting, analysing, evaluating and presenting of their legal and ethical responsibilities, such
data is an important application of computers. as showing respect for intellectual property
rights (e.g. musical, literary and artistic works),
Pupils keeping passwords and personal data secure,
should gain experience of working with
data they have generated or collected for and observing the terms and conditions for web
themselves, as well as big, public datasets.9 services they use (such as the 13+ age restriction
on most US websites, including Facebook,
Pupils have an opportunity to develop a more resulting from COPPA10 legislation).
critical media literacy as they work with tools
that, until relatively recently, were the domain Pupils should also develop some awareness of
of professionals. Tools for recording audio and their digital footprint: the data automatically
video, and for creating animation, web pages, generated when they use the internet and other
digital photos, digital music and 3D models, are all communication services, and how this is, or could
available to primary schools for low (often zero) be, used.
cost. Providing a potentially global audience for
the pupils’ work is tremendously motivating. Pupils should be aware of, and abide by, the
school’s acceptable use policy, as well as the
requirements of any other services they use.
Encourage pupils to think twice, and to check
terms and conditions, before signing up for
internet-based services.

As in key stage 1, pupils should report any

concerns to a parent or teacher. They should also
be aware that they can talk directly to the police,
report their concern to CEOP, or talk in confidence
to counsellors at Childline. Your designated child
protection lead might, depending on the nature
of the concern, raise the matter with local social
services, the police or CEOP.

Use technology safely, respectfully

and responsibly; recognise
acceptable/ unacceptable behaviour;
identify a range of ways to report
concerns about content and contact

Safe and responsible use of technology at key

stage 2 builds on skills learned in key stage 1. As
well as requiring pupils to keep themselves safe
and to treat others with respect, the programme
of study at key stage 2 introduces an emphasis on
9
See http://data.gov.uk/ and
www.theguardian.com/news/
responsible use of technology. datablog/interactive/2013/jan/14/all-our-datasets-index
The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, which
10

Pupils need to consider how their online actions prohibits companies in the United States from storing
impact other people. They need to be aware any information on under 13s: see

17
www.coppa.org/coppa.htm

18
PLANNING

Planning This looks to be a lot harder for computing

because of the discrete subject knowledge
expectations, but it’s certainly not impossible. In
How can we turn the requirements of the fact, there are wide applications of computational
programme of study into engaging lessons? thinking (such as looking at algorithms and
decomposing problems into smaller steps) across
Here are four things to keep in mind. the curriculum, and there’s plenty of scope for
• The programme of study is a minimum using other subject areas to provide interesting
entitlement – there’s nothing that imposes any objectives for pupils’ programming projects.
limits on what schools, teachers or pupils can
cover in computing. National curriculum or national curriculum
• The programme of study is not a scheme of ‘plus’? Remember that the national curriculum
work – it’s up to you, as a school, to determine is the minimum. Will you choose to include
how you cover this content, in what order, in additional content? If so, what other things might
what contexts and with what resources. be added to the list? There are arguments that
• Schemes of work are not lesson plans – that the key stage 2 curriculum should also include an
level of planning comes later, with the ideas for explicit requirement for creative work with html.
each unit of work getting translated into the Note that these things are not prohibited, and
detail of specific objectives, resources, activities you might like to include these, or other,
and assessment. elements when developing your own scheme of
• There is a far greater focus now on learning work.
about computers and computation, not simply
learning how to use technology. Themes? As you read through the programme
of study, what overarching themes suggest
The opportunity to do something really creative themselves to you? Do these provide a
is there for the taking. A number of strategic structure that ensures both progression and
decisions need to be made before work can continuity
properly begin on developing a scheme of work as pupils move through primary school? Might
for computing, and it would be wise to consult these be one way of fitting different parts of the
with stakeholders and potential partners before computing curriculum together?
committing to any one path. You’ll need to
consider the following areas. Grid? How detailed should the scheme of work
be? Many schools adopt a half-termly grid, but
Discrete or embedded? There were strong a more flexible structure might suit your school
arguments for adopting an ‘embedded’ approach better. Similarly, consider whether the scheme
to the old ICT programme of study, in which ICT of work needs to specify the order in which each
capability was covered in meaningful contexts year’s units are studied. Is the order important for
derived from other subject areas. progression? Should individual class teachers be
able to decide?

Format? In practical terms, what should the final

document look like? A single table, tables for
each year/half term, or simply text laid out in
paragraphs? Will you need to print a copy or can
it be entirely online, perhaps as a collaborative
document (e.g. in Google Drive, a wiki or on
GitHub11) for you and your colleagues
to revisit and revise in the light of the
experience gained from teaching it.

11
See https://github.com/
 PLANNING

Also think about how much detail needs to be Perhaps the most obvious set of themes is
specified – as a rule of thumb, include enough for computer science, information technology and
a teacher lacking in confidence to feel that they digital literacy. You could further divide the
can do a good job, but not so much that the most computer science aspect into Programming
confident feel limited by what’s there. Depending and Other elements of computer science.
on the decisions above, it would be reasonable to The ‘foundations, applications, implications’
expect a scheme of work to include: characterisation of these elements would provide
• topic title a similar overall structure.
• curriculum coverage
• learning objectives Another approach identifies six aspects: Coding,
• outline of activities Computer science, Networks and the internet,
• resources Communication and collaboration, Creativity and
• cross-curricular links Productivity. This leads to a half-termly grid, with
• assessment opportunities. each aspect being the focus for half a term.

There are several ways to go about implementing A fourth option might be to look beyond the
a scheme of work for computing. computer science/information technology/
digital literacy taxonomy to broader themes
• Top down, starting from the programme of across the subject. Dividing the curriculum into
study itself. Computational thinking, Design and Criticality and
• Bottom up, starting with ideas for projects and responsibility would be one approach.
units of work, which include cross-curricular
and embedded approaches. Whichever themes you select, revisiting these
• Off the shelf, using a commercial, free or areas in each year can ensure both continuity and
crowd-sourced scheme, perhaps with progression for pupils, and make it easier to plan
some modifications. individual units of work. There should be a clear
• A more pupil-centred, enquiry-led approach, sense of what pupils have already experienced,
although a scheme of work in this context and what subsequent steps in learning are likely
might merely suggest possible projects, to involve. A whole-school programming strand
resources might look something like this.
and a consistent approach to monitoring
achievement and curriculum coverage. Year 1 Solving problems with Bee-Bots
Year 2 Turtle graphics on the floor and screen
Let’s consider these approaches in turn. Year 3 Scripted animations
Year 4 A maths quiz
Year 5 Computer games
Starting with the Year 6 Developing applications for the
mobile phone
programme of study
The above is intended for illustration only. It’s
The programme of study gives a clear list of the important to remember that the focus is on
content that should be covered in each key stage, developing an understanding of programming,
to which you might like to add further elements of rather than developing skills in using just one
your own. One advantage of using the programme programming language. A similar sequence of
of study as your starting point is that it’s relatively half-termly units could be developed for other
easy to translate the content into specific themes.
objectives, because it’s clear what needs to be
covered, and when.

In planning a scheme of work, it’s sensible to look

for themes that can provide a structure, making it
easier to ensure progression and continuity over
the time a pupil is at primary school.

15
PLANNING

Starting with projects Using a pre-written

An alternative approach is to start with ideas for scheme of work
individual projects, perhaps with each being half a
term in length. It is likely that various organisations and
individuals will develop schemes of work for the
If this is the approach you’ve used until now for new computing curriculum. It’s perhaps
planning ICT, you might find that you can use preferable to think in terms of adapting, rather
many of your existing ICT projects to cover some than adopting, schemes of work developed by
of the computing curriculum. This is particularly others, whether commercial or otherwise. A
true for the information technology and digital sensible approach would be to use an existing plan
literacy elements, although you may have to as a starting point, and then edit it so that it draws
make some changes to allow space for the new on the expertise and enthusiasm of your
computer science content, including the additional colleagues, fits well with other areas of your
expectations for programming. curriculum, makes use of the resources you have
and, vitally, appeals to your pupils.
Some of your existing units will perhaps
need modifying to focus on knowledge and The internet, of course, makes it easy to
understanding rather than skills. For example, if collaborate on documents, so there’s no need
you have a current unit on email, that could be to do all this planning on your own. Joining
modified to develop pupils’ understanding of how with like-minded colleagues in a local network,
networks, including the internet, work, how they via
provide services such as email, and how this can a subject association, or in informal groups via
be used for communication and collaboration. Twitter or other social networks, will allow you
You could also cover key issues in e-safety such as to draw on others’ insights and experience, and
spam, malware in attachments, and spoofed links. your contribution may impact on pupils’ learning
beyond your own school. The Computing at School
A project-based approach allows ample scope (CAS) Community12 is a good resource – either
for exploiting the connections between the online or through its network of local hubs.
different aspects of computing, perhaps using the
‘foundations, applications, implications’ model as
a starting point for planning some of these units
of work. Using a pupil-
centred approach
Projects could be linked to other areas of the
curriculum, perhaps using themes from your One way of going about this might be to develop a
school’s ‘creative curriculum’ to suggest related set of modular projects for pupils to choose from,
computing topics. Similarly, this approach structured so that there is a clear progression
would work if you’ve decided to adopt an from easier to harder projects.
embedded or integrated approach to
computing, with Another pupil-centred method would be to use an
computing content covered through topics drawn enquiry-based approach at the beginning of each
from other curriculum areas. half-termly unit: briefing pupils on the overall
topic, and then establishing what they already
For example, there are links between algorithms know and what they’d like to find out. The unit
and maths. Creating a Scratch script for a maths can then be planned in detail around areas of
game that tests a player on adding fractions would particular interest to pupils.
develop an understanding of the algorithm for
fractions, as well as the sequencing, selection, There are ample resources available to support
repetition and variables requirements of the a more independent approach to learning
computing programme of study. computing. Scratch and Kodu have vibrant user
communities; online interactive tutorials provide
an introduction to programming languages such
12
See http://community.computingatschool.org.uk/door as Ruby13 and Javascript,14 and there are many
13
See http://tryruby.org/levels/1/challenges/0
tutorials and walkthroughs on Khan Academy15
14
See www.codecademy.com
15
See www.khanacademy.org/science/computer-science and YouTube.

16
Resourcing
RESOURCING

You’ll need some tools with which pupils can

Alongside any curriculum development work, program their computers. MIT’s Scratch, for
some thought needs to be given to providing the example, provides all the tools needed to cover
resources necessary for teaching. Despite the the programming requirements of the new
opportunity to use resources like the excellent curriculum.
materials provided by New Zealand-based CS
Unplugged,16 you will probably need a set of Alternatives are available: Kodu is a rich, game-
computers for teaching computing. General- like environment providing a graphical ‘way in’ to
purpose laptops and desktops are ideal, and it programming; Logo has a very long history as an
really doesn’t matter if you’re using Windows PCs introductory programming language, although as
or Macs, or even Linux, for the primary computing it’s text-based there’s plenty more scope for bugs
curriculum. The Raspberry Pi offers a great in code through typing or spelling errors. Some
platform for programming and developing pupils’ leading primary practitioners are introducing
understanding of networks and the web. pupils to text-based programming using Python.

For many activities, pupils may need access to While the programming expectations for key stage
the internet, particularly the web. You’ll need 1 can be met using screen-based programming
to make sure the usual safeguards are in place, tools such as Scratch, there’s much to be said for
but Ofsted’s recommendation17 is not to be too working with programmable toys at this age,
restrictive; they advocate a managed, rather than such as Bee-Bots, Roamers, Pro-Bots and Big
a ‘locked down’, approach. They recommend that Traks, although there’s certainly no requirement
pupils need to learn how to use technology safely, to do so.
respectfully and responsibly, not to have their
responsibility for this taken on by others. At key stage 2, if you want to go down the
‘controlling physical systems’ route, you’ll
need some cheap components (sensors, lights
and motors) and some way of connecting
these to a computer. The FlowGo interface
can be used with Windows PCs. LEGO®’s WeDo
interfaces
nicely with Scratch 1.4, and there are interesting,
perhaps more demanding, possibilities using
platforms such as Arduino or Raspberry Pi.

At key stage 2, pupils are expected to use other

digital devices, which could be as simple as digital
cameras or audio recorders, but could also include
more complex devices such as smartphones or
tablets. There is also an expectation that pupils will
have access to internet-based services, such as the
school’s learning platform, a blog, or cloud-based
software such as Google Drive or Office 365.

Many schools are considering providing pupils

with access to tablets. They can enhance learning
across the curriculum, particularly if coupled with
corresponding pedagogic developments. Although
16
See www.csunplugged.org tablets were not intended as a programming
17
See platform, there are a growing number of apps18
www.ofsted.gov.uk/sites/default/files/documents/surveys-
and-good-practice/t/The%20safe%20use%20of%20new%20
that provide an introduction to programming.
technologies.pdf It’s
18
See
also possible to access HTML5-based online
http://antsict.wordpress.com/2013/02/23/coding- programming tools such as Snap!19
computer-science-and-ipads-my-current-view/ for a
good overview.
19
See http://snap.berkeley.edu/snapsource/snap.html, a
close variant of Scratch.
17
TEACHING

Teaching • Pupils will learn to use information technology

more effectively if they’re doing something
creative, such as making a presentation,
Seymour Papert (1928–) is seen by many as the website or video, especially if this is to be
pioneer of computing in schools. He is probably shown to others.
best known as the co-developer of the Logo • Pupils will develop a richer digital literacy if
programming language in the late 1960s. they document what they know and learn for
others through blog posts, audio recordings or
Logo introduced the idea of turtle graphics, screencasts.
in which a computer-controlled robot
‘turtle’, equipped with a pen, moves, turns When teaching the computing curriculum, look
and draws to make shapes on paper. A child wherever you can for practical, creative projects
who is that pupils can work on, perhaps individually,
programming Logo can define their own perhaps with a partner, or as part of a small
‘words’ (procedures) so, for example, the turtle group: this, after all, is how programming and
could be programmed to make a square by information technology happens in the ‘real
giving the world’ and on most university courses. The
command, ‘Move forward and turn 90°’ four times. projects you set are more likely to be motivating
if they’re linked to your pupils’ own interests and
Papert saw Logo as more than a programming enthusiasms. These might be to do with other
language, though; he believed it was a powerful curriculum areas, the life of the school, or their
tool for pupils to develop their thinking skills. interests beyond school.

I began to see how children who had learned Also, look for an audience for pupils’ work,
to program computers could use very concrete whether they’re presenting to one another,
computer models to think about thinking and to writing for a public blog, creating software or
learn about learning and in doing so, enhance their digital content for younger pupils, or planning to
powers as psychologists and as epistemologists.20 upload their work for others to see, via Scratch or
a school YouTube account.
Insights such as this lie at the heart of the changes
in the curriculum from ICT to computing. Many
teachers may recall Logo from their own school
days, and Logo was a key influence on Scratch,
which was developed by one of Papert’s PhD
students.

Inspired by his work with Logo was Papert’s theory

of learning: constructionism. Put simply, this is
the theory that people learn best through making
things for other people.

Learning as ‘building knowledge structures’ . . .

happens especially felicitously in a context where
the learner is consciously engaged in constructing
a public entity.21

Pupils learn more when they write about a topic

than when they read about it, especially if they
know that you, and perhaps others, will be
reading what they write. It seems likely that this
is true of every aspect of computing.

• Pupils will learn computer science far more

effectively by writing programs to show to
others.
20
Papert, S., Mindstorms: Children, Computers, and Powerful
Ideas, (Basic Books, 1993), p.21.
21
See www.papert.org/articles/SituatingConstructionism.html
18
 TEACHING

Many other ideas for creative projects will suggest

themselves, either starting from, or ending with,
the programme of study content.

American educationalist David Jonassen22 coined

the term ‘meaningful learning’ to describe
projects such as these. He identified five
essential aspects for learning to be described as
‘meaningful’, and these might help in
considering what makes for effective learning in
computing.

Active: Pupils should be actively engaged in their

learning – typically this will be doing something
on a computer, but it could also be taking part in a
discussion or an activity away from the computer,
such as role-play to illustrate how packets of data
travel across the internet.

Constructive: This can be understood both in the

sense of constructing meaning, developing pupils’
mental model of computation and technologies,
and in the sense of making something, whether
this is a computer program, a presentation or a
Games can be very motivating, and pupils blog post.
often enjoy evaluating each other’s work.
Remember, though, that such projects are not Intentional: Ideally, pupils should have some
an end in themselves: the focus should remain degree of choice over how they tackle a task or
on developing knowledge and understanding project, or perhaps even over the task or project
of computing through such activities, however itself. It is unlikely they will learn much from
engaging they may be. Your role as a teacher copying a worked solution off an IWB screen, and
extends beyond setting the challenge and many projects can be constructed or adapted to
providing support in projects, to helping pupils allow plenty of scope for individual creativity.
understand the ideas that lie at the heart of the
creative work in which they’re engaged, and to Authentic: Wherever possible, try to link activities
helping pupils make the connection between with pupils’ own experiences, both within and
these concepts. beyond school: cross-curricular projects work very
well, as do those linked to the life of the school
Here are a few examples of projects. itself, or to pupils’ experiences of technology.

• Making and editing a cookery video in which Cooperative: Computing, in both industrial and
the algorithm of a recipe is clearly academic contexts, is a collaborative endeavour.
illustrated. Where possible, construct activities so that pupils
• Creating a video game using characters and can work together, supporting one another in
settings from a shared reading book. their learning.
• Developing educational software for younger
pupils to practise mental arithmetic. This is not to say that creative, collaborative
• Creating a scripted or stop-motion animation projects are the only, or in some circumstances
telling the story of an email’s journey from even the best, approaches to teaching computing.
sender to recipient. There are many topics where pupils will learn
• Adding content to the Simple English a lot through classroom discussion, teacher
Wikipedia to explain computing concepts (or demonstration or watching high-quality media.
concepts from other topics pupils are studying)
to a global audience.
• Developing a micro-site for the school on
how to use the web safely, respectfully and
22
Howland, J. L., Jonassen, D. H. and Marra, R. M.,
responsibly.
19
Meaningful Learning with Technology (Pearson, 2011).

20
TEACHING

Technologically Think carefully about whether any groups of pupils

enhanced learning are excluded from, or disadvantaged by, activities
you plan. For example, basing lessons on mobile
phone apps or computer games may disadvantage
There are many high-quality, often interactive, those without access to such technology at home;
resources available via the web to support pupils’ providing resources or activities for pupils to
learning in computing. access online from home seems unfair to those
without internet access at home. Introducing
Typing error messages into a search engine will lunchtime and after-school clubs is a practical
often give a pointer towards a solution, and way of making access available to all. If funds
provide some opportunity for ‘just-in-time’ allow, consider providing pupils without their own
learning in the process. computer with an old school computer that they
can use at home.
YouTube hosts countless ‘walkthrough’ tutorials
for a wide variety of software packages, including Gender and inclusion
programming toolkits such as Scratch. Your pupils It is important to counter the stereotypes often
might add their own. associated with information technology and
computing (e.g. that it is a male-only field). Efforts
Wikipedia23 provides comprehensive coverage of should be made, for example, in the selection of
computing topics and links for further study, as historical or contemporary case studies, to reflect
well as promoting a more thoughtful evaluation the positive contributions of female practitioners
of online information and a potential audience such as Ada Lovelace, Grace Hopper or Dame
for pupils’ own contributions. Wendy Hall. Project topics should also be carefully
considered to appeal to both genders.
There are plenty of opportunities for pupils to
seek help, get feedback, provide support to others Assistive technology
and share their work with an audience beyond As with other areas of the curriculum, computing
the classroom through your school learning can be made more accessible to pupils with
platform, web space provided by your local special educational needs or disabilities through
authority or regional broadband consortium, and the use of assistive technology – from adapted
online communities based around particular mice or keyboards, to screen readers and Braille
software.24 Pupils can put into practice what they displays. Within the curriculum, pupils might
know evaluate whether software and digital content,
about using technology safely, respectfully and including those they create themselves, are
responsibly, as well as developing these skills in an accessible to users with special needs. At key
immediately meaningful context. stage 2, pupils
might learn about assistive technology as
Communities examples of ‘forms of input and output’.
like these feature prominently in the
work of computing professionals, many of whom
are generous in sharing their work, expertise and English as an additional language
experience.25 Technology can also facilitate the inclusion of
pupils learning English as an additional language.

Inclusion The user interface of the operating system or

application
The digital divide software can be set to languages other
It is important to help pupils realise that access to than English. Scratch and Snap! programs, for
technology can bring benefits and power, but that example, can be written in a variety of languages.
not everyone has easy access. Lack of access to Machine translation may also be useful for project
technology can disadvantage particular groups or work in which pupils learn about the opportunities
individuals within society. offered by the internet.26

23
See http://simple.wikipedia.org/ for the Simple English version of Wikipedia.
24
See, for example, http://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/
25
See, for example, https://github.com/ and http://stackoverflow.com/
26
This section on inclusion is based on the Naace/CAS joint
21
guidance: http://naacecasjointguidance.wikispaces.com/Terminology

22
 TEACHING

Gifted and talented You can also provide, or allow pupils to choose,
pupils different sets of tools. For instance, programming
tasks accomplished by most pupils in Scratch
There are many opportunities for enrichment in could be tackled in Logo or Python by particularly
computing, which need not be limited to talented advanced pupils, or they might use Adobe
or gifted pupils. There are perhaps parallels with Premiere Elements for video editing undertaken
music education, where it is not uncommon for in Movie Maker by the rest of the class.
primary pupils to be accomplished musicians
in their own right, through independent study Many schools have implemented successful
outside of school. The school can support and ‘Digital Leaders’ schemes, in which some pupils
encourage by celebrating achievements and take responsibility for aspects of technology in the
providing opportunities for pupils to pursue their classroom or school. Although talented or gifted
interests. pupils can be a useful source of technical support
or peer mentoring, it’s important to ensure that
There is a range of possibilities for independent they too are making progress.
learning, perhaps using resources or online
communities to provide stimulus or support
beyond what your school can offer. Your role Informal learning
might encompass steering very able pupils
towards the best resources, providing critical There is scope for pupils to learn more about
feedback on their work, or setting further computing for themselves outside of school, and
challenges. it would be good to encourage and celebrate this
in school.

Many of the resources suitable for teaching

computing in school are available free for pupils to
use at home if they have a computer of their own.

Many schools have set up Code Clubs, often with

external support, perhaps through someone
working in the information technology industry.
Code Club27 make available carefully constructed
resources and plans, and help manage DBS
clearance for volunteers wanting to help schools
in this way.

Other face-to-face events, such as Raspberry Jams,

Young Rewired State and CoderDojo, are perhaps
more suitable for secondary pupils. However, they
Look for ways to enrich pupils’ experience of have no lower age limit, although some parental
computing rather than accelerating them through involvement would be expected.
the syllabus. The provisional nature of work on
computers allows scope for work to be refined Scratch and Kodu have vibrant online forums,
and developed. Encouraging pupils to think about with ample opportunity for primary pupils to learn
the algorithms and programs of applications they from others and to share their expertise as part of
use is an effective way to develop some aspects a moderated, global community.
of computational thinking, for instance by asking
them to predict what will happen when they
adopt a particular strategy in a computer game, or
to consider how an image file changes when the
brightness or colour is adjusted.

27
See www.codeclub.org.uk

23
ASSESSMENT

Assessment ‘Why’ and ‘how’ questions work well: Why did

Google place that result at the top? How does
your program work? Why might that not be a
Formative safe website?, etc.
assessment
• Discussion with peers: Encouraging pupils to
There are certainly some challenges to assessing use similar open questions can be effective in
computing. allowing them to focus on what they’ve
learned, rather than only on what they’ve done.
• It’s hard for teachers to judge pupils’ Moving some of this discussion online, and
knowledge and understanding based on the perhaps involving pupils in other schools or
outcomes of practical tasks alone. countries, would be one powerful way to
• If pupils work collaboratively, it can be hard to illustrate the opportunities offered by computer
identify each individual’s contribution. networks for communication and collaboration.
• If the teaching of computing is embedded in
other subjects, it’s often difficult to separate • Target setting: Project management skills such
attainment in computing from that in the host as planning, organising, motivating others and
subject. allocating resources, are of great importance
in real-world projects, and they can be widely
Despite these challenges, the assessment for applied in education. The ‘decomposition’
learning (AfL) techniques that you’re familiar with aspect of computational thinking, in which large
in other subjects still apply. Let’s look at some of problems are broken down into small tasks, is a
the AfL approaches and consider how they can be necessary part of managing all but the smallest
applied to computing. of projects.

• Self-assessment: The curriculum expects • KWL: Using lists to identify what pupils
pupils to debug their own programs, use already know, what they want to learn and
logical reasoning to explain simple subsequently what they have learned is a
algorithms (including their own), and detect useful technique that can be used to support
and correct errors in both algorithms and independent learning in computing. In
programs. particular, this can be applied to the logical
One way to encourage self-assessment is for reasoning needed to explain algorithms and
pupils to maintain a blog or video log of their to detect and correct errors, with pupils first
work in computing, incorporating a reflective establishing a firm foundation, before exploring
commentary alongside examples of what alternatives and subsequently reviewing what
they’ve done. they have learned, rather than only what they
have done.
• Peer-assessment: The ideas for self-assessment
suggested above translate naturally into peer-
assessment, with pupils working with a partner
to review, and help correct, algorithms and
programs, or providing critical, constructive
feedback on digital content. Methods used
by professional software developers, such as
programming in pairs28 and reviewing code,
translate easily into the classroom. Online
feedback and discussion, whether in the
Scratch community or on pupils’ blogs, also
facilitate peer-based assessment.

• Open questioning: Pupils’ knowledge of the

concepts covered by the programme of
study may not be immediately apparent in
the work they produce. The use of open Williams, L. A. and Kessler, R. R., All I Really Need to
28

questioning is one way in which you can both Know About Pair Programming I Learned in Kindergarten,
pp.108–114 (Communications of the ACM, 43(5) 2000).
assess and develop their grasp of concepts.

22
 ASSESSMENT

Using technologically enhanced learning can be By the end of each key stage,
particularly effective in assessment for learning, as pupils are expected to know, apply
some of the above suggestions indicate. Perhaps
the most immediate opportunities are through and understand the matters, skills
the following. and processes specified in the
relevant programme of study.32
• Blogs: There are now many examples of
English primary pupils routinely recording and
sharing their learning with a global audience
through the use of class blogs. Individual pupil
blogs
can be a powerful tool to encourage self- and
peer-assessment, track progress, give feedback,
collate evidence, and share work with parents.
It’s now unnecessary to print off work from
computing lessons when work can be attached
to a reflective commentary on a pupil’s blog,
or saved to an area of the network or learning
platform.

• Automatic feedback: A number of sites offer

interactive tutorials in programming languages,
providing immediate feedback on the success
or failure of code in response to simple
challenge questions. While few of these sites
are aimed
at
primary school pupils, they may be of use for
gifted or talented pupils eager to learn more
programming independently.29

Summative
assessment
National curriculum assessment has undergone
considerable change for the new framework.
The national curriculum review expert panel
recommended that:

Attainment Targets in the presently established

level descriptor form should not be retained.30

Responding to their report in June 2012, Michael

Gove confirmed that:

In order to ensure that every child is expected to

master this content, I have ... decided that the
current system of levels and level descriptors
should be removed and not replaced.31

So the attainment targets in all national

curriculum subjects merely state:

23
This establishes a direct link between the contents of the
programme of study and its assessment.
Subsequent DfE guidance has made clear that:

Schools will be able to introduce their own approaches to

formative assessment, to support pupil attainment and
progression. The assessment framework should be built into the
school curriculum, so that schools can check what pupils have
learned and whether they are on track to meet expectations at
the end of the key stage, and so that they can report regularly to
parents.33

Perhaps the most obvious way to address this is to adopt an

entirely criteria-based approach to
assessment, with teachers forming a judgement as to whether
each child has learned all the content of the programme of study
by the end of the key stage.

The evidence to support this judgement can be assembled

over the course of the key stage and need not be an onerous
burden: as a child demonstrates their mastery of part of the
curriculum the statement could be ‘ticked off’,
with evidence of this achievement forming part of the child’s
computing portfolio or blog. It’s likely that many pupils will
assemble a lot of evidence for some statements and less for
others, but some evidence of mastering each element should
suffice to demonstrate meeting the expectations of the
attainment targets.

Moreover, as a pupil’s profile of achievement is built up, the

statements yet to be achieved
should provide a clear guide for planning, showing exactly where
the ‘gaps’ are in each pupil’s knowledge, skills and understanding,
and thus where subsequent teaching should be targeted.

29
See, for example, www.khanacademy.org/cs/programming,
www.codeavengers.com/#learner or www.tryhaskell.org 30See
www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/
attachment_data/file/175439/NCR-Expert_Panel_Report.pdf (p.9).
31
See http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/l/ secretary%20of
%20state%20letter%20to%20tim%20oates%20 regarding%20the%20national
%20curriculum%20review%20 11%20june%202012.pdf (p.3).
32
See www.gov.uk/government/publications/national- curriculum-in-
england-computing-programmes-of-study/ national-curriculum-in-
england-computing-programmes-of- study
33
See www.education.gov.uk/schools/teachingandlearning/
curriculum/nationalcurriculum2014/a00225864/ assessingwithout-
levels

24
ASSESSMENT

Comparing individual profiles, and the evidence (IT) and digital literacy (DL) components of the
on which they’re based, at the beginning and end programme of study.
of the year, should provide ample evidence of
progress, of a far more meaningful nature than Alternatively, bearing in mind the emphasis on
‘two sub-levels’, specifying exactly what has been a direct link between what’s taught and what’s
learned that year that wasn’t already known. assessed, it’s possible to take the statements
For this to work effectively, it might be sensible to from the programme of study and arrange them
break down the programme of study statements into some sort of order, from easier to harder
into their constituent clauses. As pupils achieve statements. A somewhat arbitrary numbering
individual clauses, or perhaps as they achieve might suggest a structure similar to the levels
all the components of a statement from the of the old attainment targets. For example,
programme of study, their achievement could be see the table on the next page. Note that this
recognised through some form of badge. Mozilla’s table is meant for illustration only, without any
OpenBadges system34 provides one possible implication that these stages equate to old levels.
solution.
Another approach to levelling, although perhaps
not in the spirit of the DfE’s guidance, is to look
at the nature of activities and the capabilities
demonstrated by pupils separated from the
subject content itself, perhaps using Bloom’s
revised taxonomy, or something similar, as a
guide.

• Remembering
• Understanding
• Applying
• Analysing
• Evaluating
• Creating

While the DfE and others make a strong case for

the abolition of attainment levels, their use is
ingrained in many teachers’ professional practice,
as well as in the systems schools have in place
to monitor pupils’ progress. Nothing in the DfE’s
guidance prevents schools from continuing to use
levels to monitor progress, and it seems likely that
some schools will choose to do so, at least for the
short to medium term.

In developing its computer science curriculum,

Computing at School produced a set of level
descriptors35 for computer science, which might
be used, perhaps with a little modification,
alongside some statements from the old ICT
attainment targets36 to report progression on the
computer science (CS), information technology

34
See www.openbadges.org/
35
See www.computingatschool.org.uk/data/uploads/ComputingCurric.pdf (pp.21–22).
36
See http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110813032310/http://qcda.gov.uk/libraryAssets/media/Level_Descriptions_-_ICT.pdf for
the most recent proposed revision.

25
 ASSESSMENT

CS IT DL
Understand what algorithms are Use technology purposefully to Use technology safely
create digital content
Create simple programs Keep personal information private
Use technology purposefully to
1 store digital content
Recognise common uses of
information technology beyond
Use technology purposefully to school
retrieve digital content

Understand that algorithms Use technology purposefully to Use technology respectfully

are implemented as programs organise digital content
Identify where to go for help and
on digital devices
Use technology support when they have concerns
Understand that programs purposefully to about content or contact on the
execute by following precise manipulate digital internet or other online technologies
2 and unambiguous instructions content
Debug simple programs
Use logical reasoning to predict
the behaviour of simple
programs

Write programs that accomplish Use search technologies effectively Use technology responsibly
specific goals
Use a variety of software to Identify a range of ways to report
Use sequence in programs accomplish given goals concerns about contact
3 Work with various forms of Collect information
input Work with various forms of Design and create
output content Present
information

Design programs that accomplish Select a variety of software to Understand the opportunities
specific goals accomplish given goals computer networks offer for
communication
Design and create programs Select, use and combine internet
Identify a range of ways to report
Debug programs that accomplish services Analyse information
concerns about content
specific goals
Evaluate information
Recognise
Use repetition in programs
Collect data acceptable/unacceptable
4 Control or simulate physical systems
Present data
behaviour
Use logical reasoning to detect
and correct errors in programs
Understand how computer
networks can provide multiple
services, such as the World Wide
Web
Appreciate how search results are
selected

Solve problems by decomposing Combine a variety of software to Understand the opportunities

them into smaller parts accomplish given goals computer networks offer for
collaboration
Use selection in Select, use and combine software
on a range of digital devices Be discerning in evaluating
programs Work with
digital content
Analyse
variables
5 Use logical reasoning to
data
explain how some simple Evaluate
algorithms work
data
Use logical reasoning to detect
Design and create systems
and correct errors in algorithms
Understand computer networks,
including the internet
Appreciate how search results are
ranked
26
CONCLUDING REMARKS

Concludi
ng
remarks
This is a really exciting time to be a pupil at
primary school. The opportunities that advances
in technology will bring to your pupils as they
grow up are hard to imagine. The curiosity,
creativity and courage that you nurture in them
now should endure as they move on through
education and into adult life. To exploit fully the
opportunities that current and future technology
offers them, pupils will draw on the
understanding of computing you provide them
with, as well as confidence gained through
working on a range
of meaningful projects throughout their primary
education.

It’s a really exciting time to be a primary school

teacher, too. Don’t be daunted by the changes in
the move from ICT to computing. Rather, see this
as an opportunity to develop your own
knowledge about computing and to learn to
program, if you’ve never had the chance before.
Although this might sound like hard work, it’s
actually
great fun. You’ll find that you make better use of
the technology you have at home and in school,
and also that you start to think a bit differently,
looking at systems and problems in the same way
a computer scientist does.
26
Glossary
GLOSSARY

program – a stored set of instructions encoded in

algorithm – an unambiguous procedure or precise a language understood by the computer that does
step-by-step guide to solve a problem or achieve some form of computation, processing input and/
a particular objective. or stored data to generate output.

computer networks – the computers and the repetition – a programming construct in which
connecting hardware (wifi access points, cables, one or more instructions are repeated, perhaps
fibres, switches and routers) that make it a certain number of times, until a condition is
possible to transfer data using an agreed satisfied or until the program is stopped.
method (‘protocol’).
search – to identify data that satisfies one or more
control – using computers to move or conditions, such as web pages containing supplied
otherwise change ‘physical’ systems. The keywords, or files on a computer with certain
computer can be hidden inside the system or properties.
connected to it.
selection – a programming construct in which the
data – a structured set of numbers, instructions that are executed are determined by
representing digitised text, images, sound or whether a particular condition is met.
video, which can be processed or transmitted by
a computer. sequence – to place programming instructions in
order, with each executed one after the other.
debug – to detect and correct the errors in a
computer program. services – programs running on computers,
typically those connected to the internet, which
digital content – any media created, edited or provide functionality in response to requests; for
viewed on a computer, such as text (including the example, to transmit a web page, deliver an email
hypertext of a web page), images, sound, video or allow a text, voice or video conversation.
(including animation), or virtual environments,
and combinations of these (i.e. multimedia). simulation – using a computer to model the
state and behaviour of real-world (or imaginary)
information – the meaning or interpretation systems, including physical and social systems; an
given to a set of data by its users, or which results integral part of most computer games.
from data being processed.
software – computer programs, including both
input – data provided to a computer system, application software (such as office programs,
such as via a keyboard, mouse, microphone, web browsers, media editors and games) and the
camera or physical sensors. computer operating system. The term also applies
to ‘apps’ running on mobile devices and to web-
internet – the global collection of computer based services.
networks and their connections, all using shared
protocols (TCP/IP) to communicate. variables – a way in which computer programs
can store, retrieve or change simple data, such as
logical reasoning – a systematic approach to a score, the time left, or the user’s name.
solving problems or deducing information using
a set of universally applicable and totally reliable World Wide Web
– a service provided by
rules.
computers connected to the internet (web
servers), in which pages of hypertext (web pages)
output – the information produced by a computer
are transmitted to users; the pages typically
system for its user, typically on a screen, through
include links to other web pages and may be
speakers or on a printer, but possibly though the
generated by programs automatically.37
control of motors in physical systems.

Phil Bagge provides a useful glossary with more

37

detailed explanations of some of these terms: see

http://code-it.co.uk/ csvocab.html
27
RESOURCES

Resources Subject knowledge

Armoni, M. and Ben-Ari, M., Computer Science
Concepts in Scratch (Michal Armoni and Moti Ben-
Background Ari, 2013).

Computing at School Working Group, Computer Bentley, P.J., Digitized: The Science of Computers
Science: A Curriculum for Schools (Cambridge, and How it Shapes our World (Oxford University
2012), available at: www.computingatschool.org. Press, 2012).
uk/data/uploads/ComputingCurric.pdf
Berners-Lee, T., Answers for Young People,
The Royal Society, Shut Down or Restart? The available at: www.w3.org/People/Berners-Lee/
Way Forward for Computing in UK Schools Kids.html
(London, 2012), available at:
http://royalsociety.org/ Blum, A., Tubes: Behind the Scenes at the Internet
uploadedFiles/Royal_Society_Content/education/ (Penguin, 2013).
policy/computing-in-schools/2012-01-12-
computing-in-Schools.pdf Brennan, K. and Resnick, M., ‘New frameworks
for studying and assessing the development of
Rushkoff, D., Program or be Programmed: Ten computational thinking’ (2012), available at:
Commands for a Digital Age (OR Books, 2009). http://web.media.mit.edu/~kbrennan/files/
Brennan_Resnick_AERA2012_CT.pdf
Teaching Agency, Subject Knowledge
Requirements for Entry into Computer Science Computing at School, The Raspberry Pi Education
Teacher Training (London, 2012), available at: Manual (CAS, 2012), available at: http://pi.cs.
http://academy.bcs.org/sites/academy.bcs.org/ man.ac.uk/download/Raspberry_Pi_Education_
files/subject%20knowledge%20requirements%20 Manual.pdf
for%20entry%20into%20cs%20teacher%20
training.pdf Papert, S., Mindstorms: Children, Computers, and
Powerful Ideas (Basic Books, 1993).

Petzold, C., Code: The Hidden Language of

Computer Hardware and Software (Microsoft
Press, 2009).

28
 RESOURCE
S
Teaching Media
resources and
ideas Mainstream television often broadcasts
programmes relevant to topics in computing,
Code Club provides detailed plans and resources and YouTube has a range of material, from video
for extra-curricular clubs, which might be adapted tutorials to academic lectures.
for use within the school curriculum. Free
registration required: see www.codeclub.org.uk BBC Learning produced a collection of clips
relating to computing in real-world contexts, and
New Zealand-based Computer Science (CS) companion pieces exploring these in classroom
Unplugged produce an excellent collection of contexts: see www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/
resources exploring computer science ideas b01r9tww/clips
through classroom-based, rather than computer-
based, activities: see http://csunplugged.org/ The 2008 Royal Institution Christmas Lectures
were given by computer scientist Chris Bishop.
Computing at School (CAS) hosts a large resource These can be watched at www.richannel.org/
bank of plans, resources and activities. CAS is free christmas-lectures/2008/2008-chris-bishop
to join: see www.computingatschool.org.uk
TED has many high-quality 20-minute talks
CAS Primary Master Teachers; for example, on computing topics that would be
one teacher has shared detailed lesson plans accessible to primary school pupils: see
for www.ted.com/ topics/technology and
computer science and digital literacy topics via his http://ed.ted.com/ lessons?
website at www.code-it.co.uk category=technology for a curated collection
of videos for schools.
CAS has made available a large collection of lesson
plans and other resources through the Digital The first two episodes of the BBC’s Virtual
Schoolhouse project, based at Langley Grammar Revolution are available online. These provide
School: see www.digitalschoolhouse.org.uk some excellent background material on the
internet and the web: see www.bbc.co.uk/
Naace (the ICT association) and CAS have virtualrevolution/archive.shtml
developed joint guidance on the new computing
curriculum: see http://naacecasjointguidance.
wikispaces.com/home

A group of teachers and teacher trainers

convened by the NCTL worked together to curate
resources for initial teacher training for the
computing curriculum, many of which may be
useful for CPD and classroom use: see
http://bit.ly/ittcomp
Compared to ten years ago, there is now
There are excellent resources available for a wealth of programming environments
teaching with MIT’s Scratch programming toolkit, designed specifically for primary schools.
together with an online support community, on You may well have heard of Logo, Scratch
the ScratchEd site: see http://scratched.media. and Kodu, but there many others, each
mit.edu/ with a different flavour and focus. You can
find a growing list on the Computing At
Resources for teaching safe, respectful and School website
responsible use of technology are widely (www.computingatschool.org.uk/ primary).
available. Good starting points for exploring these Remember – programming at primary is
topics are www.childnet.com/teachers-and- now well-supported, engaging and fun!
professionals and https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/
teachers/
29
SUPPORT

Support
Computing at School (CAS), as the subject
association for computer science, has been a
key influence on the development of the new
computing curriculum. CAS has a vibrant support
community, including members from industry and
from all phases of education. There’s a dedicated
forum for members in primary education, and
many local and regional events. See
www.computingatschool.org.uk for more
information or to join (free membership).

Naace is the ICT association concerned with

advancing education through the use of
technology, both within and beyond the
computing curriculum. Naace members share a
vision for the role of technology in transforming
learning and teaching. Its members include
teachers, school leaders, advisors and consultants
working within and across all phases of UK
education. Membership requires an annual
subscription but many resources are available
free: see www.naace.co.uk

CAS has worked in collaboration with the

British Computer Society (BCS) to establish a
Network of Teaching Excellence in Computer
Science.
The network coordinates and provides training
opportunities for serving and trainee teachers.
The initiative is supported by the DfE, OCR
(examination board), CPHC (Council of Professors
and Heads of Computing), Microsoft and Google.
The programme aims to build a high-quality,
sustainable CPD infrastructure at low cost by
nurturing long-term collaboration between
employers, universities, professional bodies,
schools and teachers: see
www.computingatschool.org.uk/index.php?id=noe

Many local authorities and CLCs (City Learning

Centres) provide support and advice for schools
and teachers on all aspects of the curriculum,
including computing. Contact your local advisors
or consultants for details of events and support in
your area.

Twitter is a great informal source of ideas

and advice once you’ve built up a useful list of
contacts. The CAS Twitter account: @compatsch,
its followers: https://twitter.com/CompAtSch/
followers and those it follows: https://twitter.
com/CompAtSch/following may be helpful in
developing your own personal learning network.
30
Background
BACKGROUND

1999) came to be seen as developing pupils’ skills

Looking back at the last thirty years or so of with a set of office-productivity programs, or their
computers in primary schools, there are two educational equivalent. This provided much scope
quite distinct threads: learning about computers for creative work, some grasp of how information
and learning with computers. While this can be structured and some good problem-solving
publication and the computing programme of activities, but arguably little insight into computer
study are concerned with the former, the latter science.
has a crucial role in teaching and learning in the
third millennium. In recent years, many primary educators have
favoured an ‘embedded’ approach to ICT, in which
In the earliest days of BBC Micros in primary ICT capability could be developed through using
schools, creative programmers (many of them computers in the meaning-rich contexts of other
teachers) developed highly engaging educational subjects. In their 2008 and 2011 reports, Ofsted
software, from simple programs to practise reported positively on the quality of teaching and
arithmetic and spelling, through simulations and achievement in ICT in primary schools in general,
rudimentary virtual worlds, to tools to think with but warned of weaknesses in some aspects of the
such as Logo. At the same time, a growing ICT curriculum, such as control and data handling.
number of pupils were being bought home Ofsted did, however, highlight positive examples
computers, mainly as games consoles, and of primary practice, such as game design projects
dabbling with typing in and debugging (correcting) using Scratch.
lines of code.
The ‘Next Gen’ report, commissioned by the
While programming or ‘control’ was an intrinsic Department of Culture, Media and Sport on
part of the first national curriculum (1990), in the state of the UK games and visual effects
which Information Technology Capability formed industries, recommended that computer science
part of ‘Technology’ as a subject, there was be brought into the national curriculum as an
already reference to using software applications essential discipline. Furthermore, in his speech at
for tasks such as creating databases, word- the Edinburgh Television Festival in 2011, Google’s
processing, presenting work and modelling. executive chairman Eric Schmidt described himself
as ‘flabbergasted’ that computer science wasn’t
In most schools, for much of the following two taught as standard, and that England thus risked
decades, ICT (as the subject became known in throwing away its great ‘computing heritage’.

BBC Micro Computer,

c. 1980s. Copyright
Science and Society
Picture Library, Getty
Images. Editorial
#90766368.

31
BACKGROUND

The Royal Society was commissioned by the UK Subsequently the DfE announced that the British
computing community to investigate the state of Computer Society and the Royal Academy of
computing education in schools, publishing their Engineering would coordinate the drafting
Shut Down or Restart? report in January 2012. of this new programme of study, drawing on
Their recommendations included a rebranding stakeholders from computing and education. This
of ICT, suggesting a possible split of the subject draft was subsequently revised by the DfE, with
into digital literacy, information technology and the subject name changing from ICT to computing.
computer science, and proposing ‘computing’ as There were further revisions after public
an umbrella term for the subject as a whole. consultations, with the final version published
in September 2013, ready to take effect in all
With these concerns in mind, the Secretary of maintained schools in September 2014.
State for Education announced at the 2012 BETT
Show that he would ‘disapply’ the old Although the change of name, from ICT to
programme of study and attainment targets for computing, does reflect a change in
ICT from September 2012, allowing schools to emphasis, it’s important to remember that
develop their own schemes of work, and giving there’s more to computing than computer
them the opportunity to teach programming and science, and that there’s more to computer
other aspects of computer science. Responding to science than
the consultation on disapplication, the Secretary
programming. Much that we’ve taught in the past
of State announced that ICT was to continue in ICT will fit within the information technology
as a national curriculum subject with a new and digital literacy aspects of the computing
programme of study. curriculum, and schools that have taught the
‘sequencing instructions’ aspects of the old
programme of study will be able to build on this
foundation as they address the new computer
science content.

32
 COMPUTING AT SCHOOL
E D U C ATE • E N G A GE • ENC OUR A GE
In collaboration with BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT

Computing At School promotes the teaching This work is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-Non-Commercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported Licence.
of computing in schools. Our aim is to support
all teachers and all schools, and to develop
excellence in the teaching of computing in
their classrooms. We provide resources,
training, local conferences and workshops,
regional hub meetings, online community
forums and so much more! Computing At
School is free to join. Sign up and find out
about events in your area by visiting us at
www.computingatschool.org.uk/primary.

An eBook version of this

guide, which can be
freely shared with
colleagues, is available
at:
www.computingatschool.org.uk/primary
Naace promotes the appropriate use of
computing to support learning, teaching
and school organisation. Our aim is to
support and challenge all teachers and
schools and also those who provide
services to schools. Naace has existed as
an advocate in this area for 30 years and
makes a small charge for annual
membership.

Visit www.naace.co.uk/membership to join

and to find out more about the ICT Quality
Mark and Third Millennium Learning Award.

ISBN 978-1-78339-143-1

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