Westwoodside Church of England Academy

Westwoodside Church of England Academy Computing Curriculum

Computing Vision Statement

At Westwoodside Church of England Academy, Computing empowers all children to become curious, confident and capable digital citizens. We aim to develop passionate thinkers who embrace technology as a tool for creativity, communication, problem-solving and lifelong learning. Children are encouraged to express themselves through a range of digital platforms and to build the resilience and adaptability needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital world.

Rooted in our Christian vision to “Be the light for other people. Live so they will see the good things that you do” (Matthew 5:16), our Computing curriculum equips pupils to use technology in respectful, responsible and meaningful ways. E-Safety is at the heart of all we teach, ensuring children understand how to stay safe online and protect others. Through rich, inclusive and forward-thinking experiences, our pupils develop the digital fluency, critical thinking and moral awareness they need to shine both now and in the future workplace—ready to use technology to make a positive difference in the world.

Westwoodside Computing Curriculum Pledge

During their time at Westwoodside Church of England Academy, all pupils will have the opportunity to:

Take part in engaging computing lessons that build confidence and creativity in using a wide range of digital tools
Learn how to stay safe online and understand how to use technology respectfully and responsibly
Explore the basics of coding through age-appropriate apps and games that support logical thinking and problem-solving
Develop their digital literacy through fun and purposeful activities such as digital painting, storytelling, and photography
Discover how technology is used in everyday life and begin to understand how it helps us communicate, learn and work
Meet someone who works in the digital or creative technology industry, learning about real-world careers and the role of computing in the future workplace
Visit a local technology centre, digital hub, or immersive computing space to see computing in action beyond the classroom
Welcome a visitor to school who can demonstrate exciting technologies or digital innovations in a hands-on way
Use technology to support learning across the curriculum, including maths, phonics, art and music
Let their light shine by using technology to express themselves, solve problems, and make a positive impact on others and the world around them

Westwoodside Computing Curriculum Intent

At Westwoodside C of E Primary Academy we are developing thinkers of the future. Through a modern, ambitious and relevant computing curriculum, designed to give all learners the cultural capital they need to succeed, we intend to enable our pupils to use computational thinking and creativity to be active participants in the digital world. We recognise that it is important that pupils have the understanding to use the ever-changing technology available to them: to express themselves; as tools for future learning; and to move into the future workplace.

Through exploring aspects of E-safety, we intend to: equip them to understand the advantages and disadvantages associated with online experiences; and enable them to be respectful, responsible and confident users of technology aware of how to protect themselves online.

Our aim is to provide a computing curriculum that is: broad and balanced; coherently planned and sequenced to ensure a progression of skills and knowledge that the pupils can then apply in all areas of the curriculum; and developing the skills to problem solve creatively.

Westwoodside Computing Curriculum Implementation

Our scheme of work for Computing is taken from the Kapow Primary curriculum. The units within this scheme are carefully sequenced to ensure full coverage of the National Curriculum for Computing and provide clear progression in knowledge and skills across all year groups. Each unit includes assessment opportunities to monitor understanding and track pupil progress, and the content is continually refined by experts to reflect the latest developments in technology and pedagogy.

Through the implementation of this scheme, we aim to equip pupils with the knowledge, skills, and understanding needed to thrive in the digital world of today and the future. Within the three strands of Computer Science, Information Technology, and Digital Literacy, pupils explore and respond to key issues such as digital communication, cyber-bullying, online safety, security, plagiarism, and the responsible use of social media.

In both Key Stages, Computing is taught through weekly one-hour lessons, allowing pupils to build confidence, creativity, and competence as digital citizens and computational thinkers.

Westwoodside Computing Curriculum Impact

Within computing we encourage a creative and collaborative environment in which pupils are able to express themselves; discussing the programs they used, the functionality of these and the tasks they were able to complete. They are able to support one another and to challenge themselves through the application of the skills learned in independent tasks. Our children enjoy and value computing; they are enthusiastic and confident in working with technology. They are competent and adaptable ‘computational thinkers’, able to use the concepts and approaches of computing in all areas of their learning. They have a secure understanding of the positive applications and specific risks associated with a broad range of digital technology; having the resources to protect themselves when the need arises.

SEND Provision in Computing

‘High quality teaching that is differentiated and personalised will meet the individual needs of the majority of children and young people. Some children and young people need educational provision that is additional to/or different from this...special educational provision is underpinned by high quality teaching and is compromised by anything less’

‘Lessons should be planned to address potential areas of difficulty and to remove barriers to pupil achievement’ (SEND Code of Practice 2015)

In the first instance, provision for SEND children should be planned in accordance with their individual support plans, focusing specifically on areas of strength and needs and the use of reasonable adjustments. Additional strategies to support identified areas of need should be taken from The Quality First Teaching booklet. https://www.sensiblesenco.org.uk/shared-files/1903/send-quality-first-teaching-toolkit.pdf

The Quality First Teaching booklet includes practical strategies which should be used to support the following four broad areas of need:

Cognition and learning needs - specific learning difficulties (dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia), moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties, global delay, profound and multiple learning difficulties

Social emotional and mental health needs - behaviour, emotional and social difficulties, mental health difficulties, ADHD, depression, eating disorders, attachment disorders

Communication and interaction needs - Speech, language and communication needs, autistic spectrum disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome

Sensory and/ or physical needs - Visual impairment, hearing impairment, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, cerebral palsy Additional support and advice regarding individual SEND needs can be sought from the subject leader and SENDCO.

Enhancements within the Computing curriculum

In each year group, learning in Computing is enriched through hands-on digital projects, educational visits, and visitors who share real-world experiences from the technology and digital industries. These opportunities bring computing to life by showing how it connects to the wider world and future careers. Whether through coding workshops, tech centre visits, or sessions with digital professionals, children develop an appreciation for how computing powers innovation, creativity, and problem-solving in the world around them.

Pupils are encouraged to experiment with technology, take on logical challenges, and reflect on their use of digital tools for different purposes. They develop key skills in coding, digital media, data handling, and information technology, while exploring real-life applications and understanding the importance of E-Safety. These rich experiences support our aim to nurture responsible, confident and digitally literate learners who are ready to thrive in the future digital world.

Computing curriculum Parents/Career Statement

Parents and carers will be invited to attend Computing-related events such as digital showcases, and online safety workshops. To engage with their child’s digital learning, parents can access the school website to view curriculum maps, progression documents, and photographs or videos of pupils’ Computing projects and activities.

Parents and cares will be kept informed of their child’s progress and experiences in Computing through parent consultations and the annual school report. Throughout the year, parents will receive newsletters and updates about the digital themes, skills, and technologies being explored, including any special events, competitions, or visiting industry experts that enhance the Computing curriculum.

Computing Curriculum Core Concepts

Information Technology	understand and apply IT skills which enable them to effectively use computers for a variety of functions use a range of techniques and programs to create content for different audiences and purposes.
Computer Science	understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer programming, including abstraction, logic, sequencing, algorithms and data representation solve problems through creating and manipulating instructions for computers to follow
Digital Literacy	competent and confident in using computer technology both creatively and for a specified purpose able to identify and avoid risks in order to use communication technology safely, responsibly and effectively

Computing Long Term Plan

Year 1/2
Cycle A

Computing systems and networks: Improving mouse skills

Knowing how to log in and navigate around a computer, developing mouse skills, learning how to drag, drop, click and control a cursor to create works of art inspired by Kandinsky and self-portraits.

Programming 1:

Using an unplugged approach so that algorithms, decomposition and debugging are made relatable to familiar contexts, such as dressing up and making a sandwich, while learning why instructions need to be very specific.

Skills showcase: Rocket to the moon

Developing keyboard and mouse skills by designing rockets, creating digital materials lists, using drawing software and recording data.

Computing systems and networks 1: What is a computer?

Exploring what a computer is by identifying and learning how inputs and outputs work. Understanding how computers are used in the wider world, children design their own computerised invention.

Programming 1: Algorithms and debugging

Developing an understanding of what algorithms are, how to program them and how they can be developed to be more efficient through a range of unplugged and plugged-in activities

Computing systems and networks 2: Word processing

Learning about word processing, the children develop touch typing skills, explore how to stay safe online, use important keyboard shortcuts, import images into their documents and apply simple editing tools such as bold, italics, underlining and font colour.

Cycle B

Programming 2 - Bee Bots

Exploring commands, instructions and errors through programming a Bee Bot and learning how sequences control movement

Creating digital imagery

Developing creativity and imagination through planning a miniature adventure story and capturing it through photograpic techniques

Data Handling : Introduction to data

Learning what data is , why it is useful and the different ways its can be gathered and recorded both by humans and computers

Programmin 2 - Scratch Jr

Explaining how programming blocks workusing the app “Scratch Jr” and following a cycle of predict, test , review

Creating Media - Stop Motion

Creating simple animations, story boarding creative ideas and decomposing a story into small parts of action.

Data Handling : International Space Station

Exploring how astronauts survive on the space station including how data is collected , used and displayed through sensor systems and monitoring equipment

Year 3/4
Cycle A

Computing systems and networks 2: Emailing

Being able to send an email is a valuable skill. In this unit, learn how to send emails with attachments and how to be a responsible digital citizen by thinking about the contents of what is sent

Programming: Scratch

Exploring Scratch by programming an animation, the children learn key coding concepts, test and debug their work and develop their ability to improve digital projects through evaluation.

Creating media: Video trailers (Previously called ‘Digital literacy’)

Creating book trailers with iPads

Creating media: Website design

Website creation and Google Sites.

Programming 1: Further coding with Scratch

Programming a game, the children use variables, sensors and if statements, debug their projects and evaluate their designs to improve functionality.

Programming 2: Computational thinking

Programming a game, the children use variables, sensors and if statements, debug their projects and evaluate their designs to improve functionality.

Cycle B

Computing Systems and Networks 1 - Networks

Developing an understanding of computer networks by learning how devices communicate and share information

Data Handling : Comparison cards databases

Exploring the concepts of sorting and filtering by learning about records, files and data.

Journey inside a computer

Exploring how computers work by role playing different computer parts and creating paper models of computer systems

Google : Computing systems and Networks

Collaborative learning

Developing collaborative working skills through using online software to create and share digital content

Data Handling: Investigating the weather

Investigating how weather data is gathered, recorded and used to create forecasts through researching and using spreadsheets to organise information

Skills showcase : HTML

Editing the HTML of a web page to change the layout of a website and the text and images.

Year 5/6
Cycle A

Programming 2

Exploring how to program the BBC micro:bit, the children create interactive projects using sensors, experiment with variables, apply conditional statements and develop an understanding of how coding brings digital devices to life.

Data handling: Mars Rover 1

Identifying how the Mars Rover collects different types of data and transmits this back to Earth using binary code.

Skills showcase: Mars Rover 2

Learning about pixels and binary, creating a pixel picture and saving a JPEG as a bitmap to understand the transfer of image data. Children will learn about the ‘fetch, decode, execute’ cycle and its real-world applications while beginning to use 3D design tools.

Computing systems and networks: Bletchley Park and the history of computers

Exploring code-breaking at Bletchley Park, historical figures in computing, the evolution of computers, designing a computer of the future and creating an audio advert, this unit combines lessons from archived content while retaining the progression and skills previously covered in two separate units.

Computing systems and networks: Exploring AI

Exploring what AI is and how it generates text, images and code, as well as learning about creating and refining prompts to improve AI responses while also considering the ethical implications of AI and its potential to replace human roles.

Skills showcase: Inventing a product

Designing a new electronic product and using CAD software to design appropriate housing for it. Developing skills in website design, video editing, and persuasive language to promote their product. Evaluating and adapting existing code, debugging programs, and searching for accurate information

Cycle B

Programming 1 : Music

Applying programming skills to create a soundtrack for a particular genre

Stop motion animation - Using stop motion studio

Developing an understanding of an animation by exploring stop motion techniques and how moving images are created

Computing systems and netowrks : Search engines

Investigating how search engines work and developing effective searching skills to find relevant and accurate information online.

Big Data 1

Exploring how data is transmitted and used in everyday technology through barcodes, QR codes, infra red communication and RFID systems

Big Data 2

Investigating how data is transferred , collected and used in connected technologies, including the internet of things and smart systems

Skills showcase - inventing a product

Designing an electronic product through coding , de bugging and computer aided design to understand how digital technologies support product development

	2026 27 Mixed-age-Cycle-B Computing-curriculum-overview 18.06.26	[pdf 189KB]
	2026 27 Mixed-age-Cycle-A Computing-curriculum-overview 18.06.26	[pdf 188KB]