'Everyone should know how to program a computer because it teaches you how to think' - Steve Jobs
Computing knowledge and skills underpin modern life and the 21st Century economy. Children need to build a vital confidence, knowledge and understanding of the way technologies work - and how internet-connected systems can be employed - in order to adapt flexibly to rapid change over coming years.
In EYFS, our children begin their Computing journey with Computational Thinking. Computational Thinking is at the heart of the computing curriculum and children will only be ready for this subject if we provide them with foundational experiences. The problem solving of Computational Thinking closely aligns with the Characteristics of Effective Learning. So by aligning our EYFS provision to Computational Thinking, we use the same vocabulary as used by our colleagues in Key Stage One and beyond, and ensure progression.
Computational Thinking is a set of problem solving skills we can learn away from the computer. When children are older they will start to use their Computational Thinking skills to create computer systems that are part of solutions to problems - but not quite in Early Years. We might use online activities now and then to practise some aspects of Computational Thinking skills, but in EYFS we can learn Computational Thinking without computers. This is called an ‘unplugged’ approach.
Following this firm foundation, moving into Key Stages One and Two, our Computing framework is mapped into three broad strands:
Computer Science, Information Technology and Digital Literacy.
The National Curriculum's Computing content is used as a starting point for devising our curriculum - the objectives are broken down into manageable, sequenced chunks for children over their years with us, with further objectives added that widen the scope and reach of the subject to reflect its ever-growing breadth and importance.
Progression through the framework is based on key items of knowledge and skill being re-visited and expanded upon, allowing children to build solid foundations in their long-term understanding of Computing. Our bespoke framework provides children with a broad, balanced set of learning experiences. With strategic hardware and software choices made, a multitude of high-quality, yet easy-to-access, learning experiences are made available for our children.
