Here at Parklands, we want pupils to be MASTERS of technology, not slaves to it. Technology is everywhere and will play a pivotal role in our pupils’ lives. Therefore, we want to model and educate our pupils in how to use technology positively, responsibly and safely.

We aim to equip pupils with the computational thinking, creativity and digital skills they need to become active and confident participants in an increasingly digital world. We want our pupils to be creators, not simply consumers of technology.

• Our broad Computing curriculum encompasses the three key strands of:
• Computer Science – programming and understanding how computers and digital systems work.
  Information Technology – using computer systems and digital tools to create, store, retrieve and communicate information.
• Digital Literacy – evaluating digital content and using technology safely, respectfully and responsibly.

Online Safety is an integral part of our Computing curriculum. We use Kapow Primary’s Online Safety curriculum to provide a clear and progressive approach from Year 1 to Year 6, ensuring that pupils develop the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the online world safely and confidently. We recognise that education is one of the most effective ways of preventing many of the issues children may encounter through technology, the internet and social media.

To support the delivery of our curriculum, we also draw upon a range of high-quality resources and organisations, including LGfL, Teach Computing, ProjectEVOLVE, Scratch, TT Rock Stars and Spelling Shed.

We want our pupils to understand that there is always a choice when using technology. As a school, we aim to model positive and purposeful use of technology, including the responsible use of social media. We want children to understand not only how technology works, but how to make thoughtful decisions about when, why and how they use it.

Technology also provides exciting opportunities for pupils to demonstrate and share their learning creatively. We recognise the important accessibility opportunities that digital technology can provide, enabling all pupils to participate and succeed.

Our knowledge-rich curriculum is balanced with opportunities for pupils to apply their understanding creatively and independently. Through this, we aim to develop skilful, confident and thoughtful computer scientists.

We encourage staff to embed computing and digital technology across the wider curriculum where it can make learning more creative, purposeful and accessible. We have a dedicated computing suite, two class sets of laptops and a class set of iPads, ensuring that pupils across all year groups have opportunities to use a range of devices, programs and digital tools both within discrete Computing lessons and across the wider curriculum.

By the end of Upper Key Stage 2, we want pupils to have the independence, confidence and digital fluency to select the most appropriate technology for a particular purpose, rather than simply being told which tool to use.