Computing

Our thoughtfully designed curriculum strikes a balance between meeting national standards and offering a rich array of experiences, enabling all our children to thrive. Through clear, strategic planning, our curriculum remains dynamic and adaptable to both the school's context and the individual needs of the children. Age-related expectations blend the acquisition of knowledge with skill development, creating a purposeful and engaging learning journey for every pupil. The curriculum aims to foster transferable skills, promote a broad vocabulary, and build strong cross-curricular connections.

At Red Lane, our curriculum is ambitious and inclusive, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. It is designed to equip all pupils with the knowledge and cultural capital necessary for success in an increasingly digital world. The Computing curriculum, in particular, is developmental, evolving year-on-year in response to advances in technology.

At Red Lane, we use Bolton School’s ICT curriculum toolkit. These medium term plans are carefully structured to ensure full coverage of the National Curriculum objectives. Progression is mapped out from EYFS to Year 6, covering the three strands of learning: Digital Literacy; Computer Science; Information Technology. In addition to these, we cover Digital Citizenship and an end of year project to showcase the skills the children have learnt. This is all underpinned by Project Evolve, taught across the year, for on-going online safety. All of the toolkits have been tailored to our children’s needs – resources and work from Purple Mash, Teach Computing and CS First are used throughout school to support learning.

Annual curriculum reviews, informed by monitoring, pupil feedback, new initiatives, and the school's core values, ensure it continues to meet the evolving needs of our students and the school community.

The Computing curriculum is progressive, building on prior knowledge and reinforcing key vocabulary to help children make steady progress towards age-related expectations. We ensure that lessons are inclusive, providing equal opportunities for all children, regardless of background, to access Computing and IT. In each lesson, children gain essential knowledge and practical opportunities to apply computing and other skills, fostering deep, long-term understanding.

Pupils are also offered numerous opportunities to apply what they’ve learned across different subjects, supported by access to a range of technological resources. This real-life application enhances their fluency and independence, preparing them for future success. Additionally, these diverse opportunities broaden their horizons, opening up a world of possibilities.