Our Curriculum:

At Bedford Primary School, we recognise that the curriculum we deliver is the toolkit we send our children out into the world with. It reflects our context, core values and the kind of citizens we want to them to be. We have to be ambitious for them and prepare them for a rapidly changing digital world.

“People say ‘Aren’t you worried what students may do in the digital world?’ My response, ‘I’m more worried if we don’t teach them how.”    Scott Garofola

The skills of a great computing student:

• The ability to collaborate, communicate and express yourself effectively by choosing the right media and applications from a range of information, communication technology
• Confidence and creativity to tinker with technology and explore ideas
• Curiosity to ask questions and the perseverance to want to know more
• The ability to make connections and links between learning in maths, science and design technology
• Resilience to be able to see the challenge of overcoming errors, bugs and mistakes as important and exciting steps to learning and discovery
• Systematic thinking to break instructions, processes and systems down into small steps
• Adaptability and confidence to transfer and applying existing skills and knowledge to new situations and technologies
• Being SMART online and having fun!

Throughout the subject of computing, our pupils will also demonstrate additional traits from our Bedford Learner Profile including problem-solving, managing risks, being a responsible digital citizen and demonstrating the ability to recognise what healthy friendships and relationships look like. 

Our vision for computing:

At Bedford Primary we aim to deliver a relevant, engaging and high-quality computing curriculum.  To be successful and active participants workforce in the future, all of our pupils to be digitally literate and able to use a range of information and communication technology. 

We are also striving to embed computing and digital skills across the entire curriculum so that pupils have the opportunity to select the most appropriate and effective media and software to express themselves and communicate ideas and information.  

About computing at Bedford:

To ensure consistency and progression across the school, from Year 1 to Year 6, we use and follow the Purple Mash scheme of work.  Units within the scheme are practical and engaging and allow computing lessons to be hands on. They cover a broad range of computing components such as coding, blogging, Email, Databases, Communication networks, touch typing, animation and online safety.

Computing lessons will also use the Purple Mash software to ‘make music’ using the 2Sequence program, design and make using the 2Animate software and make links with maths through spreadsheets using 2Calculate.  The scheme of work captures the children's interests and ensures clear coverage of the curriculum outlined in the National Curriculum programme of study for Key Stage 1 and 2.  Purple Mash also provides effective planning and teaching support and CPD for teaching staff.  To maximise the confidence of our teaching team, we are committed to ensuring regular and bespoke CPD for the staff in each year group.  We access support from an external consultant to ensure we stay abreast of developments.  This is essential to ensure our curriculum is fit for purpose in terms of equipping our children for life in a digital world. 

Click here to see the National Curriculum Programme of Study for Key Stages 1 & 2.

The 3 main strands to the computing curriculum:

• Computer Science - in which children are given the opportunity to explore how applications and software are made through programming (coding) and how things actually work “under the bonnet” of our digital devices. They will develop their creativity, computational thinking and logic, to design digital solutions for the world around them. 

• Information Technology - in which children will use applications and develop their word processing skills to present their ideas. They will work creatively, linking with many of the other subjects in the wider curriculum, using a wide range of apps to create, save and retrieve data, music, art, photography, animations and their written work (plus more!).  

• Digital Literacy - in which children will become confident, creative, respectful, responsible online users. Children will develop online skills to safely explore, safely manage their own online image and their online relationships. They will also develop their understanding of the World Wide Web and the Internet it is built on. The children will also connect to many of the other curriculum subjects via their own research.

Use of Google Classroom

Google Classroom is a web-based digital learning platform created by Google. It is accessed by children right across the school, using their own login and password, and links directly to work for their class.

Teachers can use Google Classroom to set, mark and share work, feedback and ideas to students and parents whilst working from home. It is also used to support learning across the wider curriculum, within classroom sessions.

Within School, children can access work and projects within Google Classroom using our amazing ICT suite, year group iPads and also class sets of Chromebooks, from our government allocation.

From home, Google Classroom can be safely accessed using any device connected to the internet, including laptops, Chromebooks, tablets, mobile phones and even games consoles, such as Xbox and Playstation.

Use the following link to view a short video which introduces you to Google Classroom.

Student Guide to Google Classroom

This link will guide you through the steps to hand in an assignment or homework on Google Classroom.

Turning in work in Google Classroom

Helping your child with computing at home:

Update coming soon...

Staying Safe:

Click here to visit our 'Staying Safe' information page for parents

Click here to visit our 'Staying Safe' information page for pupils

Click here to visit our 'Online Safety' page for pupils.

Useful Computing Links: