Computing

Computing at SJF

Our vision and curriculum at St John Fisher strives to create a school community where children and adults reach their full potential and Shine. Our curriculum is broad, creative and carefully planned so that progress can be made by all groups of children across the whole curriculum. Our children will know and remember more leading to greater comprehension and understanding of increasingly complex concepts. We are committed to encouraging and developing creativity as well as academic mastery seeing both as essential for our children. We will equip our children with skills for academic and social skills and intelligence ensuring they are ready for the next stage of the learning and life.

Curriculum Design and Progression

Our children follow the Knowsley Curriculum for Computing, a thoughtfully sequenced programme that helps them build on prior knowledge and skills while preparing for future learning opportunities.

The curriculum is organised into four key strands: Essential Skills, Computer Science, Information Technology, and Digital Literacy.

• Essential Skills: Focuses on developing the core skills needed to confidently use a variety of devices, promoting independence in all computing activities.
• Computer Science: Covers computational thinking, coding, algorithms, and networks, helping children understand how technology works behind the scenes.
• Information Technology: Explores digital communication, multimedia creation, and data handling, enabling children to use technology to create, present, and share information.
• Digital Literacy: Develops knowledge and skills around online safety and the responsible use of technology in society.

Our computing programme is enhanced through participation in national events such as Computing Week, Safer Internet Day, Anti-Bullying Week, and technology-themed competitions. Teachers model effective technology use in lessons and continuously develop their own skills to ensure high-quality learning experiences for all pupils.

See separate document for the long-term computing plan.

CLC Days

At St John Fisher, we benefit from the expertise and support of Knowsley CLC, a team that works with schools across the UK to support teachers and learners of all ages. Our children enjoy the opportunities to develop and enhance their computing skills through these sessions. Knowsley CLC have extensive experience delivering ICT-focused lessons across EYFS, KS1, and KS2. Each session is carefully planned in collaboration with the class teacher and is linked to the current classroom theme, ensuring the activities are meaningful and relevant to the children’s learning.

Assessment and Monitoring

Teachers assess children at the end of each unit through end points. Children take a pre unit quiz before commencing a unit of work and upon completing a unit of work, they take a post unit quiz. These assessments are used to check what children have learnt and remembered to ensure pupils have remembered what we intended them to learn. End points are evidenced through a range of ways including activities in recorded in individual seesaw accounts, and photos and videos uploaded to Seesaw.

Technology across the curriculum

Technology is used across the curriculum to enhance learning and engage children. For example, Times Tables Rockstars helps improve maths skills, while other digital tools support research, presentations, and creative projects in subjects like literacy, science, and history. This approach enriches lessons and develops confident, safe technology use.

Online Safety

At St John Fisher, keeping children safe online is at the heart of our curriculum. We teach pupils how to use technology responsibly and protect themselves while online. Online safety, including eSafety and cyberbullying, is embedded in our PSHE lessons and reinforced through practical activities. We also participate in special events such as Safer Internet Day and Anti-Bullying Week to raise awareness and develop children’s understanding of safe and responsible technology use.