The young people of today are immersed with technology and it should be our job as educators to show the pupils how it works, how it links to their own personal experience and what the considerations should be for themselves and others. This is because we have the obligation not only to teach the pupil about computing, but also to develop the pupils into good, balanced citizens of the online community whose actions are modelled by the Cardinal Virtues. The use of personal experience during our teaching is a recurring theme as it is important in reminding pupils that they use computing as a part of their everyday life. It is a subject that they need to know about.
It is extremely important first and foremost that the curriculum we have created covers each aspect of the national curriculum but also that it develops the pupils to be confident and consistent in their application of knowledge to computing situations. By the end of key stage 3, pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the national curriculum programme of study. However, it should be understood that the pupils will only receive one lesson of computing per week at key stage 3 and so we have selected topics based upon those concepts that are fundamental and allow the pupils to gain a deeper understanding through repeated encounters rather than sacrificing quality and depth at the expense of understanding. As pupils progress, their understanding, confidence and skill-level will grow and the scheme will help them extend and deepen this knowledge of computing and to encourage them to opt to continue their studies within computer science.
Links to prior knowledge and the pupils future is a fundamental part of teaching. Therefore, simply knowing the national curriculum at Key Stage 3 and 4 as discrete modules is not appropriate. The work we do should build upon whatever the pupils have experienced and learned at Key Stage 2 and prepare them for Key Stage 5 with the knowledge and the skills that academia or the world of work requires.
At Corpus Christi we understand that the education that pupils have received at Primary School and the level of understanding of the teachers tasked with delivering the material is incredibly varied. This fact shows that all year 7 pupils should be treated equally but with opportunity for those pupils who received a high standard of education or have a natural ability in the subject to flourish.
All pupils by the end of Key Stage 2 should have been taught to:
· design, write and debug programs that accomplish specific goals, including controlling or simulating physical systems; solve problems by decomposing them into smaller parts
· use sequence, selection, and repetition in programs; work with variables and various forms of input and output
· use logical reasoning to explain how some simple algorithms work and to detect and correct errors in algorithms and programs
· understand computer networks including the internet; how they can provide multiple services, such as the world wide web; and the opportunities they offer for communication and collaboration
· use search technologies effectively, appreciate how results are selected and ranked, and be discerning in evaluating digital content
· select, use and combine a variety of software (including internet services) on a range of digital devices to design and create a range of programs, systems and content that accomplish given goals, including collecting, analysing, evaluating and presenting data and information
· use technology safely, respectfully and responsibly; recognise acceptable or unacceptable behaviour; identify a range of ways to report concerns about content and contact.
The computing curriculum at Key Stage 3, therefore, should develop the understanding and the skills that they have covered whilst also ensuring a parity of education for all pupils in our care by developing their foundational knowledge first from basic principles.
An example of this would be algorithmic thinking where the pupil may know what an algorithm is, but all pupils will be taught about input, storage, process and output as they are the fundamental parts of all computer systems and programs. This will then give all pupils structure to their understanding and allow higher ability pupils to understand more.
The national curriculum for computing aims to ensure that all pupils:
Pupils should be able to solve problems by confidently creating algorithms for a range of situations and be able to write computer programs for these algorithms. They should know how a computer uses binary logic to store data, the components used within a computer system and how they interact with one another and the user. They should understand how a computer works and completes instructions given by the user. They should use their experience of computing within their world to inform decisions about system software, application software and problem solving and be able to select the correct hardware, language or software for the task at hand. They should use computing devices in a safe and responsible manner and be aware of potential risks to their safety online and how to report any issues.
Pupils should be taught:
All pupils must have the opportunity to study aspects of information technology and computer science at sufficient depth to allow them to progress to higher levels of study or to a professional career.
All pupils should be taught to:
All that we do at Corpus Christi is geared towards developing the whole person to be a resilient, hard-working, lifelong learners and a contributing member of society. In the CSB department we are no different. The high expectations that we instill of themselves, and others are displayed throughout lessons across the department, and this leads to outstanding progress outlined in the impact section. As well as this, we prepare the pupils for the rigours of learning at Key Stage 5 whereby they will need to be proactive and start revising with the skills we have developed from early in the course in order to prevent poor performance.
It is important to note that the impact section also shows the destinations data which we are proud of. Despite being a small department to have such cohorts opt for our subject and then choose to study computing, computer science or business at Key Stage 5 shows the indelible mark that we leave on the pupils’ lives.
Teaching in the GCSE subjects used to be directly linked to the next steps at Key Stage 5 in terms of using the same exam boards, but sadly a change at Cardinal Newman College means that it is no longer the case. Pupil testimony describes Key Stage 5 topics in computer science and business as being ‘linked but different’ and it appears that the pupils at key stage thrive based upon the knowledge that they have learned at Corpus Christi.
Continued drilling of the fundamentals of Python for instance cannot do anything but help the pupils succeed in any Key Stage 5 course that involves computer programming. The total coverage of the national curriculum ensures that the knowledge they have gained here can be used as a resource and developed at Key Stage 5 by skilful educators.
In business, the keywords remain the same, it is simply the application of the facts that is slightly different and the assessment methods and questions used at Key Stage 5 are more geared towards larger businesses. This builds nicely upon the Edexcel course that we cover where in year 10 the pupils learn about smaller start-ups, then in year 11 learn how those businesses grow moving to questions about multinationals like KFC.
Careers education is extremely important in order to inspire and motivate the pupils to outstanding results. Below is a partial list of possible careers linked to computing, computer science or business. During careers education, the options process, in answering pupil queries and, where appropriate, as part of the curriculum, the pupils are taught about some of these roles, invited to research the role, responsibilities and requirements and strive to engage in a career in computing, computer science or business.
Computing/Computer Science | Business |
Application Software Developer/Engineer | Entrepreneur |
Computer Games Developer/Engineer | Business Manager |
Database Administrator | Sales Manager |
User Experience Designer | Production Manager |
Digital Accessibility Specialist | Supply Chain Operative |
Systems Analyst/Engineer | Economist |
AI Data Specialist | Operations Manager |
Digital Community Manager | Project Manager |
Network Manager | Human Resource Operator |
Network Engineer | Market Research Executive |
Cyber Security Intelligence Officer | Data Analyst |
Cyber Security Analyst | Marketing Executive |
Creative Digital Design Professional | Accountant |
Youtuber/Vlogger | Youtuber/Vlogger |
Social Media Manager | Sustainability Business Specialist |
At Corpus Christi we believe that all pupils should be equipped with and supported in developing a high level of reading and literacy capability, as is required by each subject discipline. In computing we use all four strands of the literacy strategy laid out by the whole-school policy.
Firstly, when embarking upon new learning the subject specific terminology will always be thoroughly explained and highlighted in a different colour based upon whether they have been used before in the curriculum to show new learning or the prior learning that links to the new topic. Any words with double meanings will be in the scheme of work, but any new revelations should always be highlighted and added to the scheme of work.
Reading ages will be used by the teacher when considering seating plans to ensure that there is support for the weaker pupils. In lower ability classes, activities will be differentiated to avoid long pieces of text and these could be broken down into smaller chunks in order to differentiate the learning. Marking and feedback should be used to address common misspelled words that do not appear in the scheme.
In computing it is necessary to read pieces of computer programs, known as code. In the first instance, in Year 7, this code will be broken down and annotated thoroughly explaining what it says, what that code means and describing what it does for the computer system. In subsequent years, the pupils will be expected to annotate what they recognise and then have anything new explained and taught by the teacher. Pattern recognition is required, but this is not usually of the text, it is of the colours and the layouts of the language used.
The department does not generally use long passages of reading in teaching, but at times, the pupils will be given pieces of text to stick into their exercise books. It is important that the pupils are given time to read and ask any questions about the content of these pieces of text, but the teacher will always explain every aspect of the text on the board. Following the explanation, it is imperative that all teachers then give the pupils the further opportunity to ask any supporting questions.
The pupils will be aware of the expectations we set as a department for discussions and verbal responses because there is always a list on the board of words that we will not allow them to use. This will improve their descriptions and by promoting the use of keywords it will help engage them and lead to much-improved verbal response. By removing their ability to use words such as you, something, stuff, thing, if etc. the pupils are forced to think about the vocabulary they will use and how they will say it rather than just taking for granted that they know it.
During feedback from discussions, the pupils must be corrected if they use one of these words and be encouraged to think about what words they could use instead. This will begin to improve their written responses when they are ready. In Year 7, the response could also be written/typed onto the IWB in real time to show how the response is improving just by changing some words thereby modelling an appropriate response.
At Corpus Christi, we believe that high quality summative assessment must primarily enable pupils to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding acquired throughout the implementation of the planned curriculum. In computing, we create assessments that only test the content of the scheme of work which are appropriate to the skill and ability level of the pupils. The pupils only complete assessments at appropriate times within the context of the course rather than on a pre-defined schedule. These are then used to help the teacher better understand the knowledge and retention of the pupils and informs next steps in terms of teaching, misconceptions and any academic intervention required. Reviewing assessments informs pupils about what gaps exist within their knowledge and what they need to do to improve.
It is the responsibility of each teacher to ensure their classes are suitably ready for assessments and all content has been covered thoroughly. The Head of Department ensures that assessments are checked and verified with line managers and that there is a clear and shared rationale for the awarding of progress grades for reporting to parents. This will incorporate the use of formative assessment, enabling teachers to use their daily feedback through questioning and marking, to inform decisions related to progress grades.
Year 11 computer science results show a positive increase in 9-5% and 9-7% from the previous year and these values are above OCR national average.
As well as this, the SPI figure is vastly increased (0.20 to 0.90). This shows that pupils attending Corpus Christi are achieving nearly a grade higher than their counterparts at other schools.
Year 11 business results show a vast increase in the 9-7% compared to previous years. 29% of the cohort achieved a 9-7 grade compared to 22.6% for Edexcel and 19% nationally which is testament to their hard work and effort.
The SPI has stayed consistent (0.52 compared to 0.48) and the average number of marks attained by the cohort across both papers increased by 1.5 marks.
The department are happy that 52% of business pupils achieved grade 9-5 and that is exactly the national average. The department also celebrate the fact that 42% of computer science pupils achieved grade 5-9 and that nearly 10% of the pupils achieved a grade 9-7.
With year 10 grades in the summer examinations being higher on average in both subjects, we are all hopeful of even better results in 2025!
At Corpus Christi we pride ourselves on ensuring that the pupils know what further education and training exists, what courses are available and how to access them. A significant minority of pupils, with the vast array of other subjects that they do and which are available to them at college, as well as those undertaking apprenticeships and T-Levels, continue their studies in computer science and business as seen in the table below.
Destinations Data | 2023 | 2024 | ||||
Pupils | % of Total Cohort | % of Dept Cohort | Pupils | % of Total Cohort | % of Dept Cohort | |
Year 11 Cohort | 149 | 157 | ||||
Business Cohort | 56 | 37.6 | 33 | 22.1 | ||
Business in FE | 17 | 11.4 | 30.36 | 20 | 13.4 | 35.71 |
Business-related in FE | 17 | 11.4 | 30.36 | 23 | 15.4 | 43.07 |
Computer Science Cohort | 32 | 21.5 | 31 | 20.8 | ||
Computer Science in FE | 9 | 6.0 | 28.13 | 4 | 2.7 | 12.50 |
Computer Science-related in FE | 10 | 6.7 | 31.25 | 6 | 1.0 | 18.75 |
Computing is more than just learning about the 0s and 1s inside the electronic devices. It is extremely important that the pupils learn about how to use the computers and specific applications in order to prepare them for the world of work as well as understand how to be safe on the computers by being more prudent in their decision making.
At Key Stage 3 the pupils engage in activities specifically designed to ensure that the pupils understand the difference between computer science, information technology and digital literacy. By teaching them this distinction, the pupils then have the opportunity to recap and display their prior knowledge from lessons at Corpus Christi and that which is gleaned from other sources, be it life lessons or from home.
The national curriculum states that:
Most of the Year 7 curriculum is built towards learning about computing as for most of the pupils this will be the first time that they have been taught computing by an expert in the field. The department have fashioned ways in which to embed IT skills within existing new learning allowing the pupils to show the skills that they have learned at key stage 2 and build upon them as part of the computing curriculum.
First and foremost, the pupils work on the computers in the first few lessons learning about passwords, email, use of google classroom and word processing. As part of this unit they send an email, learn basic word processing skills, save a file to their OneDrive to be used at home and share a file to an assignment. These are all key skills not just in computing, but across the curriculum as well as in life.
Moving on from this unit, later in the year to further embed the skills learned, the pupils use devices in school and at home to produce a presentation about their home network. This requires them to research, find/take images of the devices and, importantly, recaps the learning from the lesson to give the presentation a focus. The pupils are taught about target audiences, master slides as well as designing the slides and transitions. This is then revisited in year 8 and 9.
As part of the programming unit, the pupils will create a log of the programs that they have written. This is then used, in conjunction with the snipping tool, to record what computer programs they have created, what they did and what the code looks like. This helps the pupils reuse the skills that they learned in word processing as well as learning a new skill of ‘snipping’ the image on their screen which is used later on in other subjects.
Finally, the database unit is an IT skill whereby the pupils learn about the keywords of databases and how to create one in Access. The pupils are taught their second text-based programming language of SQL and learn how to create queries.
In year 8 the pupils practice the skills required in word processing by using Python to type out the computer programs as well as completing the programming log once again. As part of the programming unit, the pupils will create a log of the programs that they have written. This is then used, in conjunction with the snipping tool, to record what computer programs they have created, what they did and what the code looks like. This helps the pupils reuse the skills that they learned in word processing as well as learning a new skill of ‘snipping’ the image on their screen which is used later on in other subjects.
Spreadsheets are introduced to year 8 on two occasions because this is the optimal location in the curriculum to cover them. It makes the most sense that a spreadsheet would be used to calculate the conversions of binary to decimal and vice versa where the pupils learn about cell references, columns, rows and formulae. This reiterates the use of IF statements in a different way but builds upon their understanding from year 7 Python programming.
The second opportunity to cover spreadsheets is during an ELD session whereby all of the pupils in year 8 will learn about how to use some other formulae, autofill and how to create and label a simple chart about deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. This is a vital opportunity to ensure that all pupils have the opportunity to demonstrate what they learned earlier in the year whilst also building upon that knowledge with a new skill i.e. creating charts.
Finally, the database unit allows the pupils to recap the keywords of databases and how to create one in Access from year 7. The pupils are then taught about searching algorithms and how it links to the SQL language that they learned about in year 7.
In year 9 the pupils practice the skills required in word processing by using Python to type out the computer programs as well as completing the programming log once again. The presentation this year is about using their understanding of the CPU and asks the pupils to select the Christmas/Birthday present that they would want to replace their current device be it a phone or laptop etc. Again, it will be started in school, completed at home and the pupils will be reintroduced to master slide, target audience and how to share a link to the file to google classroom.
Finally, the database unit allows the pupils to recap the keywords of databases and how to create one in Access from year 7 and 8. The pupils are then taught about sorting algorithms and arrays as a furtherment of their studies in the topic of databases.
The national curriculum states that pupils must understand a range of ways to use technology safely, respectfully, responsibly and securely, including protecting their online identity and privacy; recognise inappropriate content, contact and conduct, and know how to report concerns
At Corpus Christi we define digital literacy as an awareness of the dangers and pitfalls that are linked to the use of electronic devices and learning about the importance of using good judgment and decision making whilst using them. We cover this in the following ways:
At the start of year 7, the pupils are taught a series of lessons in the appropriate use of email, OneDrive and how this can be used in their everyday life at Corpus Christi and beyond. Once the pupils are placed into sets, the pupils learn about the intricacies of passwords and the need to be safe and secure with regards to technology and electronic devices in general as well as online. The pupils learn about various threats to their devices in particular such as click-bait and how to avoid them. This learning is then recapped at various intervals throughout the year.
At the end of year 7, the pupils learn about databases and how they are used to store data. This is important as it leads to the opportunity in year 8 to discuss the different databases that they are currently a part of, even at 12 or 13 years old. At this stage it is important to recap the learning from the start of the year the need to make good decisions with our passwords and personal data because no-one knows who would be able to access it.
In year 8 there is an understanding by all teachers of computing that the personal safety team will teach the pupils about digital literacy explicitly and following on from that, it is important for the department to recap and reiterate the learning from those lessons at every opportunity. Topics such as cookies and disinformation can be used at different times to reengage the pupils in the learning from those critical lessons.
Databases are recapped as mentioned above in year 7, but to extend the pupils’ understanding they will be given the opportunity to discuss which databases they have given their data to, which ones they feel are safe and secure and which they feel they may have ‘made a mistake’ with giving them their data. Showing them examples of secure websites that have been hacked allows them to see that their fears about the less secure websites might be well founded and change their outlook about who should have their data in the future.
The programming unit is beginning to branch out into the use of AI to create the computer programs that they have designed using algorithms. This is a perfect opportunity to broach its continued use in the world, its benefits and drawbacks and particularly intellectual property as well as disinformation. The pupils can recap the learning from year 8 about the difference between misinformation and disinformation at this point.
In year 9, the pupils learn about operating systems. As part of this unit, they recap passwords and discuss user management. They are encouraged to debate the use of user access levels and parental controls as a means to help keep them safe and make sure that they make correct choices when using technology. The concept of ‘child’s accounts’ is discussed as well as their apparent uselessness when thinking about young adults. This topic can also be used to stimulate thinking about fraudulent accounts, who would lie about their age and why and hopefully promote some good discussion about how to improve the safeguards in the future.
Finally, the last part of learning about databases encourages the pupils to debate the prevalent use of them throughout the world, the use of technology and the need for basic safeguards with regards to data of all people and in particularly children. They recap their understanding of the use of databases to store personal data and are encouraged to debate how devices are used in society, what should be done to protect data and who is responsible when data is lost, used for nefarious purposes or edited inappropriately. This opportunity is also taken to recap the digital literacy topics taught in year 8 by the personal safety team.
Every opportunity must be taken to revisit and embed the key skills of IT and the understanding of digital literacy. As a result, the department takes full advantage of each and every ELD and has embedded some topics into the CPSHE curriculum which are key for the betterment of the pupils, ensure total coverage of the national curriculum and allow the department to exceed the national curriculum.
The national curriculum states that:
· pupils must undertake creative projects that involve selecting, using, and combining multiple applications, preferably across a range of devices, to achieve challenging goals, including collecting and analysing data and meeting the needs of known users
· pupils must create, reuse, revise and repurpose digital artefacts for a given audience, with attention to trustworthiness, design and usability
At Corpus Christi we cover this in the following ways:
As part of the year 7 democracy day, the pupils learn about how to type a formal letter in Microsoft Word on Microsoft365 embedding their understanding from the home network presentation in class. In order to type the letter out correctly they are required to learn about alignment, spend time typing on a keyboard and learn about fonts which are fundamental to being able to word process.
Spreadsheets are covered in the Geography ELD where the pupils learn about deforestation in the amazon rainforest. The pupils must access a link to a file, download it and then add formulae and graphs to it in order to fill in the gaps in the data and visually represent it in the form of a graph. The pupils then learn how to label the graph appropriately and discuss what they could be used to do.
Being able to type and word process is important for the computing and English ELD whereby the pupils are given some code to correct and type into Python to create their own game based upon the “Choose your own adventure” series of games. The pupils need to type the code in and check it for errors in order to run and test it albeit not in a word processor.
The national curriculum states that pupils must understand a range of ways to use technology safely, respectfully, responsibly and securely, including protecting their online identity and privacy; recognise inappropriate content, contact and conduct, and know how to report concerns.
At Corpus Christi we cover this in the following ways:
The personal safety team in CPSHE teach the pupils explicitly about digital literacy covering a large swath of topics. The pupils learn about cookies, targeted advertising, cyberbullying and the difference between misinformation and disinformation during a suite of three lessons. These are recapped during the year with lessons about the three elements of computing.
All pupils in year 10 engage in a digital literacy day with each session covering one element of the four Cs. This covers the use of cookies, radicalisation, cyberbullying/sexting and grooming for the purposes of sexual exploitation and county lines.
All pupils at Corpus Christi have the opportunity to study aspects of information technology and computer science at sufficient depth to allow them to progress to higher levels of study or to a professional career.
All pupils are taught to:
Curriculum Aspect | Where taught |
develop their capability, creativity and knowledge in computer science, digital media and information technology | All pupils access and develop these skills through Extended Learning Days and CPSHE. There are also aspects in the various schemes of work across the KS4 curriculum. |
develop and apply their analytical, problem-solving, design, and computational thinking skills | All pupils access and develop these skills through Extended Learning Days and CPSHE. There are also aspects in the various schemes of work across the KS4 curriculum, particularly in Mathematics which is studied by all pupils. |
understand how changes in technology affect safety, including new ways to protect their online privacy and identity, and how to identify and report a range of concerns. | This is taught explicitly as part of the Personal Safety strand of CPSHE, with other aspects touched on as part of Healthy Relationships and Sex Education (HRSE). |