Computing

Computing Leader: Mr Knaggs
          

Vision

At Hinchliffe Mill Junior and Infant School, our computing vision is to empower our pupils to become confident, creative, and responsible digital citizens. Through a rich and engaging computing curriculum, we aim to develop learners who not only master the technical skills needed for an ever-changing digital world, but who also embody values that prepare them to use technology positively and safely. We nurture collaboration, clear communication, resilience, and respect—skills and qualities that are as essential online as they are in life. Our pupils are encouraged to think critically, solve problems independently, and explore the digital world with curiosity, confidence, and care.

Support one another: We encourage pupils to work collaboratively in computing, whether they’re debugging code, planning digital projects, or evaluating each other’s work. Working together fosters teamwork, mutual respect, and shared learning, helping children to support one another in building digital understanding and solving problems together.

Honest: We teach our pupils to use technology with integrity—crediting others’ work, using resources responsibly, and acknowledging their own strengths and areas for development. We promote digital honesty by encouraging transparency in coding, debugging, and evaluating their digital creations.

Communicate: Computing enhances pupils’ communication skills by enabling them to express ideas clearly and effectively through a range of digital media. We encourage them to share their thinking, explain their algorithms and choices, and use appropriate technical vocabulary, fostering confidence in both verbal and digital expression.

Responsible: Online safety is a key aspect of our computing curriculum. We teach our pupils to use technology respectfully, safely, and ethically. This includes understanding their digital footprint, protecting personal information, and being kind and considerate in digital spaces.

Confidence: Computing helps children develop confidence as they explore new technologies, tackle challenges, and find solutions through logical thinking. We provide an environment where experimentation is encouraged and mistakes are seen as part of the journey to success, helping pupils feel empowered to take risks and try new things.

Resilient: Debugging code and solving digital problems often involves perseverance. We help our pupils develop resilience by showing them how to approach challenges methodically, learn from failure, and keep improving their work—an essential mindset in the digital world.

Respectful: We foster a culture of respect in computing by encouraging pupils to value diverse perspectives, collaborate kindly, and appreciate the work of others—whether working in teams, exploring the impact of technology on different communities, or discussing digital ethics.

Implementation

Long Term Plans:

At Hinchliffe Mill Junior and Infant School our computing curriculum equips pupils with the knowledge, skills and understanding to thrive in a rapidly changing digital world. Our long-term overviews ensure that all children are taught the key aspects of computing, including computer science, information technology and digital literacy, whilst fostering creativity, problem solving and safe, responsible use of technology.

Computing is a key element of the National Curriculum and underpins learning across all subjects. Through carefully planned lessons, pupils learn to understand and apply the principles of computer science, design and debug simple programs, use technology purposefully to create and present content, and develop the skills to evaluate and apply digital tools effectively. Online safety is woven throughout the curriculum to help pupils become respectful, responsible and resilient digital citizens.

In Cherry Class, Reception pupils follow six EYFS computing units, while Year 1 and 2 pupils learn through a two-year rolling cycle. Both Oak Class (Years 3–4) and Rowan Class (Years 5–6) also follow a two-year cycle. Across this period, children in Years 1–6 complete 12 units, ensuring full coverage of all the knowledge and skills required by the National Curriculum.

Long Term Overview:

Medium Term Plans:

Our medium-term plans are thoughtfully structured to suit the organisation of our mixed-age classes. They provide clear, progressive steps that support a logical flow of learning, helping pupils to develop strong computing knowledge, practical skills and confidence in using technology effectively.

Impact

We assess pupils' skills and knowledge against our computing curriculum, ensuring clarity in what and how pupils are learning on a day-to-day basis.

To measure the impact of our teaching and learning for each child, we focus on two key areas of assessment:

Substantive Knowledge: What pupils know and understand about computing concepts, systems, processes, and digital literacy.

Disciplinary Knowledge: The skills they develop through problem-solving, programming, logical reasoning, and applying computational thinking in practical contexts.