The document provides an overview of the computing curriculum in England, including aims, key stages, and learning objectives. At key stage 1, students will learn about algorithms, basic programming, data storage and retrieval, and online safety. At key stage 2, they will design and write programs, use logical reasoning, understand computer networks and the internet, use search engines effectively, and collect/analyze data. At key stage 3, topics include computational modeling, algorithms, programming languages, Boolean logic, computer systems, and data representation.

1. Miles Berry
University of Roehampton
28 June 2013
Primary Computing
Workshop
1. Curriculum

2. What is the
curriculum for?

3. What is the
curriculum for?

4. What is the
curriculum for?

5. Beauty or utility?
“If you want a golden rule
that will fit everybody,
this is it:
Have nothing in your
houses that you do not
know to be useful, or
believe to be beautiful.”
William Morris, 1880

6. Finding things out
Developing ideas and
making things happen
Exchanging and sharing
information
Reviewing, modifying and
evaluating work as it
progresses

7. Children use and apply their ICT knowledge,
skills and understanding confidently and
competently in their learning and in everyday
contexts. They become independent and
discerning users of technology, recognising
opportunities and risks and using strategies to
stay safe.
(QCDA, 2009)
ICT Capability

8. Their Space
Information gatherers
Everyday communicators
Creative producers
Digital pioneers
Green and Hannon, 2007

9. TfL
Users
Consumers
Communicators
Digitally literate
Safe
Skills
Makers
Creators
Collaborators
Digitally critical
Responsible
Understanding

10. Next Gen
Recommendation 1
Bring computer science into
the National Curriculum as an
essential discipline.

11. Eric Schmidt, Edinburgh International Television Festival, 2011

12. Shut down or Restart?
Recommendation 6
The Department for Education should
remedy the current situation, where
good schools are dis-incentivised from
teaching Computer Science, by
reforming and rebranding the current
ICT curriculum in England. Schemes of
work should be established for ages 5 –
14 across the range of Computing
aspects, e.g. digital literacy..., Information
Technology, and Computer Science.

13. ICT to Computing

14. Michael Gove, BETT 2012

15. Mr Gove thinks again
The Government has made clear that it
considers ICT to be an important subject
that should be taught to all pupils. As a
clear statement of the importance that it
attaches to ICT education, the
Government has decided that ICT will
continue to be a National Curriculum
subject, with new statutory
Programmes of Study at all four key
stages, from September 2014.

17. BCS and RAEng
In late August 2012 the DfE invited BCS and the Royal Academy of
Engineering to coordinate the drafting of a new Programme of Study
for ICT. In discussion with DfE, BCS and the Royal Academy of
Engineering decided to follow the following process
• Form a small working party to write a first draft.
• Publish this first draft in late October, and seek broad comment and
feedback.
• Revise the draft during November and December in the light of that
feedback.
• The DfE will publish the revised draft, along with the Programmes of
Study for other subjects, for full public consultation in the Spring of
2013.

18. Process
August invitations
‘straw men’
September memorandum of understanding
iterative development
October more development
DfE/BIS round table
open consultation
November consultation meeting
2nd drafting group
submitted to the DfE
Dec/Jan DfE review
further expert advice

19. More information: bcs.org/ictpos

20. And then...
Ministers reviewed the draft ICT curriculum and requested
several amendments:
• shorter statement of subject aims
• increased emphasis on computer science and
programming content at Key Stages 1-3
• stronger links to mathematics curriculum
• digital skills content to be edited and condensed
Department officials worked with appropriate experts to
make these changes – final version published 7th February
DfE

21. Gove, 7th Feb 2013
“We have also replaced
the old information and
communications
technology curriculum
with a new computing
curriculum, with help
from Google, Facebook
and some of Britain’s
most brilliant computer
scientists.”

22. A high-quality computing education equips pupils to
understand and change the world through
computational thinking. It develops and requires
logical thinking and precision. It combines creativity
with rigour: pupils apply underlying principles to
understand real-world systems, and to create
purposeful and usable artefacts. More broadly, it
provides a lens through which to understand both
natural and artificial systems, and has substantial links
with the teaching of mathematics, science, and design
and technology.
DfE 2013
Computing

23. 0%# 10%# 20%# 30%# 40%# 50%# 60%# 70%# 80%# 90%# 100%#
Skills#
Knowledge#
Understanding#
None#or#very#limited# Basic#grasp# Competent# Proficient# Expert#

24. • can understand and apply the fundamental principles of
computer science, including logic, algorithms, data
representation, and communication
• can analyse problems in computational terms, and have
repeated practical experience of writing computer
programs in order to solve such problems
• can evaluate and apply information technology,
including new or unfamiliar technologies, analytically to
solve problems
• are responsible, competent, confident and creative users
of information and communication technology.
Aims for computing

25. Computing Curriculum
At the core of computing is the science and
engineering discipline of computer science, in which
pupils are taught how digital systems work, how they
are designed and programmed, and the fundamental
principles of information and computation. Building on
this core, computing equips pupils to apply
information technology to create products and
solutions. A computing education also ensures that
pupils become digitally literate – able to use, and
express themselves through, information and
communication technology – at a level suitable for the
future workplace and as active participants in a digital
world.

26. CS, IT, DL
Foundations
Applications
Implications

27. KS1
understand what algorithms are, how they are implemented as
programs on digital devices, and that programs execute by
following a sequence of instructions
write and test simple programs
use logical reasoning to predict the behaviour of simple programs
organise, store, manipulate and retrieve data in a range of digital
formats
communicate safely and respectfully online, keeping personal
information private, and recognise common uses of information
technology beyond school.

28. organise, store, manipulate and
retrieve data in a range of digital
formats

29. communicate safely and respectfully online,
keeping personal information private, and
recognise common uses of information
technology beyond school.

30. communicate safely and respectfully online,
keeping personal information private, and
recognise common uses of information
technology beyond school.

31. KS2
design and write 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; generate
appropriate inputs and predicted outputs to test programs
use logical reasoning to explain how a simple algorithm works
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

32. KS2 continued
describe how internet search engines find and store data; use
search engines effectively; be discerning in evaluating digital
content; respect individuals and intellectual property; use
technology responsibly, securely and safely
select, use and combine a variety of software (including internet
services) on a range of digital devices to accomplish given goals,
including collecting, analysing, evaluating and presenting data
and information.

33. 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

34. 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

35. describe how internet search engines find
and store data; use search engines
effectively; be discerning in evaluating
digital content; respect individuals and
intellectual property; use technology
responsibly, securely and safely

36. select, use and combine a variety of
software (including internet services) on a
range of digital devices to accomplish given
goals, including collecting, analysing,
evaluating and presenting data and
information.

37. select, use and combine a variety of
software (including internet services) on a
range of digital devices to accomplish given
goals, including collecting, analysing,
evaluating and presenting data and
information.

38. KS3
design, use and evaluate computational abstractions that model the state
and behaviour of real-world problems and physical systems
understand at least two key algorithms for each of sorting and searching;
use logical reasoning to evaluate the performance trade-offs of using
alternative algorithms to solve the same problem
use two or more programming languages, one of which is textual, each
used to solve a variety of computational problems; use data structures such
as tables or arrays; use procedures to write modular programs; for each
procedure, be able to explain how it works and how to test it
understand simple Boolean logic (such as AND, OR and NOT) and its use in
determining which parts of a program are executed; use Boolean logic and
wild- cards in search or database queries; appreciate how search engine
results are selected and ranked

39. KS3 continued
understand the hardware and software components that make
up networked computer systems, how they interact, and how
they affect cost and performance; explain how networks such as
the internet work; understand how computers can monitor and
control physical systems
explain how instructions are stored and executed within a
computer system
explain how data of various types can be represented and
manipulated in the form of binary digits including numbers,
text, sounds and pictures, and be able to carry out some such
manipulations by hand

40. KS3 continued
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
create, reuse, revise and repurpose digital information and content
with attention to design, intellectual property and audience.

41. KS4
develop their capability, creativity and knowledge in
computer science, digital media and information technology
develop and apply their analytic, problem-solving, design, and
computational thinking skills.

42. Themes?

43. Themes
• Coding
• CS
• Networks and the Internet
• Communication and collaboration
• Creativity
• Productivity

44. Themes
• Computational thinking
• Design
• Criticality
• Responsibility

45. Themes
• CS
• IT
• DL
• Foundations
• Applications
• Implications

51. “At the heart of the
educational process lies the
child”
“One of the main educational
tasks of the primary school is
to build on and strengthen
children's intrinsic interest in
learning and lead them to
learn for themselves”

52. Decisions
• Discrete vs Embedded
• Waterfall vs Agile
• NC vs NC+
• Themes
• Structure
• Format

53. An outline SoW
• Topic title
• Curriculum coverage
• Learning objectives
• Outline of activities
• Resources
• Cross curricular links
• Assessment opportunities

55. Assessment
“In order to ensure that every child is expected to
master this content, I have ... decided that the current
system of levels and level descriptors should be
removed and not replaced”
June 2012
“By the end of each key stage, pupils are expected to
know, apply and understand the matters, skills and
processes specified in the relevant programme of
study.“
Feb 2013

56. Assessment
Schools will be able to introduce their own
approaches to formative assessment, to support
pupil attainment and progression. The assessment
framework should be built into the school
curriculum, so that schools can check what pupils
have learned and whether they are on track to
meet expectations at the end of the key stage,
and so that they can report regularly to parents.
June 2013

57. Badges

58. bit.ly/ittcomp