At Weston St Mary C of E Primary School, we believe that all pupils have the right to have rich, deep learning experiences that balance all the aspects of computing. With technology playing such a significant role in society today, we believe children should have the knowledge and skills taught to them which will enable them participate effectively and safely in a digital world.

We believe that computing has deep links with maths, science as well as design and technology. It also allows our pupils to think creatively and to experience the world through different windows. All staff at Weston St Mary C of E Primary School believe in ensuring children experience different technology. This will allow children to become digitally literate and allow expressing themselves and developing their ideas.

Our curriculum is designed to ensure that all pupils:

• understand and apply the essential principles and concepts of Computer Science, including logic, algorithms and data representation;
• analyse problems in computational term, and have repeated practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve such problems;
• evaluate and apply information technology analytically to solve problems;
• communicate ideas well by utilising appliances and devices throughout all areas of the curriculum;
• develop knowledge of how technology can help them discover and reach out to local, wider and global communities
• learn about issues that would be otherwise out of reach and help to be able to solve issues, aiding children to be functioning citizens in the modern world.

By teaching in this way, children will continually develop their skills and knowledge, providing them with a solid foundation to move on into the wider world, preparing them for our ever-changing world, with the confidence to become independent and solve problems in a range of settings.

We value reading as a fundamental life skill, and are dedicated to enabling our pupils to become lifelong readers. We recognise that reading is essential for academic success and the key to accessing knowledge across the curriculum. Therefore, reading is given high priority within Computing.

We take seriously children’s internet safety. We have an e-safety policy, which provides guidance for teachers and children about how to use the internet safely. Every year group participates in lessons on e-safety and children understand how to stay safe when using technology. We aim to share with parents updates on how to support their children through a rapidly changing digital world.