At Marland Hill we follow the ‘Rising Stars’ scheme of work which outlines a progression of computing skills from Year 1 through to Year 6. Each year the children build upon the previous year’s skills and look at each topic from a fresh perspective.

We have recently reviewed and developed the software available within school for children to successfully achieve the outcomes in each topic. We have also carried out pupil interviews to see what software the children use at home so that we can engage children and their interests more.

To ensure that children keep up-to-date within the computing curriculum we ensure that all children are timetabled to access a computing lesson once a week. For this, the children are able to use a computer and any other resource needed to achieve their objectives.

Through school the children cover a comprehensive range of topics, this includes:

Programming, coding, debugging, filming, editing, emailing, graphic animation, databases, audio recording and composing.

The children also have the opportunity to develop and refine other basic computing life skills such as:

Typing, word processing, PowerPoint presentations, editing pictures and data handling.

Here is a quick overview of the coverage from Reception to Year 6:

Central to all of this work covered within each year group, is emphasising how children should keep safe whilst online. We emphasise that ‘being online’ is not just being on the computer, this is through any type of multimedia interface which can connect to the internet such as: phone, computer, tablet, Xbox, Play Station etc. We also ensure that E-Safety posters are used within each class on the safeguarding displays so that all children understand how they can keep safe and who they can talk to if they need to.

Here is an overview of E-Safety within school:

At Marland Hill we also provide the children with opportunities for cross-curricular computing sessions. Staff are increasingly using computing as part of their cross curricular work within Topic and Literacy.

Please see below links to some useful websites and information.

Parent Zone - A website with a wide variety of information, resources and guides to help parents understand their child's online activity.

CEOP - E Safety and advice for parents, children and schools.

Thinkuknow - A CEOP site with information about websites that children and young people like to visit.

Vodaphone Parents - An information page for parents about setting appropriate controls for their children's online activity.

Internet matters - for support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online.

London Grid for Learning - for support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online.

Net-aware - for support for parents and careers from the NSPCC.

Parent info - for support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online.

UK Safer Internet Centre - advice for parents and carers.