Computer Science Curriculum

Principles and Purpose of our Computer Science Curriculum

The impact of Computer Science is paramount to the future of our society. At TRS we aim to do our part to ensure students leave with a wide range of powerful knowledge and skills that allows them to become digitally literate citizens. By embedding this knowledge, we hope that this will also allow them to perform well in terminal exams and purse their ambitions at the next stage in their education and life.

To enable students to be digitally literate we deliver a knowledge and skills-based curriculum throughout key stages three and four. We teach them digital literacy skills including computational thinking and creativity to understand and be able to change the world. We develop an appreciation of how Computer Science impacts on their everyday lives as well as developing their ability to be critical thinkers and analytically solve problems before applying coding-based solutions.

The following principles have informed the planning of our Computer Science curriculum

• Entitlement: All pupils have the right to access the Computer Science curriculum which covers the National Curriculum. Furthermore, students have the right and need to be fluent in digital literacy as this will prepare them for the world of work. All students are exposed to functional knowledge and practice of essential office-based skills as well as coding skills to help explain the mechanics of software.
• Coherence: We sequence our units to introduce knowledge and new concepts in a way that begins with the simplest and builds to the more complex throughout the students’ study in KS3. This then gives the students the foundations for KS4 including a range of vertical concepts developed over time in a variety of contexts which also allows for purposeful cross curricular relevance. Knowledge and skills are honed by being revisited lesson by lesson as well as year on year.
• Mastery: Reviewing prior knowledge is threaded throughout all the units we teach, with concepts and skills revisited, built upon, and developed in new relevant contexts which includes real world scenarios as well as cross curricular examples.
• Adaptability: Whilst all students study the same ambitious curriculum in Computer Science, lessons are adapted to ensure learning is maximised for all students in that class. These are then further adapted at Key Stage 4 to cater for the individual student needs. Although a bank of lessons is used, teachers then adapt the lesson to suit the needs of the students in front of them.
• Representation: A diverse range of scenarios are used in resources throughout the curriculum so that students are taken from their immediate experiences so they can recognise the relevance of Computer Science and digital literacy in the world.
• Education with character: The Computer Science curriculum raises several ethical, culturally significant, and sensitive questions which students will explore in ways that go beyond the curriculum. We encourage students to reflect on the impacts on society and themselves of the changes from Computer Science and indeed being digitally literate and safe online.

For more information regarding the curriculum content, ‘what we teach, why it is taught and when’ please view our curriculum maps below.

To access additional learning resources to support students learning in Computer Science please refer to Knowledge Organiser (KS3), The Regis SP (KS4) and our primary learning platforms iDEA, Knowitall-ninja, craigndave.org and Seneca.