Overview

At Ermine Street Church Academy, children start on their computing education journey in Year 1. They learn to understand what algorithms are; how they are implemented as programs on digital devices that programs execute by following precise and unambiguous instructions. They create and debug simple programs and use logical reasoning to predict the behaviour of simple programs. They use technology purposefully to create, organise, store, manipulate and retrieve digital content and recognise common uses of information technology beyond school. This procedural knowledge grows in complexity over time. 

The knowledge in computer science can be understood as having three key strands: the principles of computational thinking, the specifics of individual programming languages, and the habits of working needed for programming. A great deal of the knowledge in computer science is procedural and there should be emphasis on practice, feedback and project work as well as explicit teaching of components. 

Our aim is that our students will use technology safely, respectfully and responsibly. We aim for our students to be able to design, write and debug programs; use sequence, selection, and repetition in programs; understand computer networks, including the internet; use search technologies effectively; and select, use and combine a variety of software.