Intent

At our school we want pupils to be MASTERS of technology and not slaves to it. Technology is everywhere and will play a pivotal part in our learner's lives. Therefore, we want to model and educate our pupils on how to use technology positively, responsibly and safely.

Computing Curriculum

We want our pupils to be creators not consumers and our broad curriculum encompassing computer science, information technology and digital literacy reflects this. We want our pupils to understand that there is always a choice with using technology and as a school we utilise technology (especially social media) to model positive use.

We recognise that the best prevention for a lot of issues we currently see with technology/social media is through education. Building our knowledge in this subject will allow pupils to effectively demonstrate their learning through creative use of technology

We recognise that technology can allow pupils to share their learning in creative ways. We also understand the accessibility opportunities technology can provide for our pupils.

Our knowledge rich curriculum has to be balanced with the opportunity for pupils to apply their knowledge creatively which will in turn help our pupils become skilful computer scientists.

We encourage staff to try and embed computing across the whole curriculum to make learning creative and accessible. We want our pupils to be fluent with a range of tools to best express their understanding and hope by Upper Key Stage 2, children have the independence and confidence to choose the best tool to fulfil the task and challenge set by teachers.

Cultural capital

At LMS we recognise that along with teaching the content of the curriculum, we are tasked with enabling our students to function as well-informed individuals after they leave our school. We understand that exposure to culture and situations which students might not have previous experience of, is key to improving individual student's cultural capital.

Computing and technology, perhaps more so than any other subjects, demonstrate the value of creating cultural capital. The rising number of technology companies and their growing influence on the world both socially and economically has led to the creation of many technology billionaires.

"The rise of Google, the rise of Facebook, the rise of Apple, I think are proof that there is a place for computer science as something that solves problems that people face every day." Eric Schmidt – CEO Google

However, not all groups in society are able to access technology and as a result the digital divide is prevalent and widening. There is a worldwide digital skills shortage, so it is vital that our students are equipped with the vocabulary and skills to access and thrive in this new world.

Diversity

One of the key principles of Computing at Leyland Methodist Schools is encouraging and promoting diversity for our learners while staying safe online. From using our curriculum needs analysis, we are able to understand the needs of children in the Leyland area and therefore bring experiences and knowledge to them which normally may not be available. For example, during our STEM week, we invited women from traditionally male dominated industries to meet the children helping us to challenge the stereotypes. STEM provides an experience rich curriculum for the children of less affluent backgrounds so they too can develop real skills for life. We want all learners to be ambitious and hope the curriculum challenges these learners to ensure they work to their full potential.  

Equality of Opportunity

Technology is all around us and we truly believe every child should benefit from this. With this in mind, creating a balanced and exciting Computing Curriculum for our Pupil Premium children is vital. Further to this, the use of technology to remove barriers to learning throughout the curriculum underpins the importance of children becoming confident digital citizens. At LMS, we provide opportunities to speak with successful business men/women from local companies around the Leyland area and from STEM ambassadors, hopefully raising aspirations and providing hope that they can achieve great things. These opportunities are funded through the Pupil Premium strategy for those who need it. Similarly, we have ensured that year groups with particularly high levels of vulnerable children have benefited from workshops and educational experiences.