St Maria Goretti

Computing

Computing at St Maria Goretti

At St Maria Goretti we understand that computers are part of everyday life for our children. We recognise the importance of providing opportunities to use computer systems across the curriculum. A vital part of our teaching includes supporting our children to access computers and the internet safely and responsibly - further information about this can be found on our E-Safety page.

The three aspects of the Computing curriculum:

Computer Science:

Pupils are taught about how computing systems work and how to use this knowledge through programming. Children gain practical experience of writing and debugging algorithms and develop an understanding of computer networks and the World Wide Web.

Information Technology:

Pupils are taught how to use computer systems to create, organise and store digital content. Children are provided with opportunities to use search technologies safely and effectively and experience using a range of software and digital devices.

Digital Literacy:

Pupils are taught about how computing systems are used beyond school and learn the importance of being a responsible 'digital citizen.' Through our E-Safety programme children learn where to go for help when they have concerns about content or contact online.

SMG Computing Curriculum Overview - Purple Mash

Parental Engagement:

Watch Me Learn sessions provide opportunities for parents to become involved in their child’s computing learning. This may be through a cross-curricular approach where parents are able to observe the ways in which pupils utilise their computing skills in other areas of the curriculum, or through discrete Computing lessons.

During our STEM and Careers events, there are also often opportunities for parents to join in with our learning and even volunteer to share their careers to inspire our children as the workforce of the future!

Useful Computing Resources:

Please find below a range of computing resources that will allow your child to continue their Computing and Online Safety Learning at home.

E-safety

KS1 Jessie and Friends

Lower KS2 (Yr3 and 4) Think u know

Upper KS2 (Yr 5 and 6) Safer Internet Quiz

EYFS

Purple Mash (using child’s login code): https://www.purplemash.com/sch/stmariast2

BBC Bitesize: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zf2f9j6/articles/z3c6tfr

Tynker Coding: https://www.tynker.com/

Apps you can download

Daisy the Dinosaur (iPad - Free)

Bee-Bot (Android -Free, iPad - Free)

Department of Education Approved Learning Apps

A number of educational apps for two- to five-year-olds have received a stamp of approval from the Department for Education, to encourage parents to boost their children’s learning at home in speaking, writing and reading.

The six apps are:

Lingumi (For two- to five-year-olds): Sets of learning games, speech recognition games and video-based games to help with a child’s grammar and getting them speaking their first words early on.
Kaligo (For three- to five-year-olds): Handwriting
Phonics Hero (For school-aged children): Over 850 fun, varied and motivating games take a child step-by-step through the 44 sounds, the reading and spelling of words, and how to conquer sentences.
Teach Your Monster to Read (For school-aged children): Covers the first two years of learning to read, from matching letters and sounds to enjoying little books.
Navigo Game (For school-aged children): Focuses on developing skills that underpin reading, including phonics and letters and sounds.
Fonetti (For school-aged children): The world’s first ‘Listening Bookshop’ interacting with children by giving visual cues in real-time as they read aloud and highlighting where the most support is needed.

KS1

Purple Mash (using child’s login code): https://www.purplemash.com/sch/stmariast2

BBC Bitesize: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/z3tbwmn

Studio Code: https://studio.code.org/s/course2/stage/3/puzzle/1

Scratch Junior: https://www.scratchjr.org/teach/activities

Tynker Coding: https://www.tynker.com/

Kodable: https://www.kodable.com/

Apps you can download

A.L.E.X (Android - Free, iPad - Free)

Bee-Bot (Android - Free, iPad - Free)

Scratch Jr (Android - Free , iPhone, iPad - Free)

Kodable (iPhone, iPad - Free)