Computing

How Uplands’ Children Use Scratch in Computing Lessons

Our pupils use Scratch to design and program interactive projects such as animations, games, and simple simulations. They create scripts by combining visual code blocks, which helps them understand programming concepts.

Enhancing Computing Skills

• Programming Fundamentals: Children learn about sequences, loops, variables, and conditional statements through drag-and-drop coding.
• Debugging and Problem-Solving: They test and refine their projects, improving logical thinking and resilience.
• Creativity and Design: Scratch allows them to combine coding with storytelling and design, making learning engaging.

Developing Computational Thinking

• Decomposition: Breaking complex projects into smaller, manageable parts.
• Pattern Recognition: Identifying reusable code patterns to streamline their work.
• Algorithmic Thinking: Planning clear, step-by-step instructions for their sprites and scripts.
• Abstraction: Focusing on essential logic while ignoring unnecessary details

Teaching Online Safety from Year 3 to Year 6

We embed online safety across all year groups, ensuring pupils build knowledge and confidence as they progress through Key Stage 2. These values are reinforced in PSHE lessons, helping children understand how to stay safe both in and out of school.

Year 3

• Introduction to safe use of technology and understanding what personal information is.
• Learning the basics of strong passwords and why they matter.
• Recognising kind and respectful behaviour online.

Year 4

• Exploring privacy settings and how to protect accounts.
• Understanding digital footprints and how online actions can have long-term effects.
• Beginning to identify unreliable information and simple scams.

Year 5

• Discussing cyberbullying and strategies for reporting concerns.
• Learning about safe communication in games and social platforms.
• Developing awareness of online risks, including phishing and fake profiles.

Year 6

• Preparing for transition to secondary school with responsible social media use.
• Understanding data protection, consent, and sharing images safely.
• Analysing complex scenarios to make informed decisions about online behaviour.

Raising Awareness

To reinforce these lessons, we celebrate Safer Internet Day every February, engaging pupils in activities and discussions that promote respect, privacy, and digital wellbeing. Combined with PSHE, this ensures children understand how to keep themselves safe wherever they are.

Embedding Computing and Digital Skills Across the Curriculum

We aim to integrate computing and digital skills into a range of subjects to give pupils opportunities to practise key skills and apply what they know in real contexts. This includes:

• Researching information using trusted online sources.
• Publishing work digitally to share ideas effectively.
• Presenting information through slideshows and interactive tools.
• Creating videos to demonstrate learning in creative ways.
• Making music using digital composition software.

NSPCC – Information for children and parents

BBC Bitesize – Information for children and parents

By weaving these activities into other subjects, pupils develop confidence with technology, strengthen their problem-solving abilities, and see how digital skills connect to real-world applications.

For more information on how the curriculum is taught at Uplands please click on the link provided. You will see a break down for each year group and what is covered within the lessons.

Computing subject overview – Click here for more information

As a school, we follow the National Centre for Teaching Computing and the Teach Computing programme of study.