Implementation

How we teach Computing at The Avenue

We provide high quality computing lessons that follow the National Curriculum through our scheme Purple Mash. The Purple Mash scheme is taught in discrete units of lessons that follow key themes.  Lessons within each unit build upon each other and always link to knowledge and skills from the previous units. Knowledge and skills are revisited regularly as children journey through the school to ensure they are fully embedded. The key themes that are covered through the Purple Mash scheme are:

  •          online safety
  •          coding and computational thinking
  •          spreadsheets
  •          internet and email
  •          art and design
  •          music
  •          databases and graphing
  •          writing and presenting
  •          communication and networks

Within these themes, children will develop the understanding and practical skills to successfully and safely use technology in a variety of ways; from solving problems, to creating algorithms or representing data. All lessons are adapted to the needs of the class and regardless of age, ability or additional needs, we aim for all children to flourish and gain confidence in computing. In addition, we teach about the importance of online safety every year. We teach our children how to use technology safely, respectfully and responsibly; how to recognise acceptable/unacceptable behaviours and how to report concerns about content and contact.

At The Avenue, we recognise the need to continually maintain, update and develop our resources and to make progress towards a consistent, compatible system by investing in resources that will effectively deliver the strands of the national curriculum and support the use of Computing across the school. This includes:

  •          Interactive whiteboards with sound in every classroom.
  •          Class sets of laptops, available for use throughout the school.
  •          Class set of iPads, available for the use throughout the school.
  •          A set of Beebot devices for programming activities.
  •          Class set of microphones for recording.
  •          Class sets of headphones.