Teach Computing Curriculum: updates to the primary journey
According to recent surveys, an impressive 93% of teachers would recommend the Teach Computing Curriculum to their colleagues, a testament to its effectiveness and relevance. But that’s not all— 86% of you told us you've gotten more confident in teaching computing thanks to the Teach Computing Curriculum. As one teacher aptly put it: “Brilliant units. Clear, easy to follow. Gives great resources that everyone can access. Clear and in line with the national curriculum.”
Over the past year we have been seeking stakeholder views (read extracts from our independent review) on the Teach Computing Curriculum, aiming to ensure it is as impactful and relevant as possible. We’ve listened to teachers, subject specialists, independent researchers and our Academic Board and have been working hard behind the scenes to improve this resource.
So, what’s changed?
Stretching and challenging learners
To help teachers develop higher-order thinking, we’ve added more support for ‘why’ and ‘how’ questions in teacher guides. These will help children to consider the impact of their decisions and explain their thinking.
Targeting key misconceptions
Making mistakes and making improvements builds resilience, and the Teach Computing Curriculum provides appropriate opportunities for children to do so. To ensure mistakes are recognised as such, common misconceptions are highlighted in the unit guides together with advice on handling them. All the multiple-choice quizzes, now provided across the key stages, provide formative feedback that supports learning from mistakes.
Making the full range of computing careers more visible
Going beyond the more obvious careers, such as 'cyber' and 'software engineering', we’ve broadened horizons. 11 of the key stage 2 units now reference to a wider range of computing careers, such as sound engineers in the Year 4 Audio Editing unit, and architects in the Year 6 3D Modelling unit. We’ve made it easier to access a Computing Ambassador, helping teachers to bring expert role models into the classroom.
Supporting safe and responsible participation in a digital world
To better meet National Curriculum requirements, and reference Education for a Connected World, improvements have been made to units across key stage 1 and key stage 2. We’ve also made it easier to find other online safety resources.
Encouraging creativity in computing
Striking a balance between scaffolded support, and more open-ended, creative tasks is a challenge in computing. We’ve opened up projects in Year 3 Desktop Publishing, Year 5 Vector Graphics and Video Editing, and Year 6 Web Design, allowing learners to take more ownership of the artefacts they create.
Adaptation of the curriculum by teachers
Unit guides now highlight opportunities for changing the context of lessons, making it easier for teachers to adapt to suit their curriculum, for example the Year 4 Podcasting unit. We’ve also added guidance for supporting learners with SEND, linking best practices to the Teach Computing Curriculum, in teacher guides. To ensure the curriculum is accessible to all schools using Google or Microsoft environments, or Chromebooks and tablet devices, unit guides now include information on alternative software wherever possible.
To make the most of these updates, we recommend always downloading and using the current version of the curriculum. Our CPD has been updated to help you implement the curriculum in your school, and you’ll find signposts to relevant courses within the curriculum. Find out how other teachers have adapted the curriculum to their school’s needs, contributing towards the Teach primary computing certificate, in the STEM Community.