Assessment of primary computing
CP007 Face to face course
Develop your confidence and knowledge in assessing computing across the primary age range.
Skip to course bookingEffective teaching includes the skilful use of assessment, to monitor children’s knowledge and understanding, and to overcome misconceptions. Accurate assessment informs adapted teaching, allowing teachers to build upon previous learning and supporting development of ideas and skills through the whole computing curriculum. This CPD aims to improve teachers’ knowledge of how to accurately assess their pupils and ways to show clear progression within the subject.
Through a range of formative and summative assessment approaches you will confidently evaluate learning in computing, exploring various methods of evidence gathering to support and validate assessment data. You’ll find out what is different about assessing computing compared to other subjects, ensuring that your assessment of each strand is accurate. You’ll also consider how to assess computational thinking – the key capability to solve problems using computers. Schools follow a diverse set of assessment policies and practices – this CPD recognises the different school contexts and guides participants to apply techniques and tools that work with, not against, the wider school ethos.
Who is it for?
Teacher and subject leaders of computing in primary schools
Topics covered
Session 1: What we assess in computing – develop an improved understanding of the over-arching computing curriculum; the key concepts and skills it contains; and the assessable outcomes in the classroom. Compare the National Curriculum to your school’s curriculum to ensure adequate coverage and that key assessment points are being met in each year group. Develop a clear vision of age-related objectives appropriate for your school.
Session 2: How we assess in computing – Develop your understanding of formative and summative assessment in a computing context and consider a range of assessment methods that can be used in either or both situations. Build a toolkit of assessment-for-learning approaches and give better feedback, while reducing workload.
Session 3: Assessing specific areas in computing – Both programming and computational thinking consist of progression in knowledge, and the skills to apply that knowledge. You’ll have the opportunity to explore and practise a range of assessment techniques specific to these areas and discuss which are more suited to assessing declarative or procedural knowledge.
Session 4: Using assessment – Supporting and validating assessment requires all staff to understand how to gather evidence, where to store evidence of learning and what to gather in order to be able to assess progress. Explore and discuss best practice whilst also aiming to reduce workload. Learn how to use the aforementioned assessment techniques to demonstrate progress within and across year groups.
How long is this course?
The 4 sessions are the equivalent of a day of CPD
How will you learn?
This is a face to face course.
Outcomes
By the end of this course you will:
- understand what needs to be assessed in primary computing
- recognise appropriate techniques for formative and summative assessment and understand where these can be best applied
- learn various ways of gathering and storing evidence
- take-away a selection of ready-to-apply tools and techniques to reduce workload.
This course is part of Teach primary computing
Teach primary computing
Our nationally recognised qualification will support you to demonstrate your commitment to developing your own practice and to computing as a school subject.
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