Woodside’s Computing Curriculum

“Computing is not about computers anymore. It is about living.” – Nicholas Negroponte (Primary‑appropriate)

At Woodside, our Computing curriculum equips children with the digital knowledge, creativity and critical thinking skills they need to thrive in an ever‑changing technological world. Through a rich, structured curriculum and a strong emphasis on e‑safety, we help pupils become confident, responsible and curious digital citizens.

A Curriculum Built on Kapow: Structured, Creative and Future‑Focused

Our Computing curriculum is underpinned by Kapow Primary, a high‑quality computing scheme designed to ensure progression across the three strands of the National Curriculum:

• Computer Science (programming & computational thinking)
• Information Technology (using systems & networks)
• Digital Literacy (content creation and e‑safety)

Kapow provides:

• Clear skill progression from Year 1 to Year 6
• Creative, hands‑on projects
• Age‑appropriate lesson sequences
• A strong focus on computational thinking, problem‑solving and digital creativity
• Built‑in opportunities for e‑safety, including scenarios, reflection and responsible use of technology

We supplement Kapow with our own enrichment and digital opportunities, ensuring learning is contextualised within our Woodside community.

A Broad, Balanced and Engaging Computing Offer

Our long‑term plan introduces children to a wide range of digital experiences, including:

• Improving mouse skills, algorithms and unplugged activities (Year 1)
• Word processing, Scratch Jnr and stop motion (Year 2)
• Emailing, video trailers and databases (Year 3)
• Website design, HTML and computational thinking (Year 4)
• Micro:bit programming, search engines and Mars Rover projects (Year 5)
• Python programming, Bletchley Park, big data and audio editing (Year 6)

This breadth ensures children experience a wide variety of digital tools and platforms, preparing them for modern learning and future careers.

Computing Systems, Networks and Real‑World Technology

Throughout the curriculum, pupils explore:

• How computers and devices work
• How networks function
• What the internet is
• How digital communication works (e.g. emailing)
• How data is stored, used and interpreted

Projects such as Journey Inside a Computer (Year 3) and Bletchley Park (Year 6) deepen pupils’ understanding of computer architecture, coding history and the real‑world applications of computing.

Programming Progression: From Bee‑Bots to Python

Children develop strong programming foundations through a carefully sequenced journey that includes:

• Algorithms and Bee‑Bots (Year 1)
• Debugging, Scratch Jnr and early block coding (Year 2)
• Scratch projects with increasing complexity (Years 3–4)
• Micro:bit physical computing (Year 5)
• Introduction to Python (Year 6)

By Year 6, pupils can confidently write and adapt code, analyse patterns and apply computational thinking to solve meaningful problems.

Creating Digital Media

Digital creativity is woven throughout our curriculum, enabling children to develop skills in:

• Digital imagery
• Animation and stop motion
• Video production
• Audio editing
• Website design
• Presentation and multimedia

These opportunities help pupils express themselves, communicate effectively and understand how digital content is created in the real world.

Data Handling and Digital Understanding

Children learn to use technology to interpret, record and analyse data through real‑world projects such as:

• International Space Station data (Year 2)
• Databases and comparison cards (Year 3)
• Investigating weather (Year 4)
• Mars Rover data (Year 5)
• Big Data analysis (Year 6)

This supports mathematical thinking, logical reasoning and scientific enquiry.

E‑Safety at the Heart of Our Curriculum

A continuous emphasis on e‑safety runs throughout the year for all groups, ensuring children understand:

• How to stay safe online
• How to communicate responsibly
• How to protect personal information
• What to do if something feels wrong

We empower children to make safe choices and behave respectfully and responsibly in digital environments.

What Makes Woodside’s Computing Curriculum Special?

• A high‑quality, progressive scheme through Kapow Primary
• A broad, balanced curriculum covering all strands of computing
• Real‑world, hands‑on projects that build digital fluency
• Strong programming foundations leading to Python by Year 6
• A continuous commitment to online safety
• Creative digital media opportunities throughout the school
• A clear focus on analytical thinking, problem‑solving and computational understanding

At Woodside, we don’t just teach computing—
we prepare children to thrive safely, creatively and confidently in a digital world.

National curriculum in England: computing programmes of study – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)