Computing

We are subscribed to Purple Mash, which is a creative educational website for children. Purple Mash is a cross-curricular resource covering art to science and all subjects in between. Your child can access Purple Mash from home on a laptop, desktop or tablet. Your child has an individual login (which you should have received). Purple Mash is a safe environment that does not require any downloading or allow interaction with people online and children cannot make any financial transactions. We will be encouraging the children to continue their learning at home and Purple Mash is a great resource for this. Your child will be taught how to use Purple Mash in school and will be able to use it without supervision, but you may want to take a few minutes to explore it yourself so that you can help them with their work.

 Mini Mash

Mini Mash is the area of Purple Mash specifically designed for children in the ‘Early Years’. Inside, you’ll find a virtual classroom packed full of activities for children aged 5 and under.

 Creative Tools

There are 20+ open-ended tools inside Purple Mash. They range in complexity from simple painting programs to sophisticated coding tools.

Topics

Purple Mash has over 1,500 ready-to-use writing and painting projects. They cover everything from aliens to the Victorians. You can use the ‘Topics’ tab to browse by subject or, alternatively, use the search bar at the top right of the screen to look for something specific.

 Games

There are a variety of games that are really fun to play but also help children practise their maths & English skills. They are a great way to reinforce learning outside of school hours.

 Saving and Sharing Work

Purple Mash lets your child save their work online. It’s very easy, just look out for the floppy disk icon on the toolbar and follow the simple instructions. To access saved files, go to the ‘Online Work’ tab. Once saved you can also ‘share’ work. Just look out for the globe icon on the toolbar. This will share work to one of our school’s “display boards” or create a link so your work can be viewed online by people that don’t have Purple Mash.

 Purple Mash on Tablets

The vast majority of Purple Mash is accessible when using iPads or Android tablets. Use Purple Mash via your tablet’s browser.

Computing - our intent

Computing - our implementation

To ensure high standards of teaching and learning in computing, we implement a curriculum that is progressive throughout the whole school. Our implementation of the computing curriculum is in line with 2014 Primary National Curriculum requirements for KS1 and KS2 and the Foundation Stage Curriculum in England. This provides a broad framework and outlines the knowledge and skills taught in each key stage. We use and follow the Purple Mash scheme of work from Year 1-6, ensuring consistency and progression throughout the school. The Purple Mash scheme of work enables clear coverage of the computing curriculum whilst also providing support and CPD for less confident teachers to deliver lessons. The Purple Mash Lessons are broken down into weekly units, usually with two units taught per half term. Units are practical and engaging and allow computing lessons to be hands on. Units cover a broad range of computing components such as coding, spreadsheets, Internet and Email, databases, Communication networks, touch typing, animation and online safety. A topic based approach is used to deliver the content within a meaningful context which also follows the children’s interests to ensure their learning is engaging, broad and balanced. Teachers ensure that ICT and computing capability is also achieved through core and foundation subjects and where appropriate and necessary ICT and computing should be incorporated into work for all subjects where possible. Through our Purple Mash subscription our teachers can deliver thematic, cross curricular lessons that also follow children’s interests and provide flexibility. Purple Mash has an online portal of age appropriate software, games and activities as well as topic materials and materials to support children’s learning in other subject areas for all key stages. Computing teaching is practical and engaging and a variety of teaching approaches and activities are provided based on teacher judgement and pupil ability. Teachers and pupils are aware of the importance of health and safety and pupils are always supervised when using technology and accessing the internet. Our pupils are fully encouraged to engage with ICT and technology outside of school. Each teacher and pupil at has their own unique Purple Mash login. Computing work can be stored and saved using pupil log in details and homework or ‘2do’s’ can also be set for pupils to access and complete tasks at home that link with their current class learning. We provide a variety of opportunities for computing learning inside and outside the classroom. Computing and safeguarding go hand in hand and we provide a huge focus on internet safety inside and outside of the classroom. Additional to all pupils studying an online safety unit through their computing lessons, every year we also take part in National Safer Internet Day in February. Class teachers, plan additional internet safety lessons and activities.

Computing - our impact

Our Computing Curriculum is high quality, well thought out and is planned to demonstrate progression and build on and embed current skills. Children become increasingly proficient on school equipment and have good, transferable knowledge and understanding of online safety which is transferred into their own lives. Through Purple Mash, children have a broad base of transferable knowledge which can be used on other similar platforms. Pupil voice, subject monitoring and lesson observations all ensure a positive impact of computing as a subject.