The way everyone uses IT has changed out of all recognition over the last two years. With the introduction of home learning and working from home, both adults and children have had to adapt to accessing work in a totally different way. Access to “cloud based services”, such as Google Cloud and Office 365, once the domain of IT specialists, has now become a common part of some people's lives.

Children are no exception. With the change in which children access work, it’s even more important to develop important 21st century skills.  Computing today does not just involve showing children how to code but encompasses a whole range of digital skills. From using a keyboard and mouse to being able to login and easily access a number of online services that can be used to enhance work in almost any lesson. 

We already know how important cloud based access is and making sure apps and websites that children use in school are also available at home so children,  if they wish, can continue to work at their own pace under the direction of a parent or guardian. It is also important children understand that access to work is possible from almost any internet connected device.

The school uses the national scheme of work for computing as the basis for its curriculum planning. We have adapted the national scheme to the local circumstances of the school and have used elements of the Government’s Essential Digital Skills Framework and the Welsh Digital Competence Framework to supplement and enrich the objectives.