LAST WEEK'S
ATTENDANCE:
94.4%
IN TOTAL:
210
sessions missed
(=105 school days)
ATTENDANCE
St. Michael's Community Academy
ONLINE SAFETY
At St. Michael's Community Academy we aim to be at the forefront in keeping your child safe online. The internet is an amazing resource that children should be taught to use sensibly and safely. All children must understand the risks of using the internet, and yet not find it a scary place. Through educating our children we ensure they are safe and responsible users.
CEOP is a command of the National Crime Agency, and is dedicated to tackling the sexual abuse and exploitation of children and young people. CEOP is here to help young people (up to age 18) who have been forced or tricked into taking part in sexual activity with anyone online or in the real world. We also offer advice and links to support in response to other online problems young people might face, such as cyberbullying or hacking. For information, advice and to report concerns directly to CEOP, please visit the Safety Centre.
AGE RESTRICTIONS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
At St. Michael's Community Academy we aim to prepare our pupils for a rapidly changing world that is increasingly transformed by technology. We understand that computers and the internet will play a huge part in our pupils' future education, employment and daily lives. Our priority is to ensure that children who come to our school are equipped to use technology effectively and safely in order to become outstanding digital citizens.
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We aim, therefore, to encourage pupils to develop the skills to adapt to new technology, and to give them confidence to use their knowledge of computing and IT to further their learning and assist them in everyday life. Building on this knowledge and understanding, pupils access the Teach Computing scheme of learning in weekly sessions to ensure that they are equipped to create programs, systems and a range of content. Computing also ensures that pupils become digitally literate – able to use, and express themselves and develop their ideas through, information and communication technology – at a level suitable for the future workplace and as active participants in a digital world.
AIMS
Not only do pupils use technology to access the broader curriculum as consumers and creators but pupils also take part in a constantly evolving and exciting computing curriculum the aims of which are outlined below.
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Provide a broad, balanced, challenging and enjoyable curriculum for all pupils.
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Meet the requirements of the national curriculum programmes of study for Computing at Key Stage 1 and 2.
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Develop pupil’s computational thinking skills that will benefit them throughout their lives.
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Use ICT and computing as a tool to enhance learning throughout the curriculum.
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To equip pupils with the confidence, skills and capability to use digital tools and technologies throughout their lives.
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To stimulate interest in new technologies.
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To enhance and enrich learning in other areas of the curriculum by cross curricular use of ICT
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To develop the understanding of how to use computers and digital tools safely and stay safe online.
NATIONAL CURRICULUM
The national curriculum for computing aims to ensure that all pupils:
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Can understand and apply the fundamental principles of computer science, including logic, algorithms, data representation, and communication.
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Can analyse problems in computational terms, and have repeated practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve such problems.
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Can evaluate and apply information technology, including new or unfamiliar technologies, analytically to solve problems.
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Are responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology.
RESOURCES
Our classrooms are well equipped with every class from Y2 upwards having a 1:1 iPad policy that has been in place since March 2021. The iPads are used to build on learning to access the broader curriculum. Teachers have access to a class laptop and iPad. All iPads and computers around the school are networked and have Internet access. We keep resources for ICT and computing, including software, in a central store. Pupils in Year 1 and Early years have sufficient numbers of new and up to date devices in order to develop their early IT skills in preparation for receiving their own device in Y2.
ASSESSMENT & RECORD KEEPING
Teachers regularly assess capability through observations and looking at completed work. Formative assessment is carried out daily following tasks and activities.
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Teachers create electronic learning content via a piece of software called SHOWBIE. This allows for the monitoring of the way in which children use school devices and also allows for children to upload their work for assessment by tgheir teacher. The same process also allows staff to provide verbal and written feedback to children via devices. All work uploaded in this way is saved for future reference.
SECURITY
• The ICT and computing technician /coordinator are responsible for regularly updating anti-virus software.
• Children sign the iPad User Contract form when they enter the school in September.
• Use of ICT and computing will be in line with the school’s ‘acceptable use policy’. All staff must sign a copy of the schools policy annually.
• Children sign a ‘Responsible internet access and ICT use for pupils’ form when they enter the school in Year 1.
• Parents will be made aware of the ‘acceptable use policy’ at school entry.
• All pupils and parents will be aware of the school rules for responsible use of ICT and computing and the internet and will understand the consequence of any misuse.
• The agreed rules for safe and responsible use of ICT and computing and the internet will be displayed in all ICT and computing areas.
• The rules of online safety are displayed where any child can access the internet. If a child breaks these rules, they will be denied internet access for a period of time after which the situation will be reviewed.
TRAINING
All staff, including managerial and administrative staff, receive support from the subject leader or technicians and, where necessary, external training in hardware or software which they are expected to use to carry out their role.
ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES
LEADER FOR ICT AND COMPUTING
The subject leader is responsible for providing professional leadership and management of computing within the school. They will monitor standards to ensure high quality teaching, effective use of resources and improved standards of learning and achievement. This will include observation of lessons and scrutiny of the pupils' work. They will collect, analyse and distribute, where applicable, information relating to the subject to the relevant people.
CLASS TEACHERS
It is the responsibility of each class teacher to ensure that their class is taught all elements of the ICT curriculum as set out in the national curriculum programme of study.
ALL STAFF
It is the responsibility of all staff to make themselves aware of legislation relating to the use of ICT and computing, including copyright and data protection issues.
INCLUSIVE TEACHING OF ICT
At St. Michael's Community Academy we believe in providing our pupils with the best possible education by using the most effective available tools and teaching methods. We are committed to fully inclusive, personalised learning and we always aspire to do all we can to ensure that each and every child progresses quickly and achieves their full potential, regardless of any barriers
It is the teacher’s responsibility to ensure that children who display a particular talent for computing are suitably challenged in their use of technology, both in specific computing lessons and when using ICT in other curriculum areas. Opportunities are identified for these children to actively participate in more challenging aspects of computing.
PLANNING
At St. Michael's we have implemented a bespoke computing curriculum where we have integrated the Teach Computing curriculum in order to make it relevant to the children of our school. Staff follow medium term plans with the objective set out in the national curriculum, key vocabulary and links to activity ideas. The units have been planned and designed to enable pupils to achieve stated objectives and will allow for clear progression.
MONITORING AND REVIEWING
The monitoring of the standards of the children’s work and of the quality of teaching in computing is the responsibility of the computing subject leader. The computing subject leader is also responsible for supporting colleagues in the teaching of computing, for keeping informed about current developments in the subject and for providing a strategic lead and direction for the subject in the school. The computing subject leader gives the head teacher an annual summary report in which she evaluates the strengths and weaknesses in the subject and indicates areas for further improvement. The computing subject leader has specially-allocated time for carrying out the vital task of reviewing samples of the children’s work and for visiting classes to observe the teaching of ICT and computing.
HEALTH & SAFETY
The school is aware of the health and safety issues involved in children’s use of ICT and computing. An electrical inspection is carried out in school every five years by Quantec on behalf of the St. Bart's Multi Academy Trust. Portable electrical equipment in school is tested every twelve months. It is advised that staff should not bring their own electrical equipment in to school but if this is necessary, then the equipment must be PAT tested before being used in school. This also applies to any equipment brought in to school by, for example, people running workshops, activities, etc. and it is the responsibility of the member of staff organising the workshop, etc. to advise those people. All staff should visually check electrical equipment before they use it and take any damaged equipment out of use. Damaged equipment should then be reported to the ICT technicians.
Teachers are responsible to ensure that children do not put plug into sockets or switch the sockets on, trailing leads are made safe behind the equipment, no liquids on tables and that safety guidelines are displayed in the classroom.
IT TECHNICIAN
The school is supported by St Bart's Trust ICT Technicians whose specific roles relate to the provision of support in ICT. This support takes a variety of forms, including:
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• Dealing with technical queries relating to software and hardware.
• Carrying out rudimentary and routine maintenance and repairs of hardware.
• Purchasing and updating equipment.
• Supporting teachers in the use of ICT in other curriculum areas.
• Supporting admin staff with the use of ICT within their roles.