National Curriculum for Computing
Discovery Education Coding provides your primary school with everything it needs to get up to speed with this challenging curriculum area. Based on the National Curriculum for Computing, Discovery Education Coding helps teachers to deliver the following objectives in a fun and engaging way:
Key Stage 1
| Pupils should be taught to: | Coding provides this |
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| Understand what algorithms are, how they are implemented as programs on digital devices, and that programs execute by following a sequence of instructions |
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| Write and test simple programs |
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| Use logical reasoning to predict the behaviour of simple programs |
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Key Stage 2
| Pupils should be taught to: | Coding provides this |
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| Design and write programs that accomplish specific goals, including controlling or simulating physical systems; solve problems by decomposing them into smaller parts |
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| Use sequence, selection, and repetition in programs; work with variables and various forms of input and output; generate appropriate inputs and predicted outputs to test programs |
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| Use logical reasoning to explain how a simple algorithm works and to detect and correct errors in algorithms and programs |
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Supporting you with Ofsted
Discovery Education Coding can also help your school meet expectations set by Ofsted.
- Curriculum coverage — schools need to be delivering the new computing curriculum: Together, Discovery Education Coding and Discovery Education Espresso provide comprehensive coverage across the curriculum.
- To be 'outstanding', evidence is required of achievement: Discovery Education Coding allows pupils to create apps which provide engaging and effective evidence of achievement.
- Pupils should demonstrate independence, innovation and creativity: Discovery Education Coding offers a brief model of the lesson and then provides everything you need to facilitate pupil innovation and creativity. The 'free code' sections allow pupils to demonstrate their learning and unleash their imaginations.
- Teaching Computing should ensure pupils are active rather than passive: Discovery Education Coding invites pupil interactivity by allowing children to create exciting apps which can be published and shared, practise debugging and improve the apps they have made.
- Computing should have a high profile in a school: Discovery Education Coding and Discovery Education's Professional Development are designed to help schools make Coding a focus of their cross-curricular approach to learning, so it is not taught as a stand-alone subject.
- Professional development should be targeted, appropriate, reviewed and should include TAs: Discovery Education's Professional Development has been designed to ensure that all staff understand the concepts and principles of computer programming outlined in the National Curriculum. It prepares staff to teach these through 'unplugged' activities, as well as hands-on coding — providing an interactive and balanced professional development session in which all can participate.
- The approach should be whole school; consistent and appropriate. Responsibility sits with the leadership team, not the ICT Co-ordinator: Discovery Education Coding provides a comprehensive scheme of learning for Years 1–6, ensuring consistent and progressive acquisition of the appropriate skills and knowledge.
