Computing

Computing prepares our students for the jobs of the future.

Boldon Schools computing curriculum includes computer science, digital information technology and digital literacy. A high-quality computing education prepares students to use computational thinking and creativity to understand and transform the world. Computing has deep links with mathematics, science and design and technology, therefore it uses a broad range of skills which challenge students to become digitally literate at a level suitable for the future workplace and as active participants in a digital world.

The national curriculum for computing aims to ensure all students:

  • can understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, logic, algorithms and data representation.
  • can analyse problems in computational terms, and have repeated practical experience of writing programs in order to solve such problems.
  • can evaluate and apply information technology, including new or unfamiliar technologies, analytically to solve problems.
  • are responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology.
  • Office skills are an essential tool for most jobs in today’s workforce. Careers within coding and the digital sector are the fastest growing sector today, predictions estimate there will be twice as many jobs than candidates to fill them in the coming years.

There are jobs advertised today that were not invented five years ago. In the future some jobs could be replaced by machines, however there will always need to be someone to program, maintain and test the machines. We have developed our curriculum with this in mind. Our ICT curriculum allows our students to thrive with technology and explore their curiosity. We allow students to develop skills that would be found in real world projects involving a range of technology preparing them for their future careers. We challenge our students to think of digital solutions to everyday problems that are faced in education, the workplace and society.

Students have delved into some of these exciting units through a range of trips and creative enterprise projects. We are linked with BBC to deliver our exciting Micro Bit programming project so students can explore how coding is developed to code smaller computer systems that are dedicated to singular tasks such as traffic lights. Students have also been involved with Creative Enterprise project which has included trips to explore skills in augmented and virtual reality as well as programming and application development. In order to develop these projects students have worked with businesses and university students who have offered a mentoring role to students interested in careers and education within this area.

We love to watch our students overcome technological problems and see that spark that drives their digital curiosity that will support them with any career in the future.

Year 7Year 8Year 9Year 10Year 11
Half Term 1

E-safety and Digital Security, including data encryption.

Cyber security and Digital Safety. Using computers ethically and lawfully.

Digital animation and frame manipulation. How digital images are represented in computers.

Exploring existing user interfaces and their use and accessibility within society.

Use of data and information for reviewing and planning.

Half Term 2

Editing, Producing and Manipulating digital graphics

Computational thinking in Scratch. Sequence, Selection and Iteration.

Digital video editing.

Exploring planning tools that can be used during project development.

Analysing existing data to develop a dashboard.

Half Term 3

BBC Micro Bit visual programming. Sequence, Selection & Iteration.

Website development and graphical production for online use.

Graphic development, manipulation and production techniques.

Exploring modern technologies including cloud storage and computing.

Developing dashboard using spreadsheet software to manipulate data.

Half Term 4

Computer Systems, software and Networking data.

Data structure and manipulation using spreadsheet software. Logical operations to manage data.

Sound production, manipulation and development

Legal and ethical issues / Data Threats.

Analysing data patterns to spot trends and data characteristics

Half Term 5

Control systems using Flowol. Abstraction, Decomposition and flowchart algorithms.

Text programming in VB with selection, iteration, variables, sensing and operators.

Multimedia project including analysis, design, production and reviewing a range of digital artifacts.

Legal and ethical issues when using digital systems at work and home.

How modern teams are used within a workplace to achieve goals.

Half Term 6

Data management with databases . How data is stored, managed and modified.

Computer Architecture, System Software, Network Management and Binary Data.

System Architecture, Networking systems and security with data representation.

Examination preparation with a focus on flowcharts, information flowcharts and the impact of technology on the environment.

Forms of notation including algorithms, information flow diagrams and data flow diagrams.


Year 7

Half Term 1

E-safety and Digital Security, including data encryption.

Half Term 2

Editing, Producing and Manipulating digital graphics

Half Term 3

BBC Micro Bit visual programming. Sequence, Selection & Iteration.

Half Term 4

Computer Systems, software and Networking data.

Half Term 5

Control systems using Flowol. Abstraction, Decomposition and flowchart algorithms.

Half Term 6

Data management with databases . How data is stored, managed and modified.


Year 8

Half Term 1

Cyber security and Digital Safety. Using computers ethically and lawfully.

Half Term 2

Computational thinking in Scratch. Sequence, Selection and Iteration.

Half Term 3

Website development and graphical production for online use.

Half Term 4

Data structure and manipulation using spreadsheet software. Logical operations to manage data.

Half Term 5

Text programming in VB with selection, iteration, variables, sensing and operators.

Half Term 6

Computer Architecture, System Software, Network Management and Binary Data.


Year 9

Half Term 1

Digital animation and frame manipulation. How digital images are represented in computers.

Half Term 2

Digital video editing.

Half Term 3

Graphic development, manipulation and production techniques.

Half Term 4

Sound production, manipulation and development

Half Term 5

Multimedia project including analysis, design, production and reviewing a range of digital artifacts.

Half Term 6

System Architecture, Networking systems and security with data representation.


Year 10

Half Term 1

Exploring existing user interfaces and their use and accessibility within society.

Half Term 2

Exploring planning tools that can be used during project development.

Half Term 3

Exploring modern technologies including cloud storage and computing.

Half Term 4

Legal and ethical issues / Data Threats.

Half Term 5

Legal and ethical issues when using digital systems at work and home.

Half Term 6

Examination preparation with a focus on flowcharts, information flowcharts and the impact of technology on the environment.


Year 11

Half Term 1

Use of data and information for reviewing and planning.

Half Term 2

Analysing existing data to develop a dashboard.

Half Term 3

Developing dashboard using spreadsheet software to manipulate data.

Half Term 4

Analysing data patterns to spot trends and data characteristics

Half Term 5

How modern teams are used within a workplace to achieve goals.

Half Term 6

Forms of notation including algorithms, information flow diagrams and data flow diagrams.