Science & Technology

At St. John’s RC we aim to develop:

• The ability to think independently and raise questions about working scientifically and the knowledge and skills that it brings.

• Confidence and competence in the full range of practical skills, taking the initiative in, for example, planning and carrying out scientific investigations.

• Excellent scientific knowledge and understanding which is demonstrated in written and verbal explanations, solving challenging problems and reporting scientific findings.

• High levels of originality, imagination or innovation in the application of skills.

• The ability to undertake practical work in a variety of contexts, including fieldwork.

• A passion for science and its application in past, present and future technologies

Science at St John's RC

Computing

At St. John’s ICT and computing are a big part of our learning. With constantly changing technologies and exciting learning possibilities we are lucky to be able to use interactive whiteboards and iPads in our classrooms.

We have a great ICT curriculum which covers all areas of ICT from research and internet use to coding and programming. We are very conscious of e-safety at St John’s and all children are taught about the importance of this in every year group. We have e-safety assemblies and our school council have attended meetings with the Manchester Healthy Schools trust to talk about our e-safety policy and its importance.

Key Stage 1 Pupils should be taught to:

Understand what algorithms are; how they are implemented as programs on digital devices; and that programs execute by following precise and unambiguous instructions
Create and debug simple programs
Use logical reasoning to predict the behaviour of simple programs
Use technology purposefully to create, organise, store, manipulate and retrieve digital content
Recognise common uses of information technology beyond school
Use technology safely and respectfully, keeping personal information private; identify where to go for help and support when they have concerns about content or contact on the internet or other online technologies.

Key stage 2 Pupils should be taught to:

Design, write and debug programs that accomplish specific goals, including controlling or simulating physical systems; solve problems by decomposing them into smaller parts
Use sequence, selection, and repetition in programs; work with variables and various forms of input and output
Use logical reasoning to explain how some simple algorithms work and to detect and correct errors in algorithms and programs
Understand computer networks including the internet; how they can provide multiple services, such as the world wide web; and the opportunities they offer for communication and collaboration
Use search technologies effectively, appreciate how results are selected and ranked, and be discerning in evaluating digital content
Select, use and combine a variety of software (including internet services) on a range of digital devices to design and create a range of programs, systems and content that accomplish given goals, including collecting, analysing, evaluating and presenting data and information
Use technology safely, respectfully and responsibly; recognise acceptable/unacceptable behaviour; identify a range of ways to report concerns about content and contact