Principles for constructing a scheme of work
Defining a key stage plan
This step precedes developing a scheme of work in an individual subject.
A key stage plan:
- takes account of the circumstances of the school and its aims and purposes;
- is a whole-school plan agreed by all staff;
- sets out an agreed time allocation for each subject per year for each year group or mixed-age class;
- is based on the requirements for each subject for the appropriate key stage;
- makes clear school priorities eg personal, social and health education.
Constructing a scheme of work for IT within the framework of the key stage plan
When teachers develop a scheme of work from the National Curriculum Order for IT or review an existing IT scheme it is helpful to think about:
- the key aspect of IT to be taught, and the balance between the sections of the programmes of study;
- the IT techniques that need to be taught to support this;
- how these ideas might best be sequenced;
- how to check children's progress;
- the practicalities of organising teaching IT and of classroom management;
- whether there are opportunities to revisit applications of ICT in a range of contexts;
- links with other areas of the curriculum;
- the aims and purposes of the IT curriculum at Key Stages 1 and 2 and its contribution to the whole primary curriculum;
- ways in which children make progress in learning IT.
The following questions may help teachers to focus on what needs to be done.
Skills, techniques and key ideas
- What are the skills, techniques and key ideas underlying the statements within the programme of study at each key stage?
- In terms of the level descriptions what is the demand of these skills, techniques and key ideas?
- How can these skills, techniques and key ideas be divided up into manageable units, each with a focus, and so that each is appropriate for the overall aims and purposes of the curriculum at the key stage?
- Which themes offer opportunities for teaching children about specific aspects of the applications and effects of IT?
- Is there a balance between the aspects of the programmes of study across the units planned for each key stage?
- What activities will provide opportunities for children to learn the skills, techniques and key ideas in each of the units?
Progression
- What is known about what children have already achieved when they enter the key stage and how does this affect the pitch of the early units?
- Which skills, techniques and key ideas depend on secure understanding of other ideas?
- How can units be sequenced so that earlier work lays the foundations for later work?
- Are there opportunities for revisiting and reinforcing the skills, techniques and key ideas that children need to understand and that some will find difficult?
- When skills, techniques and key ideas are revisited or reinforced is it in a different context or using different activities?
- How are children who have some competence and expertise beyond the levels expected in particular years challenged?
Checking progress and assessment
- What are the learning objectives for each unit?
- Do the activities suggested relate clearly to the specified learning objectives?
- How can children's progress within each unit be checked?
- Do the learning objectives match the expectations of achievement by the end of each year?
Practical considerations
- What resources are needed for this unit?
- How long will it take to teach this unit?
- Is it best to teach this work frequently for short periods of time eg half an hour or will some of the activities require fewer but longer sessions of one or two hours?
Links with other curriculum areas
- Where are there clear links to other parts of the curriculum?
- What opportunities are there for developing children's literacy and numeracy?
- What IT is taught in other blocks of work where IT is not the main focus?
Aims and purposes of IT at Key Stages 1 and 2
- Does the proposed scheme of work promote teaching that will help children to develop the skills and qualities set out in
Processes and skills?
Progression in learning IT
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