At Ryvers, we believe a high-quality computing education equips pupils to use computational thinking and creativity to understand and change the world. Computing is a significant part of everyone’s daily life and we believe that children should be at the forefront of new technology.

Computing has links to a variety of other subjects such as mathematics, science and design and technology; we believe that, as an essential part of the curriculum, computing is a subject that not only stands alone but also is woven and should be an integral part of all learning.

At Ryvers, we recognise that pupils are entitled to quality hardware and software and a structured and progressive approach to the learning of the skills needed to enable them to use it effectively. We also recognise the importance of responding to new developments in technology, and aim to equip pupils with the confidence and capability to use ICT and computing throughout their lives.

We strive to provide a relevant, challenging and enjoyable curriculum for all pupils, as well as using it as a tool to enhance learning throughout the wider curriculum.

Computing as a standalone subject has a number of key components, each of which we aim to teach and fully instil the value of amongst our pupils. These can be categorised as:

• Computer science – Pupils are taught the principles of information and computation, how digital systems work, and how to put this knowledge to use through programming.

• Information technology – Pupils are equipped to create programs, systems and a range of content in order to develop products and solutions.

• Digital literacy – Pupils are taught to use, access and express oneself through digital technology, including a critical understanding of technology’s impact on the individual and society, at a level suitable for the future workplace and as active participants in a digital world.

In addition, we firmly believe in the importance of delivering a high quality E-Safety curriculum alongside the core values of computer science, information technology and digital literacy. As technology develops, so does the need for a better understanding of how to use it in a responsible manner. The education of pupils in E-Safety is therefore essential to ensure children are equipped with the skills to recognise risks online, to be critically aware of the materials and content they access online, along with guidance on how to accurately validate information accessed via the internet.

Dear Parent/Carer,

Your child has access to Purple Mash, a whole world of fun and exciting learning opportunities in one safe online space.

What is Purple Mash?

Purple Mash is a comprehensive suite of online learning tools and content, designed for children aged 3 to 11 in the classroom and at home. Purple Mash supports learning through its resources, games and creative tools, tailored to the school curriculum; everything from core subjects such as maths, reading, writing and phonics, to all the other topics learnt in school.

How you can support your child:

To begin with, it’s a good idea to log in to Purple Mash with your child’s login and familiarise yourself with the menu icons and key areas of the site. You can also explore our parents’ area on the 2Simple website which explains the powerful learning benefits of Purple Mash beyond the classroom all in under 3 minutes, including the parent portal if your school has enabled this.

https://2simple.com/parents

If you have any questions, please contact your child's class teacher in the first instance.

Happy Purple Mashing

2023 upcoming events and past highlights

September 2023

We have recently embarked on an improved Computing framework following NCCE (National Centre for Computing Education). Which will begin after our work on online safety this month. As a school we are looking forward to receiving 30 Microbits from the BBC which we are adding to our growing repertoire of coding and programming experiences along side CodeSpark, LEGO Spike, Scratch and Python.

Highlights of 2022

Year 5 and 6 Spheros Workshop 

On Thursday 3rd, 10th and 31st March, Stacey Jenkins from Langley Grammar School visited our school. She ran a brilliant Robotics workshop for the Year 5 and Year 6 pupils. The children worked their way through a series of coding challenges with increasing complexity using Sphero. Some tasks required considerable perseverance to succeed. Everyone had a fantastic morning and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. A huge thank you to Mrs Jenkins for delivering such an amazing workshop.

Safer Internet Day 2022 - 08/02/2022

Tuesday 8th February was Safer Internet Day (SID) 2022.  Ryvers along with other schools across the UK celebrated the day with a range of activities.

We started with a fantastic live assembly on this year’s theme ‘All fun and games? Exploring respect and relationships online’ to promote the safe and positive use of digital technology for children and young people, and to inspire a national conversation about using technology responsibly, respectfully, critically, and creatively. 

(to watch National Assembly with Google and Parent zone's Be Legends team again, click link below)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9aFanIeRMk

Computing at Home

Here are some ideas to make the most of your time at home! 

Coding for KS2

Turtle Logo: Years 3 and 4

https://turtleacademy.com/

Scratch: Years 3-6

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/224685594/

Year 6; we have learnt HTML coding. See if you can make your own website at home!

Python 3.0: Year 6 and anyone who wants a challenge!

https://Text-Adventure-Game.jdawson.repl.run

Computer Usage Agreement

Thank you to everyone who has sent back to school their child's Computer Usage Agreement letter and for supporting Ryvers School to keep your children safe online.

If you have been sent a final reminder there is a copy of the letter below. The agreement must be signed and handed in by Friday 6th January or your child will not be able to access the schools ICT equipment.