Digital exploration at Sompting Abbotts
Decoding the future …
Technology transforms the learning experience.
While we advise a sensible approach to over-use of technology in the home by monitoring your child's screen-time, we do focus in school on the skills for how your child will need to use technology in the future.
All students benefit from timetabled lessons in computer skills and technology, learning how to utilise IT effectively in their studies.
Pupils at Sompting Abbotts, right from the Nursery stage, have access to lots of new digital opportunities and technology-enabled activities.
From learning how to code to learning how to better collaborate across teams and with their teachers, technology is empowering our students to be more creative and more connected. Whatever path your child takes in life ahead, technology – to a greater or lesser extent – will be an essential tool for their success.
For us, the key is that technology should enhance teaching and learning. We feel it is important to strike the right balance and to still make space for handwritten work and time to slow down, reflect and be offline.
“Cultivating digital intelligence grounded in human values is essential for our kids to become masters of technology instead of being mastered by it.”
Sompting Abbotts has a dedicated IT suite, with Chromebooks for all children in each Main School class. Classrooms are equipped with interactive Smart Boards.
Our youngest children in the Pre-Prep all have a class computer and digital tablets to learn from. They are introduced to simple coding from Year 2 onwards.
What will my child study?
All students benefit from timetabled lessons in computer skills and technology, learning how to utilise IT effectively in their studies.
In Years 5-8, children experience a variety of different aspects of IT and Computing. To reflect recent changes in the curriculum, elements of programming are covered using Scratch and code.org.
The essential skills of using the Google Apps software that mirror the Microsoft Office suite are a central part of learning in earlier years and are regularly revisited at every opportunity.
Children gain knowledge of digital media in their time at Sompting Abbotts to give them a diverse range of skills and a broad base of experience to build upon at senior school.
Being safe online and the considered use of social networking is also covered.
Year 5
Programming using code.org online.
Children will move at their own pace through a set of graded activities which develops their programming skills and knowledge.
They will be introduced to Scratch online, an online programming App.
They will learn to draw and paint their own ‘Sprites’ (a programmable object).
They will understand the difference between bitmap and vector images.
They will develop problem-solving skills through online games
Year 6
They will explore web design by looking at existing websites
They will become familiar with the Google Web design App.
They will create their own in-house website having discussed suitability.
They will study and understand Sprite control in Scratch.
They will continue to progress independently with the code.org online course.
“STEM skills and Computer Science are important because computers and technology are everywhere. Most people know how to use technology, but most people don’t know how to create or invent new things with technology. Being able to create new things with technology is one of the most important skills in the world today. Technology and Computer Science skills are in nearly every business in the world – from computers to cars, medicine to music, artificial intelligence to architecture, restaurants to racetracks, fashion to football.”
Year 7
They will develop their spreadsheet skills by entering formulae in cells.
They will learn SUM, MIN, MAX and others to solve challenges.
They will continue and some of them will complete the code.org course.
They will start using variables and functions.
Computational thinking
In the future, not knowing the language of computers will be as challenging as being illiterate or innumerate are today. Children in the Main School who attend our weekly after-school Coding Club are learning how to programme with a project-based approach using Arduino code micro-controllers. Long term we hope to inspire as many children as possible to learn to code well.
Year 8
In Year 8, children will use the skills they have developed using code.org and Scratch to work their way through a book of challenges.
In the Summer term, they will work towards building their own App. using Scratch, Google Script, Java Script, or any other application of their choice.
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What child doesn’t love to collect handfuls of glossy brown conkers? At Sompting Abbotts, they don't just fill their pockets — even socks become makeshift pouches. And so, at this time of the year, we send the children out into our school grounds to look for shiny conkers (not that they need any persuading).