iCompute for Primary Schools

A primary computing scheme of work fully matched to the National Curriculum for Computing

iCompute for Primary Schools

Step-by-step lesson plans and all the resources schools need to teach computing creatively and confidently

iCompute for Primary Schools

Discover how easy teaching computing can be

iCompute for Primary Schools

Don't just keep up with computing. Get ahead!

iCompute Primary Computing

Computing Curriculum

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written by Liane O'Kane

Computer Scientist, Software Engineer and Primary Computer Science Master Teacher

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Computing from EYFS to Year 6 - BETT & ERA Awards Nominated

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Editable & Printable Scratch Blocks

By Liane O'Kane July 27, 2023 July 7, 2023 Primary Computing, Resources, Robotics, Scratch

Scratch Classroom Display & Unplugged Activities

Scratch 3.0 Blocks

This version is for Scratch 3.0 and includes all category blocks along with Extensions: Microbit, Makey Makey, Video Sensing, Pen, LEGO WeDo, LEGO EV3, Music, Text to Speech and Translate.

Available to download by clicking/tapping the Periodic Table of Scratch 3 Blocks image (see below). The blocks can be edited and scaled using image editing tools (e.g. Illustrator, Inkscape, Vectr). The blocks are also provided in .png format.

It’s important that children be given opportunities to interact with physical programming blocks to help them understand both their function and the underlying concepts. I use them in groups for the children to program me and/or each other as well as programming using Scratch 3 itself.

Click to download editable, printable Scratch 3 blocks

Published by iCompute and licensed under a Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) – Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International.

Also available in the same format are Scratch 2.0 blocks and Scratch Jr blocks from this post.

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Easter Computing Activity

By Liane O'Kane April 4, 2023 March 21, 2023 Primary Computing, Resources, Themed Activities

For Key Stage 1

Everyone likes putting a seasonal twist on lessons during the approach to Easter and I’ve been making Easter computing lessons for my pupils to add to iCompute‘s computing scheme of work

This time, I’ve put together a step-by-step computing lesson plan and teacher resources for Key Stage 1 pupils. You can download the free Easter computing lesson and resources and use them your own classrooms for a little seasonal fun!

A spin on the Bee Bot app, this uses Scratch 2.0 and ‘BunnyBot’. The children create algorithms and program the Easter Bunny to collect Eggs.

BunnyBot

Click to download lesson & resources

The lesson plan contains lots of ideas for differentiation, extension and enrichment

predicting algorithms
identifying and using repetition in programs
programming against the clock
comparing and improving algorithms and programs
designing own game

Check out my other Easter computing resources for Key Stage 2 pupils.

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Easter Computing – Programming an Egg Hunt

By Liane O'Kane March 31, 2023 March 21, 2023 Primary Computing, Resources, Scratch, Themed Activities

Program the Easter Bunny with Scratch

Not long until Easter and I’m sure you’ll have lots planned for it in other subjects, but don’t forget about Computing. It’s a great end-of-term opportunity for your pupils to demonstrate what they can do with Scratch programming.

Click to download the plan and resources

I’ve prepared a step-by-step lesson plan and some teacher/pupil computing resources that I’m using and have added to iCompute to celebrate Easter and/or Spring. Feel free to download and use in your own classroom.

It’s Easter and the Easter Bunny has forgotten where she has hidden all of her eggs. Challenge your pupils to create algorithms and program the bunny to get all of her eggs in her basket any way they know.

Easter Scratch Program

Pupil Support Card

As usual, lots of opportunities for differentiation. For instance, less able pupils could use pupil support cards (see Egg Hunt card which is included in the pack) and/or write a more simple collecting less eggs. Your more able pupils could:

program the ice-cream truck sprite to move across the x-axis
program the hot-air balloon to fly
add the Easter eggs to a list variable when collected
add ‘enemies’ to thwart the Easter Bunny in her quest
add extra, increasingly difficult, levels (e.g. mazes to navigate)

Ideas for differentiation, extension and enrichment are included in the lesson plan. Lots of opportunities to be inspired and get creative.

Check out my free Key Stage 1 activity: programming the Easter Bunny to collect Eggs – a twist on the BeeBot app.

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Ofsted Inspection Framework: for Computing Subject Leaders

By Liane O'Kane March 30, 2023 March 28, 2023 Planning, Primary Computing

Inspecting Computing

The Ofsted Inspection Framework [3] came into effect in September 2019. With the emphasis on ‘offering a curriculum that is broad, rich and deep’, here I take a look at its implications for Computing Subject Leaders.

Download my full guide on how iCompute can help your school demonstrate a quality computing education through the ‘Three I’s’ and during a Deep Dive.

Easter Computing – Programming an Egg Hunt

By Liane O'Kane March 26, 2023 March 21, 2023 Primary Computing, Resources, Scratch, Themed Activities

Program the Easter Bunny with Scratch

Click to download the plan and resources

Easter Scratch Program

Pupil Support Card

program the ice-cream truck sprite to move across the x-axis
program the hot-air balloon to fly
add the Easter eggs to a list variable when collected
add ‘enemies’ to thwart the Easter Bunny in her quest
add extra, increasingly difficult, levels (e.g. mazes to navigate)

Ideas for differentiation, extension and enrichment are included in the lesson plan. Lots of opportunities to be inspired and get creative.

Check out my free Key Stage 1 activity: programming the Easter Bunny to collect Eggs – a twist on the BeeBot app.

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Easter Computing Activity

By Liane O'Kane March 26, 2023 March 21, 2023 Primary Computing, Resources, Themed Activities

For Key Stage 1

Everyone likes putting a seasonal twist on lessons during the approach to Easter and I’ve been making Easter computing lessons for my pupils to add to iCompute‘s computing scheme of work

A spin on the Bee Bot app, this uses Scratch 2.0 and ‘BunnyBot’. The children create algorithms and program the Easter Bunny to collect Eggs.

BunnyBot

Click to download lesson & resources

The lesson plan contains lots of ideas for differentiation, extension and enrichment

predicting algorithms
identifying and using repetition in programs
programming against the clock
comparing and improving algorithms and programs
designing own game

Check out my other Easter computing resources for Key Stage 2 pupils.

Save

Easter Computing 🐰 Free Themed Coding Activities

By Liane O'Kane March 12, 2023 March 21, 2023 Primary Computing, Resources, Robotics, Scratch, Themed Activities

Get Rolling 🥚 with Easter 🐰 Themed Computing

Easter is just around the corner and I’ve been busy creating more themed computing activities so that your pupils can demonstrate their computational thinking and coding skills.

Click to get the plan and resources

I’ve prepared step-by-step lesson plans and some teacher/pupil computing resources that I’m using and have added to iCompute to celebrate Easter and/or Spring.

Easter Scratch Program

Pupil Support Card

program the ice-cream truck sprite to move across the x-axis
program the hot-air balloon to fly
add the Easter eggs to a list variable when collected
add ‘enemies’ to thwart the Easter Bunny in her quest
add extra, increasingly difficult, levels (e.g. mazes to navigate)

Ideas for differentiation, extension and enrichment are included in the lesson plan. Lots of opportunities to be inspired and get creative.

I’ve also created an Easter Egg Hiding Robotics activity using Sphero SPRK+ and Sphero Edu. The Easter Bunny (Sphero) needs your help programming it to hide a collection of Easter Eggs (hollow plastic balls or eggs filled with treats). Lots of cross curricular links here with Science and Mathematics so get rolling.

Click for the plan and resources

I haven’t forgotten Key Stage 1, so out my free Key Stage 1 activity: programming the Easter Bunny to collect Eggs – a twist on the BeeBot app.

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How to thrive during an Ofsted Deep Dive for Computing

By Liane O'Kane March 3, 2023 March 28, 2023 Primary Computing

Ofsted will be “deep diving” into a selection of subjects during their inspections with the “curriculum at the heart of inspection” focusing on curriculum intent, implementation and impact. I’ve previously written an article on this called inspecting computing for computing subject leaders. Now, with the benefit of feedback from schools using iCompute who’ve undergone a deep dive for computing – and widely published Aide Memoir and Inspector subject training guidance provided by Ofsted – I explore what a deep dive for computing looks like with the aim of helping prepare computing leads.

You can download a copy of my comprehensive guide to the Ofsted Framework and Ofsted Deep Dives for Computing at the end of this post. It’s been updated to include dozens of Ofsted Deep Dive questions our schools have been asked and the school friendly questions suggested by Ofsted along with details of how iCompute helps schools answer them.

Ofsted Deep Dive for Computing questions — Comprehensive set of Ofsted Deep Dive for Computing Questions

BETT Awards 2023

By Liane O'Kane January 10, 2023 January 10, 2023 News

BETT Award Nomination for iCompute!

We are absolutely delighted to announce that the BETT Awards 2023 panel have shortlisted iCompute for a coveted digital resources award.

BETT Awards 2023 Finalist

The BETT Awards are firmly established as a premier annual event to celebrate outstanding success for the suppliers and teaching professionals of the education sector throughout the UK. The awards are recognised by the teaching profession as the benchmark of excellence.

After judging, the panel selected iCompute as finalists in the Primary – Digital Learning Product – Broad Curriculum (Computing) according to rigorous criteria, taking into consideration the innovative nature of the products, their impact on teaching and learning in the classroom, and their cost effectiveness in terms of educational aims and results.

It is a huge honour to be amongst the other shortlisted organisations, schools and companies and we thank all of the teachers and schools who supported our nomination by providing amazing testimonials about how iCompute have improved teaching and learning in computing.

Find out more about iCompute’s primary computing curriculum and try our free computing resources by visiting our website.

Liane O’Kane, Founder/Author of iCompute, comments:

“Being shortlisted for a BETT Award is a fantastic achievement and a reflection of the dedication and hard work we put in to helping schools teach primary computing rigorously and well. Many thanks to the teachers around the world using iCompute for their support and feedback; which helps us extend and improve our resources with the creativity and passion that is our hallmark.

We never take these things for granted and are very proud that our expertise and innovation in teaching & learning with, and about, technology has been recognised by BETT and BESA once again.”

BETT Awards 2023 winners will be announced at a the awards ceremony at The Brewery, London on the 29th March 2023.

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Editable & Printable Scratch Jr Blocks

By Liane O'Kane January 9, 2023 April 1, 2023 Primary Computing, Resources, Scratch

Scratch Jr Blocks for Display & Computing Unplugged

I’ve created editable, scaleable, Scratch Jr blocks for you to download and use in your coding lessons. Click/tap the Periodic Table of Scratch Jr blocks image (see below). The blocks can be edited using image editing tools (e.g. Illustrator, Inkscape, Vectr). They are also included in .png format for printing.

It’s important that young children have the opportunity to interact with concrete materials (i.e. printed Scratch blocks) to help them understand both their function and the underlying concepts. I use them in groups for the children to program me and/or each other before moving on to programming using Scratch Jr itself.

I’ve also made a full set of Editable, Printable Scratch 2.0 blocks, and Scratch 3.0, in other posts, which you can also use.

Click/Tap to download

Published by iCompute and licensed under a Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) – Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International.

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