Technology is all around us and is developing at a rapid pace that shows no signs of slowing down.

Computer systems engulf our everyday lives and routines: from our work, leisure, social interactions and general communication. The 21st century has made it almost as important to be digitally literate as it is to be literate.

To thrive in the modern world, it is essential that we understand how technology works and its impact on our lives and therefore it is crucial that students are equipped with the skills, knowledge and understanding necessary to embrace technology and utilise it in an appropriate and responsible manner.

Metaphorically speaking, the world has never been so small. Our lives are closer and more intertwined than ever before: the other side of the world is accessible in a nanosecond by a simple touch of a button. As global citizens we need to be discerning of the information available, be able to interpret it critically in a moral and ethical way.

Our curriculum focuses on four pillars of learning which is a theme that follows them as they travel along their computing journey at Co-op Academy Swinton, and they are:

• How things work
  How things work will allow students to expand their ongoing knowledge of how technology is used within our current society. This pillar will enhance learning, looking at how computers fetch, decode and execute instructions given by a user. Students will figure out how components send signals to one another to enable their instructions to be carried out.

• Preparation for the real world
  Preparation for the real world, allows our students to carry out key skills needed in Microsoft office. These skills will allow our students to be adaptable in future life whether it be in a career or studying for their future endeavours. Our Enterprise units allow students to be able to understand how a business works and the characteristics needed to be an entrepreneur in the future.

• Effective ways of working
  Effective ways of working gives an insight to how file management allows students to be organised and professional for their future. Our programming unit in python allows students to work effectively by creating programs, finding logical errors and figuring out how the program should work.

• How computing solves problems
  How computing solves problems, our computational thinking scheme of work allows students to solve problems by breaking it into four different stages.  The first stage (Decomposition) allows students to decompose problems into smaller tasks, the second stage (Abstraction) helps students to decipher the most important information, the third stage (Pattern Recognition) allows students to identify patterns within data to help solve the problem. The final stage (Algorithm design) is the creation of step-by-step instructions to be able to combat the problem. Within this stage students will carry out debugging to find any errors in their own design and solve these.