Prep School Computing Curriculum at Amesbury!
Curriculum
At Amesbury, we deliver a forward-thinking Prep School Computing Curriculum designed to equip every pupil with essential digital skills. From Reception through to Year 8, our computing lessons foster creativity, curiosity, and confidence using technology that prepares children for the world ahead.
Our curriculum spans from Reception to Year 8, progressively building pupils’ confidence in coding, digital communication, AI awareness, and online safety.
We are proud to be a Microsoft Showcase School, and our pupils benefit from a digitally inclusive environment where technology is embedded into everyday learning.
Our Computing curriculum is hands-on, creative, and forward-thinking. Pupils learn through structured lessons and project-based tasks that align with both the National Curriculum and Amesbury’s commitment to digital excellence.
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Key learning areas include:
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Block-based and Text-based Coding: Scratch, Python, Crumble, and Micro:bit
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Digital Creativity: Stop-motion animation, digital storytelling, brand creation
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Microsoft 365 Skills: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams and OneNote
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Computational Thinking: Decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction and algorithms
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Safe and Responsible Online Use: Online safety, media literacy, and digital ethics
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AI Foundations: Age-appropriate understanding of artificial intelligence and its role in the real world
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A Digitally Inclusive Approach
We use OneNote Class Notebooks to ensure that all resources are accessible to every pupil in Years 5–8. Where needed, pupils receive printed materials or use inclusive tools like:
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Immersive Reader
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Dictation & Transcription
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Colour filters and page formats
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Audio and video recording for reflection
Lessons are tailored to support pupils with varying needs and learning styles, and Computing is a space where every child can succeed.
The world is changing fast – and we’re preparing our pupils to lead it. Through Computing, we aim to cultivate critical and computational thinking, encourage creativity and collaboration, teach responsible AI use, introduce basic data handling and automation, provide opportunities for pupil voice and choice in digital projects
By Year 8, pupils are confident digital creators ready to excel in senior schools and beyond.
Head of department
Mr Brown attended Loughborough University, firstly following a passion for playing and coaching rugby which led him to join Highfield as a graduate assistant in the boarding house. There he spent a lot of time coaching sports. This role cemented a desire to teach and nurture children, and led to training in primary education at Winchester University. Mr Brown’s first teaching post was at Portsmouth Grammar School, as a Year 4 and then Year 5 form tutor. Then a role back in the countryside as a Housemaster in a prep school, before moving to Amesbury in 2023. Mr Brown’s interest in Computing started early, driven by a fascination with coding as a child and young adult. He enjoys experimenting with small programs and learning how technology worked behind the scenes. These experiences sparked a passion that remains. For Mr Brown, Computing is much more than just another subject—it’s a skill set that fosters creativity, logical thinking, and resilience. Whether we’re exploring coding, animations, or the impact of technology in daily life, I encourage pupils to see its value and its potential to shape their futures. One of the most rewarding aspects of teaching Computing is watching pupils discover their capabilities, from creating their first working program to solving challenges independently. My goal is to ensure that every pupil leaves my lessons not only with a solid foundation in Computing but also with the confidence to apply it wherever their interests take them.