The challenges
When the National Curriculum was updated in 2013, we took the opportunity to review our cross-curricular methodology and our topics across all subjects, checking that they were engaging, up to date and supportive of pupil progression. To be aligned with the digital age, it was essential that our approach to learning had a significant technological slant.
All subject leads audited their curriculum content and units of work; as IT and Computing coordinator, I wanted to implement a resource which equipped pupils with up-to-date skills such as coding while also retaining the creative element of our previous curriculum.
The software also needed to be simple, creative and easy to use so that all pupils, including the youngest year groups and children with SEND, could access the resource independently.
Finally, we wanted to foster learning at home and involve parents in the education process. To streamline this, our ideal solution was one that could be integrated into our ‘e-school’: the online learning platform our pupils use at school and at home to access games and resources.”
The solution
Trafalgar Infant School has subscribed to LGfL for approximately the last ten years, and the j2e Tool Suite is included as part of the LGfL ‘Let’s Get Digital’ subscription. Included in the curriculum resources package Energise, j2e is provided at no extra cost to LGfL subscribers, so there was no need to take budget into consideration. With its balance of practical computing skills and opportunities for creative expression, it became clear that j2e would work really well for our pupils.