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Key Stage 2 computing · Information technology

KS2 computing: combining software to create things

In Key Stage 2, computing is not just about learning one program. Children are taught to pick the right software for each part of a job, combine several tools, and finish with something that meets a clear goal, such as a poster, a short film, an animation or a class web page. The aim is for them to become confident, creative and responsible users of technology, not just button-pushers.

Combining software to create content, explained

The national curriculum asks schools to teach pupils to select, use and combine a variety of software, including internet services, on a range of digital devices, to design and create programs, systems and content that accomplish given goals. In plain terms: your child is given a purpose (explain how a volcano erupts, advertise the school fair, tell a story) and has to decide which tools will get them there. Schools choose the actual software, so what your child uses may be quite different from a friend’s school.

A typical project joins several tools together. A child might take photographs with a tablet camera, record their own voice, type and format text in a word processor, draw a diagram in a graphics program, and then bring all of it together in a presentation, a page layout or a short film. Each tool has its own strengths, and part of the learning is noticing which is best for which job. Some projects also combine a simple program with other content, for example a short animation or game made in a block-based programming tool, with pictures and recorded sound added. Copying and pasting, saving in a format another program can open, resizing a picture and importing a sound file are small skills that make this possible.

The word “goal” matters. Teachers ask children to start with who the work is for and what it needs to do, and only then to choose tools. A leaflet for parents needs clear, large text. A short animation for younger children might need very little writing and some sound. Children then test their work against that goal and improve it, which is why you may hear them say they are “evaluating” a draft. Feedback from a partner is a normal part of the process.

Internet services are part of this too. Children may use a shared online document so that a group can work on the same file, or search for ideas and pictures. Because the curriculum also expects pupils to be responsible, they are taught to name where material came from, to prefer pictures they have made themselves or that their school says are fine to use, and to keep personal details out of anything shared online. Combining software also covers collecting and presenting data, which is explained on its own page.

Words your child will hear

Software
The programs and apps that run on a device, such as a word processor or an animation tool.
Purpose and audience
What a piece of work is for and who will see it. Both decide which tools and style to use.
Import
To bring a file, such as a photo or sound, into a different program.
File format
The type of file, shown by the ending of its name, which decides which programs can open it.
Collaborate
To work together, sometimes on the same shared online file.
Evaluate
To judge how well something works and decide what to improve.
Digital content
Anything made on a device: text, images, sound, video, animations and web pages.

What the National Curriculum says

The programme of study for Key Stage 2 says:

  • Pupils should be taught to select, use and combine a variety of software (including internet services) on a range of digital devices to design and create a range of programs, systems and content that accomplish given goals, including collecting, analysing, evaluating and presenting data and information
  • Aim: pupils are responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology.

Objectives from the National Curriculum in England, © Crown copyright, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Try it: a visitor leaflet for a local park

A class is asked to make a one-page leaflet that tells families what to do at the local park. How might a child combine software to do it?

  1. Start with the goal and audience. The leaflet is for families with young children, so it needs big headings, short sentences and clear pictures. It must fit on one side of A4 and show at least three things to do.
  2. Choose a tool for each job. Photographs: the tablet camera. Facts and opening times: a word processor or page-layout program. A simple map: a drawing program. Ideas for wording: a quick, adult-supervised search, with notes made in the child’s own words.
  3. Collect the pieces separately. Take six photographs and keep the best three. Type the headings and short captions. Draw the map with labelled paths and the play area. Save each piece in one folder with a sensible name, such as “park-map” rather than “image1”.
  4. Combine them. Import the photos and the map into the leaflet, resize them so they line up, and place each caption next to its picture. If a picture will not open, check the file format and save it again in a type the leaflet program accepts.
  5. Evaluate against the goal. Ask a partner: can you tell at a glance what to do first? Is any text too small? Fix the problems they find, such as enlarging the font or swapping a blurry photo, and then save a final copy.

The finished leaflet uses a camera, a word processor and a drawing tool together. The choices are justified by the audience, the pieces are saved clearly, and the draft was tested and improved before it was finished.

Common mistakes and how to help

Believing one program has to do everything

Children often learn one tool first and try to force it to do every job, so they end up typing long text into a presentation or drawing pictures with text boxes.

What helps: Ask “which tool is best for this bit?” before they begin. A quick list of jobs (photo, text, sound, layout) and a tool for each is often enough.

Spending all the time on decoration

Fonts, colours and animations are fun and give instant results, so the goal gets forgotten and the work becomes hard to read.

What helps: Return to the audience: “Who is this for, and would they find it easy to read?” Agree a limit, such as two fonts and three colours, then let them be creative within it.

Thinking anything found online is free to copy

Pictures and text are easy to copy and paste, and children may not realise that someone made them or that other people may own them.

What helps: Encourage them to use their own photos and drawings first. When they use something else, they should write down where it came from and check with the teacher that it is allowed.

Not saving, or losing track of files

Children click Save without noticing where the file goes, or keep several copies with names like “final2”, and then cannot find the right one.

What helps: Agree a simple habit: one folder per project, a clear name with a date, and a quick look at where the file is going before pressing Save.

How to help at home

  • Make something for a real person. Ask your child to create a birthday card, a family newsletter or an invitation using a camera and one or two programs. A real reader makes them think about purpose and audience.
  • Talk through the tool choices. When your child is making something on a device, ask why they chose that tool and whether another would do the job better. Explaining a choice is the main skill being taught.
  • Make a short photo story. Take about six photos that tell a simple story, then put them in order with a caption on each. Add a recorded voice if your device allows it. It is quick, and it practises combining pictures, text and sound.
  • Check the work like a customer. Look at the finished piece and name one thing that works and one that could be clearer. Then let your child fix it. Improving a draft is as important as making the first version.
  • Practise good habits with files. Help them name files clearly, keep each project in one folder and note where any picture or fact came from. These habits matter more as projects get bigger.

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