Data Handling with Spreadsheets

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Concepts

This study delivers 0 primary concepts and 1 secondary concept.

Secondary concept: Networks, the Internet and the World Wide Web (CO-KS12-C004)

Type: Knowledge | Teaching weight: 2/6

A computer network is a collection of computing devices connected together to share data and resources. The internet is the global network of networks, connecting millions of devices worldwide using a common set of protocols. The World Wide Web is a service built on the internet, comprising web pages accessed via browsers. Email, messaging and streaming are other internet services. At KS2, pupils develop conceptual understanding of how networks and the internet work, distinguishing between physical infrastructure and the services that run on top of it.

Differentiation

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Thinking lens: Systems and System Models (primary)

Key question: What are the parts of this system, how do they interact, and what happens when something changes? Why this lens fits: Understanding the internet as a network requires pupils to model how devices, routers and servers interact as a system — each component has a role and the system's behaviour emerges from how the parts communicate. Question stems for KS2:

What goes into this system, and what comes out?

If you changed this one part, what else would be affected?

Where does this system start and end?

How could we draw a model to explain how this works?

Secondary lens: Evidence and Argument — Evaluating search results critically requires pupils to assess the quality and reliability of evidence — deciding whether a source is trustworthy is an argument-evaluation task grounded in evidence appraisal.

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Session structure: Practical Application

Practical Application

A hands-on sequence where pupils apply knowledge and skills to solve a practical problem or create a functional outcome. Begins with a real-world context, builds skills through rehearsal, guides design or planning, supports making or problem-solving, and concludes with evaluation against success criteria.

context → skill_rehearsal → design → make_or_solve → evaluate Assessment: Practical outcome (solution, product, program) evaluated against defined success criteria, with written or verbal explanation of the process and decisions made. Teacher note: Use the PRACTICAL APPLICATION template: set a real-world context or problem that requires pupils to apply knowledge and skills. Rehearse the key skills needed through guided practice. Support pupils in designing their approach, carrying out the practical task, and evaluating their outcome. Encourage them to explain what worked well and what they would improve. KS2 question stems:

What skills will you need to solve this problem?

What is your plan, and why did you choose this approach?

How well did your solution work?

What would you change if you did it again?

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Computing focus

Software/tool: spreadsheet Computational concepts: data representation, input output Abstraction level: Visual Themes: data handling, IT skills, digital literacy

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Why this study matters

Spreadsheets teach data handling in a computing context -- entering data, creating formulae, and generating charts. This connects computing to mathematics (data handling) and science (recording results). Pupils learn that software can process data automatically, which is the conceptual bridge to understanding what computers actually do -- process information according to rules.

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Pitfalls to avoid

Treating the spreadsheet as a table for typing in -- teach formulae as the point, not just cells

Formulae errors from wrong cell references -- teach cell naming and checking

Charts without titles or labels -- teach that data presentation requires context

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Computational thinking skills (KS2)

These disciplinary skills should be woven through teaching, not taught in isolation:

Algorithm design (KS3) — Design, implement and analyse algorithms for non-trivial computational problems including sorting and searching; understand that multiple algorithms can solve the same problem with different efficiency characteristics; use logical reasoning and formal comparison techniques to assess the relative utility of alternative algorithms; implement algorithms in at least two programming languages, at least one text-based.

Pattern recognition (KS2) — Identify patterns and regularities in data sets and program behaviours; use pattern recognition to select appropriate control structures (repetition for repeated actions, selection for conditional branching); generalise from specific examples to produce reusable solutions; recognise when an existing algorithm or program component can be reused to solve a new problem.

Abstraction (KS1) — Focus on the most important features of a problem or task while ignoring unnecessary detail; represent real-world actions as simple step-by-step instructions that capture the essential logic without irrelevant specifics.

Decomposition (KS2) — Decompose a complex programming problem or digital project into distinct, manageable sub-problems that can be developed and tested independently; plan program structure using top-down design before coding; use procedures and functions as the coded expression of decomposed sub-problems.

Decomposition (KS1) — Break a familiar task or problem into a sequence of smaller, ordered steps; understand that a complex instruction can be split into simpler sub-instructions that together achieve the same goal; apply this thinking when giving instructions to a programmable toy or creating a simple program.

Abstraction (KS3) — Design and evaluate computational abstractions that model the state and behaviour of real-world problems and physical systems; select appropriate levels of abstraction for a given problem context; use abstract data types, classes and interfaces to hide implementation detail; understand the layered abstractions present in computing systems from hardware to application.

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Vocabulary word mat

Scaffolding and inclusion (Y4)

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Knowledge organiser

Key terms:

spreadsheet

cell

row

column

formula

chart

graph

data

sort

filter

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Graph context

Node type: ComputingTopicSuggestion | Study ID: TS-CO-KS2-005 Concept IDs:

CO-KS12-C004: Networks, the Internet and the World Wide Web

Cypher query:

``cypher

MATCH (ts:ComputingTopicSuggestion {suggestion_id: 'TS-CO-KS2-005'})

-[:DELIVERS_VIA]->(c:Concept)

-[:HAS_DIFFICULTY_LEVEL]->(dl)

RETURN c.name, dl.label, dl.description

``

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Generated from the UK Curriculum Knowledge Graph — zero LLM generation.