Digital Literacy and IT Skills (KS1)
KS1CO-KS12-D003
Using technology purposefully to create, organise, store, manipulate and retrieve digital content; recognising common uses of information technology beyond school; using technology safely and respectfully.
National Curriculum context
The digital literacy strand at KS1 establishes that technology is a powerful tool for creating and communicating, and that pupils should be active creators of digital content rather than only consumers. Pupils learn to use a range of hardware and software to create, organise and retrieve digital content, developing the practical digital skills that underpin all subsequent digital work. The requirement to recognise common uses of IT beyond school connects classroom learning to the digital world of everyday life. Safety and responsibility are introduced from the outset: pupils learn to keep personal information safe and to behave respectfully online, establishing the digital citizenship behaviours that become increasingly important as pupils engage more extensively with digital technologies.
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Concepts
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Clusters
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Prerequisites
1
With difficulty levels
Lesson Clusters
Use technology safely and develop digital citizenship
practice CuratedOnline safety and digital citizenship is the sole concept in this domain. It encompasses both the practical safety skills (protecting personal information) and the ethical awareness (responsible behaviour online) that underpin all digital activity at KS1.
Teaching Suggestions (2)
Study units and activities that deliver concepts in this domain.
Online Safety: Staying Safe
Computing Discussion and DebatePedagogical rationale
Online safety at KS1 focuses on three age-appropriate concepts: personal information (what it is and why we keep it private), trusted adults (who to tell if something online makes you uncomfortable), and kind behaviour (being respectful online just as offline). These are non-negotiable foundational concepts that must be taught before any internet-connected activity.
Using Technology: Creating Digital Content
Computing Practical ApplicationPedagogical rationale
This unit teaches the fundamental digital literacy skills: creating content (text, images), organising it (folders, naming), saving it (storage), and retrieving it. These are foundational skills that every subsequent computing lesson assumes. Using a word processor or drawing program purposefully -- not just randomly clicking -- teaches that digital tools serve specific purposes, just like physical tools.
Prerequisites
Concepts from other domains that pupils should know before this domain.
Concepts (1)
Online Safety and Digital Citizenship
knowledge AI DirectCO-KS12-C005
Online safety encompasses the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to participate in digital environments safely, responsibly and positively. It includes protecting personal information, managing digital identity and reputation, recognising online risks (cyberbullying, inappropriate content, grooming, scams), evaluating online information critically and knowing how to seek help when needed. Digital citizenship extends this to include understanding the rights and responsibilities of online participation, including intellectual property, attribution and the ethics of digital communication. At KS1 and KS2, online safety is embedded throughout the computing curriculum.
Teaching guidance
Integrate online safety into all digital activities rather than treating it as a standalone topic. Use age-appropriate scenarios to discuss common online risks. Teach pupils to recognise personal information and understand why it should be kept private. Discuss the permanence of online information and the concept of a digital footprint. Explore how to evaluate whether an online source is trustworthy. Ensure pupils know how to report concerns to a trusted adult or to reporting services. Use PSHE links to connect online safety to broader themes of relationships, identity and wellbeing.
Common misconceptions
Pupils may think that anonymous online behaviour has no consequences; discussing the traceability of online actions corrects this. Pupils may not realise that information shared with one person online can be shared much more widely; discussing how data spreads makes the risk tangible. The idea that everything on the internet is true is common and requires deliberate work to challenge; evaluating sources, checking dates and looking for corroboration are skills to teach explicitly.
Difficulty levels
Understanding basic online safety rules: not sharing personal information with strangers, telling a trusted adult if something makes them uncomfortable.
Example task
If someone you don't know sends you a message online asking for your name and address, what should you do?
Model response: I should not reply or give them my information. I should tell a parent or teacher straight away. Personal information like my name, address and school should be kept private online.
Understanding a wider range of online risks (cyberbullying, inappropriate content, unreliable information) and knowing strategies for dealing with them.
Example task
You find a website that says chocolate is the healthiest food in the world. How can you check if this is true?
Model response: I should check who wrote it — is it a reliable source like the NHS or a scientist? I should look for the same information on other trusted websites. If only one website says it, it might not be true. I should think about whether the website is trying to sell me chocolate, which would make it biased.
Explaining how to manage their digital footprint, understanding how personal data is collected and used online, and acting as a responsible digital citizen.
Example task
What is a digital footprint? Why should you think carefully before posting something online?
Model response: A digital footprint is the trail of information you leave behind when you use the internet — posts, comments, photos, searches, likes. Once something is online, it can be very difficult to remove completely. Other people can copy, share or screenshot it. Future employers or universities might see it. I should think: would I be happy for my teacher, my parents or a stranger to see this? If not, I shouldn't post it.
Delivery rationale
Computing concept — inherently digital subject with strong tool support.