// Primary Computing Curriculum · Reception–Year 6 · Free Y4 unit now — full scheme August

The curriculum
built for
the AI age.

Children are growing up in a world being reshaped by AI. Most schools are teaching computing as if nothing has changed. Cipher is different.

↓ Download Free Y4 Unit See what's inside

// Why Cipher exists

AI literacy isn't a nice-to-have.
It's the new reading.

01 —

Children who understand AI will shape the future.

Children who don't will be shaped by it. The gap between those two groups is forming right now, in primary school.

02 —

We treat children as thinkers, not users.

Every lesson asks children to do something real — experiment, debate, catch AI being wrong, build something a real audience will see.

03 —

Teachers get a complete, ready-to-teach system.

Slides, resources, assessment — all built in. A curriculum that demands heroic effort from teachers doesn't get taught.

04 —

We start in primary, because that's when it matters.

By secondary school, habits of uncritical AI use are already forming. Cipher catches children before those habits set.

"Children who understand AI will shape the future. Children who don't will be shaped by it. Cipher exists to make sure every child is in the first group."

// Year 4 · AI Literacy Unit · Free Now

Six lessons.
Everything included.

Download the Y4 unit now. All year groups free from August 2026.

Lesson 1

The Magic Box?

What is AI, really? Children discover how it works by experimenting with prompts across 10 real-world topics.

60 MIN · AI Literacy

Lesson 2

The Prompt Formula

Introducing RACE — Role, Audience, Context, Extras. Children write their first structured prompt and feel the difference.

60 MIN · AI Literacy

Lesson 3

Prompt Iteration Lab

A real scientific experiment. Children improve one prompt three times, measure the difference and write a conclusion.

60 MIN · AI Literacy

Lesson 4

Fact Check the Machine

AI told us some facts. Some are wrong. Children investigate hallucination and learn to verify AI claims using real sources.

60 MIN · AI Literacy + Citizenship

Lesson 5

AI for Learning — Wisely

Is using AI cheating? Children debate the hard questions and write the class AI agreement — their rules, their words.

60 MIN · Citizenship

Live Brief

AI Research Assistant

A real project. Teams build an AI prompt guide for their school and present it. Best guides go on the school website.

90 MIN · All Strands

// Full Scheme · Free August 2026

Reception to Year 6. Six units per year.

★ Y4 unit free now · All year groups free August 2026
🔒R
Instructions & SequencesCT & Coding
Clever MachinesAI Literacy
Me & My DataData
Digital CreatorsCreating
Staying Safe OnlineCitizenship
Unplugged ComputingCT & Coding
🔒Y1
Programming with ScratchJrCT & Coding
AI All Around UsAI Literacy
Gathering & Grouping DataData
Digital StorytellingCreating
Passwords & PrivacyCitizenship
Hardware ExplorersCT & Coding
🔒Y2
Debugging & LogicCT & Coding
How Does AI Learn?AI Literacy
Our School in NumbersData
Safety Guide CreatorsCreating
Real & Fake OnlineCitizenship
Networks & the InternetCT & Coding
🔒Y3
Scratch: Selection & VariablesCT & Coding
Bias in the MachineAI Literacy
Weather WatchersData
Podcast ProducersCreating
Digital FootprintsCitizenship
Physical Computing: micro:bitCT & Coding
Y4
Python FoundationsCT & Coding
Talking to AI ★AI Literacy
Mapping Our WorldData
School ChatbotCreating
Algorithms & AdvertisingCitizenship
Cybersecurity BasicsCitizenship
🔒Y5
Python: Functions & ListsCT & Coding
AI & Human CreativityAI Literacy
Investigating AI BiasAI Literacy
Data JournalistsData
Website DesignCreating
Digital WellbeingCitizenship
🔒Y6
App Design & PrototypingCT & Coding
Responsible AI CreatorsAI Literacy
Advanced Prompt EngineeringAI Literacy
Open Data ChallengeData
Digital Portfolio ShowcaseCreating
Secondary Transition: Skills AuditCitizenship

// Assessment & Evidence · Coming September 2027

No more big books.
Computing, evidenced.

When the Cipher platform launches in 2027, every unit comes with a built-in portfolio and assessment system. Children capture their work lesson by lesson. Teachers assess it at a glance. Computing finally has the evidence system it deserves.

📸

Learning Snaps

Children record a 60-second voice note and upload a screenshot at the end of every lesson. Done in under 2 minutes.

👩‍🏫

Teacher Dashboard

See your whole class at once. Every child, every lesson. Coloured dots show completion and assessment status instantly.

📊

D / S / E Assessment

Six learning objectives per unit. One click to mark each as Developing, Secure or Extending. Teacher note optional.

🎓

Digital Portfolio

Every child's work travels with them through Year 1 to Year 6 — and into secondary school as a Digital Passport.

✕ No more big books. No more lost evidence.

Computing has always struggled to evidence learning the way other subjects can. Cipher solves that. Voice notes, screenshots, written reflections — all captured, all organised, all searchable. Ofsted-ready. Always.

CLASS PORTFOLIO · 4B 28 pupils
Pupil L1 L2 L3 L4 L5 LB
Amara T.🟢🟢🟢🟡
Ben K.🟢🟢🟡
Chloe R.🟢🟢🟢🟢🟡
Dev P.🟢🟡
+ 24 more...
🟢 Assessed   🟡 Evidence, not yet assessed   ⚪ Not yet submitted

Platform preview — launching September 2027

// Questions

Everything you need to know.

Is Cipher aligned to the national curriculum?
Yes. Cipher covers all three computing strands — Computer Science, Information Technology, and Digital Literacy — and goes further with a dedicated AI Literacy strand. It's designed to adapt when the new curriculum is announced, so your school won't need to switch schemes again.
What's free and when do I get it?
Right now: download the complete Year 4 AI Literacy unit — six lessons with slide decks, resources and activity sheets. In August 2026: every year group from Reception to Year 6, six units each, all free for the full academic year. No trial limits. No feature gates.
Can a non-specialist teacher deliver Cipher lessons?
Yes. Every lesson comes with comprehensive slide decks and teacher guidance so that any teacher — not just a computing specialist — can deliver it effectively. The slides do the heavy lifting. The teacher facilitates the learning.
Does Cipher replace our existing computing scheme?
Yes. Cipher is a complete scheme of work from Reception to Year 6. It covers everything your current scheme covers, adds AI Literacy, and provides the evidence system computing has always needed. You won't need to run two schemes side by side.
What is Cipher Chat and when does it launch?
Cipher Chat is a purpose-built, child-safe AI tool designed for primary classrooms — launching as part of the paid platform in September 2027. For now, the free Y4 unit and full scheme give you everything you need to teach AI literacy effectively without it.
What happens after the free year?
In September 2027, Cipher becomes a full online platform with Cipher Chat, digital portfolios, assessment tools and evidence tracking. Schools will pay for the platform. But the resources you've already downloaded and used remain yours. No lock-in. No "pay or lose everything."
Who built Cipher?
Cipher was built by a practising primary school teacher and computing lead with over 15 years of experience. Every lesson has been taught with real children in a real classroom — not designed by a team who've never stood in front of a class. Read the full story →
Why should I download the Y4 unit now?
Try it. Teach it Monday. See if the approach works for your school and your children. If it does, you'll know you want the full scheme when it lands in August — and you'll already be on the list. If it doesn't, you've lost nothing.

// Built by a teacher

Not a product team.
A classroom.

I've been teaching for over 15 years. I've been a computing lead for 14 of them. I've taught every year group from 1 to 6 and led curriculum design at my school.

The more I used AI in my own life, the more I realised something was wrong. I was having more and more conversations with children about AI — but we weren't teaching them how to use it. I was teaching Excel spreadsheets and Scratch games. Skills I'm not sure will exist in the form they're in today.

The existing computing schemes weren't built for this world. So I built one that was — in my classroom, with my children, lesson by lesson, week by week.

Every Cipher lesson has been trialled with real children. Not designed by a product team who've never stood in front of a class. Built by someone who lives the problem every week.

// The numbers
15+
Years in the classroom
14
Years as computing lead
Y1–6
Every year group taught and led
Built and trialled with real children
Free Y4 Unit Now

Get the full
Year 4 AI unit.

Six complete lessons. All slide decks, printable resources and activity sheets. Download now, teach it Monday — and get the full scheme for every year group free from August 2026.

⭐ All year groups free August 2026 — ready for September starters


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