Student strand

Video

This strand helps students learn how moving image and audio can be planned, captured, edited, and shared. Across the years, students move from simple recording and playback to storyboarding, animation, podcasting, sequencing clips, and producing finished films.

Y1 Y2 Y3 Y4 Y5 Y6

Year 1

To record sound.

Spark

ClickToReveal

Routine: Think, Puzzle, Explore

How does a device know when to start and stop recording? What puzzles you about saving sounds and clips, and what would you like to test?

Content

BeforeAfterSlider

Method: Guided explanation

Model how to play back a short video clip, record a short sound, and recognise simple controls such as record and stop. Keep the focus on confidence with the tools and understanding why we might record something.

Plenary

InstantFeedbackQuiz

Task type: Quick check

Students identify record and stop symbols, choose the right order for making a short recording, and explain one reason for recording sound.

Overview

In Year 1, students begin by exploring basic recording and playback tools. They learn that sound and video can be captured, stopped, replayed, and used to communicate simple ideas.

Achievement pathway

Level 1: Play back a video clip.
Level 2: Record a short sound.
Level 3: Identify record and stop controls.
Level 4: Explain why people record media.

Independent task

Record and replay a short sound clip using simple device controls.

Year 2

To storyboard.

Spark

ClickToReveal

Routine: See, Think, Wonder

Look at a simple storyboard and a sequence of photos. What do you notice about the order, what story do you think it tells, and what do you wonder about planning media?

Content

ExpandingAccordion

Method: Guided explanation

Teach students how to record audio more independently, plan a short sequence with a storyboard, and choose photos that support a beginning, middle, and end. Emphasise that good media often starts with planning.

Plenary

InstantFeedbackQuiz

Task type: Quick check

Students sequence storyboard frames, identify a strong photo choice, and explain how a plan helps make a clearer digital story.

Overview

In Year 2, students begin planning media before they create it. They use storyboards, record audio more independently, and select images that help tell a simple story clearly.

Achievement pathway

Level 1: Record audio independently.
Level 2: Plan a storyboard.
Level 3: Select photos for a short story.
Level 4: Evaluate the best photo choice.

Independent task

Create a short storyboard with pictures and a recorded narration idea.

Year 3

To animate.

Spark

ClickToReveal

Routine: Zoom In

Zoom in on a stop-motion sequence. What changes from one frame to the next, and how does that create movement on screen?

Content

BeforeAfterSlider

Method: Guided explanation

Model how to use still images to make animation, how to use a stop-motion app, and how small changes between frames create movement. Help students see that successful animation needs patience, precision, and careful sequencing.

Plenary

InstantFeedbackQuiz

Task type: Quick check

Students identify what a frame is, explain why tiny changes matter in animation, and choose the best order for a short stop-frame sequence.

Overview

In Year 3, students begin to understand movement as a sequence of still images. They use stop-motion ideas to create short animations and explain how frames work together to create the illusion of motion.

Achievement pathway

Level 1: Use still images for animation.
Level 2: Use a stop-motion app.
Level 3: Create a stop-frame film.
Level 4: Explain frame movement.

Independent task

Make a very short stop-motion sequence and describe how the movement was created.

Year 4

To edit audio.

Spark

ClickToReveal

Routine: See, Think, Wonder

Listen to an unedited clip and a trimmed version. What do you notice has improved, and what makes edited audio clearer for a listener?

Content

ExpandingAccordion

Method: Guided explanation

Teach students how to record a short voiceover, trim an audio clip, and combine simple audio elements into a short spoken product such as a mini podcast. Introduce the idea that audio content also needs to respect copyright.

Plenary

InstantFeedbackQuiz

Task type: Quick check

Students identify where an audio clip should be trimmed, explain why a voiceover needs clarity, and recognise why copyright matters in audio work.

Overview

In Year 4, students become more thoughtful media editors. They record voiceovers, trim audio clips, and begin shaping spoken or recorded sound so it fits a purpose more clearly.

Achievement pathway

Level 1: Record a short voiceover.
Level 2: Trim an audio clip.
Level 3: Create a short podcast.
Level 4: Consider audio copyright.

Independent task

Create a short spoken audio piece and edit it so the final version is clear and purposeful.

Year 5

To sequence video.

Spark

ClickToReveal

Routine: Think, Puzzle, Explore

How does changing the order of clips affect a film? What puzzles you about transitions, effects, and pacing in video editing?

Content

BeforeAfterSlider

Method: Guided explanation

Show students how to sequence clips, add scene transitions, and adjust speed or simple effects to improve flow. Reinforce that editing choices should be judged against a clear purpose or success criteria.

Plenary

InstantFeedbackQuiz

Task type: Quick check

Students choose the strongest clip order, explain how a transition affects meaning, and evaluate a short edit against simple criteria.

Overview

In Year 5, students begin shaping longer video pieces. They work with clips, order scenes intentionally, and use transitions, effects, and timing to improve the flow of a finished sequence.

Achievement pathway

Level 1: Sequence video clips.
Level 2: Use scene transitions.
Level 3: Edit speed and effects.
Level 4: Evaluate work against criteria.

Independent task

Edit a short video sequence and explain how your ordering and transitions improve the result.

Year 6

To edit film.

Spark

ClickToReveal

Routine: See, Think, Wonder

Look at the stages of a completed film project. What do you notice about planning, editing, audio, and final presentation, and what do you wonder about what makes a film successful?

Content

BeforeAfterSlider

Method: Guided explanation

Teach students how to download or gather clips for a project, work with added audio, and shape a finished film product with intention. Encourage critical thinking so students evaluate not only how a film was made, but how well it communicates.

Plenary

InstantFeedbackQuiz

Task type: Quick check

Students identify strong editing choices, explain how audio supports meaning, and evaluate a finished film using clear criteria.

Overview

In Year 6, students bring together the full media process to produce a finished film outcome. They combine clips, audio, and editing decisions more critically, and they evaluate how effective the final film is for its intended audience.

Achievement pathway

Level 1: Gather or download clips for a project.
Level 2: Use audio in a film edit.
Level 3: Produce a finished video project.
Level 4: Critically evaluate a film.

Independent task

Create a short edited film and write or discuss how your choices shaped the final message.