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Find out more about our upcoming graduation events!

We are delighted to announce that we are extending the invite for our summer Celebration events to all teachers who have obtained certification from the National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE).

There are some exciting plans in store for each event, with a range of influential and inspirational speakers lined up. Here's a sneak peek of what attendees can expect.

Use the links below to navigate to the event nearest to you and the booking links to secure your place today!

  • Auto Trader UK, Manchester
  • National STEM Learning Centre, York
  • Millennium Point, Birmingham
  • Westminster City Hall, London
  • Urban Sciences Building, Newcastle
  • DC Intelligence Ltd, Cambridge
  • Bletchley Park, Milton Keynes

All attendees of these events will receive a physical copy of their certificate and a goody bag! Each one has an exciting line-up of influential and inspirational speakers from education and industry relevant to computing. You will also hear what is next for the NCCE and how we can continue to help you teach, lead and develop computing in your school.

Auto Trader UK, Manchester - Wednesday 29 June

Taking place at Auto Trader UK’s Manchester office, an ‘inspirational playground’ for the company’s growing number of app developers and web programmers, this event is delivered in collaboration with Manchester Digital and Computing at School. As well as an opportunity to celebrate alongside other NCCE graduates, this event can also support your school to achieve the Gatsby benchmarks.

  • Emma Grant, Head of Talent and Skills at Manchester Digital, will talk about the digital and tech sector in Greater Manchester and the challenges faced by the industry.
  • Sarah Brooks-Pearce, Future Talent Manager and Neurodiversity Network Lead, Auto Trader UK. Sarah is passionate about raising awareness of the value of investing in talent, breaking down barriers and misconceptions around early careers, and is a champion of apprenticeships. Auto Trader now has an integrated and accessible apprenticeships programme from levels 3 to 7 across multiple digital and non-digital pathways. They are looking forward to welcoming more in 2022 and beyond.
  • Participants will engage in some free, short CPD which will demonstrate the value that STEM Ambassadors - who can help make computing more relevant to young people - can add to the computing curriculum and the extra-curricular offer.
  • The event will include networking opportunities with industry representatives and STEM Ambassadors to discover how they use their digital and computing skills - to enable teachers to share these inspirational stories with their students.

National STEM Learning Centre, York - Thursday 30 June

  • Alan O'Donohoe, Exa Education / @teknoteacher, will share his inspirational journey to teaching computer science and becoming an established member of the community winning several awards in the process.
  • The National STEM Learning Centre is home to STEM Learning, the UK's largest provider of education and careers support in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), and providers of the STEM Ambassador programme and STEM Community, amongst various other things. You will have the opportunity to take advantage of these and many more offers to support your professional development and teaching during your time here.
  • This event coincides with the last day of the fully-funded Preparing to teach GCSE Computer Science residential. That’s great news if you have been meaning to book some computing CPD - as, throughout the residential, you'll be supported to complete the assessment to complete your Subject knowledge certificate! That doesn’t mean you have to participate in the residential to join this event; you can book the celebration event directly if you’re already completed the programme.

Millennium Point, Birmingham - Monday 4 July

Millennium Point is a destination for those interested in STEM as the home of Thinktank - Birmingham’s award-winning science museum - and Birmingham City University - including its School of Computing and Digital Technology.

  • Nicola Swaney, Education Outreach Manager for Rolls-Royce, will talk about the link between computing education and the automotive manufacturer’s own digital strategy and workforce. Over 22,500 people work for Rolls-Royce in the UK, and with one of its main sites in Birmingham, there are plenty of opportunities for young people in the region. Rolls-Royce is a valued supporter of the NCCE, and Nicola is herself an active STEM Ambassador.
  • Dan Hoff-Rodrigues, Director of {CX}² Talent Solutions - a community-focused Tech & Digital talent solutions business, Digital Skills Lead at Birmingham Tech Week and YouTube Host, will share his insights from the Tech sector and challenge the way you think about the future of the tech workforce.

Westminster City Hall, London - Tuesday 5 July

With London set to become a Smart City, there is no more perfect time for teachers from across the Greater London area to complete the Computer Science Accelerator and join in the celebrations. Furthermore, the inspirational Lord Mayor’s Parlour, where this event will take place, enjoys impressive views over the city.

  • Lee Jones, Digital Skills Lead at Microsoft, will give a keynote presentation to attendees at this event.
  • There will be networking opportunities over refreshments for attendees at this event.

Urban Sciences Building at Newcastle University, Newcastle - Friday 8 July

The Urban Sciences Building at Newcastle University is a £58M state-of-the-art structure trialling new energy systems, novel materials and smart engineering, contributing to research to make urban centres more sustainable for future generations. The USB is home to Newcastle University’s world Top 100 School of Computing and hosts a number of exciting research projects and facilities.

  • Tony Platten, Founder of North East business Tynetec, who specialise in digital technology in homes, and Chairman of Blyth Spartans football club, will give the keynote speech.
  • Attendees will have the opportunity to choose from one of three free CPD sessions designed to enhance knowledge and support the teaching of computing/computer science: GCSE+ / A-Level Computer Science - Beyond the CSA; Python programming on the Raspberry Pi with Minecraft, and Leading a Computing Department and preparing for Ofsted.

DC Intelligence Ltd, Cambridge - Saturday 9 July

This event is delivered in partnership with Arm, a key supporter of the National Centre for Computing Education and kindly hosted by DC Intelligence.

  • Professor Simon Peyton Jones, Chair of the NCCE and Engineering Fellow at Epic Games (creators of the popular game Fortnite), will address the graduates and share a little of his journey through industry and academia and his vision for computing education.
  • Carrie Anne Philbin MBE, Director of Educator Support at Raspberry Pi Foundation, Author and YouTuber, will share how her passion for improving access to, and diversity within computing, led her to become Chair of CAS Include.
  • Arm will share why supporting teachers of computing is important for their industry, with an insight into digital skills and roles at Arm.
  • This event is open to families of NCCE graduates - Arm will run a makerspace area with activities for children aged 5 to 16 to inspire them through physical computing.

Bletchley Park, Milton Keynes - Wednesday 13 and Thursday 14 July

Once the top-secret home of the World War Two Codebreakers, Bletchley Park is without doubt a fitting venue for the regional graduation events. This event will take place in the impressive Ballroom of Bletchley Park’s Grade II Listed Mansion, and all attendees will receive Bletchley Park gift bags!

  • Attendees will have access to tour Bletchley Park for free before the event starts, also receiving a presentation from Dr David Kenyon and Dr Thomas Cheetham on ‘The Intelligence Factory – Bletchley Park in the Second World War’.
  • There will be networking opportunities with CAS, and your local SLP, Maths Hub, STEM Ambassador Hub and some of our partners from the steering group over refreshments for attendees at this event.
  • All attendees will receive Bletchley Park gift bags!

Need some help completing your certificate?

If you are yet to embark on or complete your certification journey, it is not too late! Login to your Teach Computing profile to check your progress, or you can reach out to your local Computing Hub for more information.

You can view all courses eligible for your chosen certificate on the Teach Computing website, where you can filter by topic and course format to suit your needs.

Already on the Computer Science Accelerator? If you need support preparing for the test, why not attend a 90-minute Preparing to take the CSA test session? Plus if you work in a state-funded school or college, don't forget that if you complete your certificate before 31 July, your school will be entitled to bursary funding of up to £1800.