Pioneering schools are the first to achieve new computing award for quality teaching
The first ten schools to achieve a new national accreditation which recognises excellence in computing education, are celebrating their success; with many more schools set to follow.
The ten primary and secondary schools are the first to achieve benchmark level of the National Centre for Computing Education’s ground-breaking new tool, the Computing Quality Framework, which evaluates computing provision and recognises excellence with its Computing Quality Mark.
Following the CQF’s pilot phase in autumn 2021, over 700 schools across England are now using the CQF to evaluate their computing education.
Claire Garside, senior lead facilitator at the National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE), said;
“Congratulations to our first ten ‘Computing Quality Mark’ schools. They’ve led the way to deliver higher standards in computing education and demonstrate the quality of their provision.
“They’re our ‘first ten’, but we know many more schools have brilliant computing education. The NCCE teams are working closely with primary and secondary schools across England to support them to also achieve the Computing Quality Mark.
"The CQF gives schools the strategic oversight to ensure all their students receive the computing skills and knowledge they will need for their future, and which are increasingly in demand from employers.”
Vale Academy in Brigg, North Lincolnshire, is one of the first ten to achieve the NCCE Computing Quality Mark.
Damian Burrin, Faculty Lead for Computer Science at Vale Academy, said;
"The CQF is a great initiative. Other subjects have a subject mark to show they deliver a high-quality curriculum. I know we deliver a good curriculum that supports our local needs and enables students to achieve at the highest standard.
"It’s great to have this recognised and we hope it will encourage more students to complete a computing based qualification. The CQF also gave us the opportunity to self-evaluate, take stock of what we do and adjust our approaches to ensure they remain valid and relevant.”
The CQF enables primary and secondary schools to evaluate computing provision, identify areas for improvement and access NCCE training, resources and support. The free, online framework enables schools to review, develop, and monitor their computing education. Schools can access support from the NCCE’s national network of Computing Hubs based at 34 schools across England.
Schools that have reached the benchmark level for all seven aspects of the framework, can apply for the NCCE Computing Quality Mark, awarded by BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, which recognises and celebrates the school’s progress.
The first ten schools to receive a Computing Quality Mark, are:
Anchorsholme Primary Academy, Lancashire; Barton Court Grammar School, Kent; Carmel College, County Durham; The Chase School, Worcestershire; Garforth Academy, West Yorkshire; Icknield High School, Bedfordshire; Pate’s Grammar School, Gloucestershire; Saffron Walden County High School, Essex; Tupton Hall School, Derbyshire; The Vale Academy, Lincolnshire
To find out more about the CQF, visit computingqualityframework.org or contact your local NCCE Computing Hub.