New primary computing courses for autumn
As teachers, there's a constant need to balance what is in the curriculum today with what children need for the future.
Recent conversations across education have focused on artificial intelligence, online misinformation, digital skills and the role technology plays in children's lives. The Curriculum and Assessment Review (CAR) recognised many of these challenges, highlighting the importance of stronger digital literacy teaching alongside concerns about digital access and the knowledge young people need to thrive in an increasingly digital world.
Most primary teachers will recognise these issues from their own classrooms. Children are using technology from a very young age, making decisions about what to trust online and interacting with apps, games and services that collect and use data, often without realising it.
To help teachers develop confidence in these emerging areas, the National Centre for Computing Education has launched two new courses this autumn:
- Developing children's understanding of data in primary computing
- Developing digital literacy in primary computing
Together, these courses support teachers in two areas that are becoming increasingly important across primary education.
Developing children's understanding of data in primary computing
Data has long been part of primary computing, but children's day-to-day experiences with data look very different from those of previous generations.
Children encounter data every day through apps, online recommendations, games, wearable technology and AI-powered tools. Understanding what data is, where it comes from and how it is used helps children make sense of the technology they use every day. It helps them move beyond simply using technology to questioning and understanding it.
This course explores how children's understanding of data develops from Key Stage 1 through to Key Stage 2. It supports teachers in moving beyond collecting and presenting data towards helping pupils interpret, question and evaluate it. It also explores common misconceptions and how children's understanding develops across the primary years, alongside classroom examples that teachers can adapt for their own pupils. Because data and handling of data appear in other areas of the curriculum, it also highlights meaningful links between computing, mathematics and science, helping teachers build richer and more connected learning experiences.
Developing digital literacy in primary computing
One of the strongest messages from the Curriculum and Assessment Review was the need to strengthen digital literacy.
As teachers, we know that being digitally literate involves far more than simply using technology. Children need to be able to evaluate information, recognise misinformation, understand how online content is created and shared, and participate safely and responsibly in digital spaces.
That's why we created Developing digital literacy in primary computing. The course explores digital literacy progression across Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, considers differences in children's digital experiences and provides practical approaches for teaching media literacy and critical evaluation of online content. These aren't skills that sit only within computing lessons. Whether children are evaluating a historical source, researching a topic in geography or deciding whether an online claim is trustworthy, digital literacy increasingly underpins learning across the curriculum.
Why these courses matter
The Curriculum and Assessment Review highlighted the increasing importance of digital literacy and the need for young people to develop the skills required to understand and navigate a technology-rich world.
These two new courses are designed to help teachers build confidence in both areas and provide practical approaches that can be taken straight back into the classroom.
Whether you're looking to strengthen your own subject knowledge, support colleagues or refresh aspects of your computing curriculum, both courses provide practical, classroom-focused professional development grounded in the realities of primary teaching.
Children are already encountering data, online content and digital technologies every day. Helping them understand how these work, question what they see and make informed decisions is becoming an increasingly important part of primary education. These courses are designed to support teachers in doing exactly that.