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How the National Centre for Computing Education can help you support schools across your trust

The National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE) offers high-impact support for school trusts to enable schools and educators to deliver a holistic approach to computing education, fully aligned to the operational reality of English schools and with national best practice.

Regarding this offer, we met with The Harris Federation, a multi-academy trust (MAT), who shared how the NCCE has enhanced their teaching methods and how much students now enjoy computer science lessons with this fresh approach.

How the NCCE has helped to transform approaches to teaching computing

We started our discussions by asking teachers how their experiences with the NCCE offer have helped them strengthen their approach to teaching computing.

“I greatly increased my knowledge in Python programming and engaging with the tutors. Discussing programming questions and answers with fellow students [also] greatly improved my skills in the paper 2 element of the GCSE content”, one teacher said.

A secondary school leader went on to speak about the impact the Key stage 3 and GCSE Computer Science subject knowledge certificate had on their teachers, stating that “the certificate has upskilled our staff, giving them the confidence to deliver all parts of the computer science topics.”

However, the key takeaway from our conversation with teachers and school leaders from The Harris Federation was the accessibility of the resources provided by the NCCE. They emphasised the platform's value for both novice and experienced teachers, regardless of their prior knowledge of the subject.

“The NCCE has helped implement our new computing curriculum with the large bank of comprehensive resources that are on the website. The resources were easy to adapt and written by [subject] specialists, so for teachers within our Federation that aren't computing specialists, they've been easy to run in the classroom.”

Recommending the NCCE

Asking the teachers what they would tell someone who was considering engaging with the NCCE, the answers were astoundingly positive. “I would strongly recommend that they embark on a completing some of the professional development courses”, one teacher remarked.

Another teacher delved into how using resources signposted through programmes such as I Belong has impacted the quality of his lessons, citing that since introducing them into his lesson plans, girls within his classroom have become more engaged and more motivated in the subject.

The impact on students

Students from The Harris Federation shared how their learning has been positively impacted by the school's increased engagement with the NCCE and resources like the Teach Computing Curriculum. Through speaking to the students, we explored how this interaction has enriched their educational experience and deepened their understanding of the subject.

One student highlighted the pivotal role their teacher played in sparking their interest in computer science, emphasising how diverse teaching methods can inspire students to engage with and pursue the subject. This underscores the critical influence teachers have in shaping students' passion for computer science, emphasising the importance of high-quality, accessible teacher resources in an ever-changing subject.

“My teacher has inspired me and my class in general as he tries to give us new things [to do] - for example, in programming he makes us do programming by ourselves, making our own programs to try and test our own skills and help towards both our exams and our computer science knowledge in general.”

By integrating our training, resources, and enrichment programmes into your trust’s computing curriculum, you can enhance teaching and learning from key stage 1 to A level. With our support, your teachers will be equipped to achieve the best outcomes for students, ensuring every child receives the guidance needed to fulfil their potential, in line with the Department for Education’s pillars of quality for academy trusts.