Teach Computing Curriculum: updates to the secondary journey
Over the past year we have been seeking stakeholder views on the Teach Computing Curriculum, aiming to ensure it is as impactful and relevant as possible. We’ve listened to teachers, subject specialists, independent researchers (read extracts from our independent review) and our Academic Board and have been working hard behind the scenes to improve this resource.
So, what’s changed?
Increased emphasis on safe technology use
In Year 7, the Clear Messaging in Digital Media unit now integrates online safety throughout. In Year 8, design consideration and practical tools to help keep users safe have been written into the Mobile App Development unit, touching on encryption, GPS, hardware and other topics. We’ve also made it easier to find online safety resources from other government-funded sources.
Learning from mistakes, making student effort and perseverance become routine
We’ve updated the Key Stage 3 and GCSE Student Knowledge question banks to include formative feedback for every question, ensuring students receive support with their learning if they don’t get the correct answer the first time. We’ve also launched key stage 3 summative assessments. All the questions are compatible with both Google and Microsoft platforms.
Identifying and tackling common misconceptions
Every secondary unit has been updated, with subject knowledge misconceptions identified. Advice and guidance can be found in each unit guide.
Linking to learners’ future lives and computing-related careers
Our bank of career videos, linked to computing, are an excellent tool for promoting diversity in the subject and discussing its relevance to the future for your students.
Supporting access using different technologies
Every key stage 3 and key stage 4 unit includes suggested alternative software, supporting all schools to deliver effective computing lessons without constraints. All our assessment resources are compatible with both Google and Microsoft platforms, too. Python code files are now made available through Trinket.io so accessing them is easy.
Going deeper into the subject
Both key stage 3 and key stage 4 unit guides now include guidance on promoting deeper thinking within the lessons, aiming to support students in building conjectures, generalisations, and reasoned arguments.
To make the most of these updates, we recommend always downloading and using the current version of the curriculum. Our CPD has been updated to help you implement the curriculum in your school, and you’ll find signposts to relevant courses within the curriculum. You can also find out how other teachers have adapted the curriculum to their school’s needs, contributing towards the Teach secondary computing certificate, in the STEM Community.