The National Centre for Computing Education announces seven new Computing Hubs

The National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE) is delighted to launch a further seven Computing Hubs, taking the total number to 30 and increasing the geographical reach of the programme.

The seven new Hubs, in the north west, the south east and the south west of England, will be centres of expertise, providing high-quality support and training to primary and secondary computing teachers in their area.

All Hubs demonstrate expertise and commitment to computing education through a rigorous approval process. The seven new lead schools and colleges are:

· Bishop Rawstorne Church of England Academy, Lancashire

· Denbigh School, Buckinghamshire

· Maidstone Grammar School for Girls, Kent

· Park House School, Berkshire

· Priestley College, Cheshire

· The Castle School, Somerset

· The Fallibroome Academy, Cheshire

Notes

The National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE) was established in November 2018 with up to £84 million of Government funding and is supported by a further £1 million from Google to develop training for secondary school computing teachers.

The National Centre for Computing Education is led by a consortium of STEM Learning, Raspberry Pi Foundation and BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, delivering support through a network of Computing Hubs. The driving ambition of the centre is to increase the number of pupils in schools and colleges who study computer science at GCSE, AS and A level, particularly girls and in disadvantaged areas, and ensure that there is a strong pipeline of digital skills in England.

The full list of Computing Hubs are:

· All Saints RC School, North Yorkshire

· Beauchamp College, Leicestershire

· Bingley Grammar School, West Yorkshire

· Bishop Challoner Catholic College, West Midlands

· Bishop Rawstorne Church of England Academy, Lancashire

· Cardinal Hume Catholic School, Tyne and Wear

· Carmel College, County Durham

· Chesterton Community College, Cambridgeshire

· City of Stoke-on-Trent 6th Form College, Staffordshire

· Dartford Grammar School, Kent

· Denbigh School, Buckinghamshire

· Dereham Neatherd High School, Norfolk

· Exeter Mathematics School, Devon

· Harrogate Grammar School, North Yorkshire

· Kings Priory School, Tyne and Wear

· Langley Grammar School, Berkshire

· Maidstone Grammar School for Girls, Kent

· Newstead Wood School, Kent

· Park House School, Berkshire

· Pate's Grammar School, Gloucestershire

· Priestley College, Cheshire

· Saffron Walden County High School, Essex

· Sandringham School, Hertfordshire

· St Clements Danes School, Hertfordshire

· The Castle School, Somerset

· The Chase, Worcestershire

· The Fallibroome Academy, Cheshire

· Truro and Penwith College, Cornwall

· West Suffolk College, Suffolk

· Westcliff High School for Girls, Essex

The Government’s decision to invest in computer science in schools followed a Royal Society report, After the Reboot, which showed computing education across the UK was patchy and fragile. It called for action to be taken in a swift and coordinated way by government, industry, and non-profit organisations.

The NCCE aims to significantly increase the number of pupils in schools and colleges who study computer science at GCSE, AS and A level, particularly girls and in disadvantaged areas, and ensure that there is a strong pipeline of digital skills.

The consortium members:

STEM Learning is the UK’s largest provider of education and careers support in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). It has a mission to improve lives through world-leading STEM education. For more information, visit www.stem.org.uk

The Raspberry Pi Foundation creates world class educational resources for computing and computer science used by millions of people each year, and has developed online courses that have supported tens of thousands of computing educators. For more information, visit www.raspberrypi.org

BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT is the professional body for computing and, as part of its Royal Charter, sets and maintains academic and professional standards in computing. For more information, visit www.bcs.org