Latest news from the NoE
With support from the DfE CAS are implementing a programme of locally driven support for teachers: 'The Network of Excellence for the Teaching of Computer Science' (NoE).
Get the latest news about the NoE here
Latest News
- Hour of Code
- CAS supports Cyber Security Challenge Schools Programme
- CAS' #include wins a Google RISE award
- Take the CAS Survey!
- BT and education partners to prepare future workforce with Teaching Computing course
The New Curriculum
The ICT curriculum, now called 'Computing', has been reformed. It now includes a clearly-articulated strand of computer science (including programming) as the underlying subject discipline, alongside the use and application of digital technology. These changes represent a qualitative shift in the subject, not an incremental change.
CAS welcomes the change and believes it is of huge educational and economic importance for all students.
[Read more ...]
Related Documents and Articles
- Download the Primary programme of study
- Download the Secondary programme of study
- Guidance to the Primary Curriculum
- Are you ready for the new curriculum?
- The CAS Curriculum
The Network of Excellence
CAS are thrilled that the DfE have supported the application made by CAS/BCS to continue and expand the Network of Teaching Excellence in Computer Science (NoE). The heart of the programme is to build a high-quality, sustainable CPD infrastructure at low cost. This will be achieved by nurturing long-term, bottom-up collaboration between employers, universities, professional bodies, schools and teachers.
Our goals are to:
- Recruit and train 600 CAS Master Teachers (primary and secondary)
- Harness university expertise to lead on training and development of the CAS Master teachers
- Maintain comprehensive set of classroom resources for all key stages
- Enhance professional status for all Heads of Computing in schools
School Infrastructure
School ICT Infrastructure and how it is managed can be one the biggest impediments in the implementation of Computer Science education. The needs of teachers and learners and the requirements imposed on network managers, whether in-house or outsourced, can be a source of conflict. The sometimes apparently diametrically opposing position of the service provider and their end users has always been there and it applies to the teaching of other subjects not just Computer Science or ICT.
Primary Training Days
CAS in association with our university partners, Rising Stars and Naace are running a number primary regional training days. Each day is tailored to the needs of primary teachers, KS1 or KS2 with plenty of hands on activities, workshops and presentations to help gain confidence with the new curriculum.
- 12th March Nottingham
- 26th March Oxford
- 28th March Manchester
- 31st March UCL London
- 2nd April Cambridge
- 2nd April Newcastle
- 2nd April Southampton
- 28th April Bath
Code.org is a non profit organisation whose aim is to demystify that coding is only for geeks, it is accessible for all! Having run a hugely successful campaign in the US last year they are now promoting a UK version in march 2014.
To help schools and teachers engage with the hour of code the organisers have brought together many tutorials for all levels with the most basic one being the first, which teaches students the basics of computer programming in just sixty minutes, through very simple and fun tutorial where Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft's Bill Gates team up to encourage learners to program their very own "Angry Birds".
UK Hour of Code aims to get classrooms across the nation trying an hour of code during the week of 3rd - 9th March this year. The date marks the 25th anniversary of the creation of the World Wide Web by the UK's ultimate coder Tim Berners-Lee, who has kindly agreed to support the Hour of Code.
CAS welcome this initiative and are pleased to support the Hour of Code in UK schools.
The CAS Newsletter
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Download the latest issue of our newsletter here. The newsletter is produced once a term and is packed with articles and ideas for teaching computer science in the classroom. This issue takes a look at the idea of Computational Thinking. Com-putational thinking is something children do, not computers. Indeed, many activities that develop computational thought don't need a computer at all. This influential term helps stress the educational processes we are engaged in. Developing learning and thinking skills lies be-hind our view that all children need exposure to such ideas. There is something of interest to all CAS members and the wider teaching community. Resources and ideas shared by teachers, both primary and secondary. There is also a section on the Network of Excellence for those new to CAS who aren't familiar with current developments. |
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Barefoot Computing
A project to help introduce the new computing curriculum into primary schools in England is being launched by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT in partnership with Computing at School (CAS), funded by the Department for Education (DfE).
Known as Barefoot Computing, the project aims to equip primary school teachers with the basic knowledge and confidence needed to begin the journey towards becoming an excellent computing teacher. [Read more ...]
Primary Guidance
CAS, in association with Naace and other partners are delighted to publish this guide for primary school teachers. The guide explains how primary teachers can get started with the new computing curriculum and provides many pointers to excellent resources and ideas for building an innovative and exciting curriculum.
Don't be daunted by the changes in the move from ICT to Computing. Rather, see this as an opportunity to develop your own knowledge about computing and to learn to program, if you've never had the chance before. Although this might sound like hard work, it's actually great fun. You'll find that you make better use of the technology you have at home and in school, and also that you start to think a bit differently, looking at systems and problems in the same way a computer scientist does.
"I think the primary guidance is a fantastic document that will enable primary teachers to gain a better understanding of the new curriculum and I particularly love the section on assessment" (Deborah Ball, Dosthill Primary School)
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