Enriching the primary computing curriculum
18 September 2023
As the new term starts, and your students settle back into the school routine, you might now be thinking about your computing leadership role and what you would like to do to bring computing to life in your classroom.
Whether you are a new or established computing lead, you may be considering all things enrichment, whether that’s starting an after school or lunch time club or running an activity for the whole school to engage in. No matter what you decide, enrichment of computing will enable children to engage and get creative with technology in an informal setting and help support interest in the subject for your learners.
As a busy teacher, it may feel like another task to add to your to-do list. However, it is one that can yield many rewards and engage both children and teachers throughout your school. To help you, the NCCE is partnering with other computing education experts to provide a year long offer of computing enrichment. This means less time spent pondering what to use for your after-school club or computing challenge for the school and more time devoted to inspiring students within the field of computing.
How does it work?
The programme is designed so you can access resources whenever you need then, but also come along to one of our free webinars to learn how to run different activities across the year. Webinars are bookable here when they become available.
Different webinars will be run each term, so you can find out about activities and then run them yourself. Once finished, move onto the next webinar and activity. You could happily move through these and have more than enough for a whole school year of after school club activities, or even a dedicated computing week!
Alongside this, we are offering links to partner resources which are always available, so you can take them and use them when you wish.
What are the activities?
In Autumn Term you can attend webinars which will help you run activities on 3D design on the Moon, then look at designing a program to be used in space followed by collecting and analysing data to investigate climate change.
Further, the ever-popular UK Bebras Computing Challenge is open to all schools and is taking place in November. All resources and information about the competition is linked on our enrichment page here. On this page, you’ll be able to find everything you need to join the challenge and get your pupils thinking computationally.
Other activities will be soon be advertised for both Spring and Summer Term and will include activities using micro:bits, supporting girls in technology, and looking at careers in computing and digital, so keep your eyes peeled for more information!
Where can I find more support?
If you have any questions on the activities, or would like to hear from those who have run them before, you can use the dedicated group on the STEM Community to support you beyond the webinars.
What are the benefits of getting involved?
Running an enrichment activity not only offers support for various computing activities but also helps children discover the real-world connections of computing. It also contributes towards earning your primary computing certificate, especially if you've already attended an NCCE primary computing course. If this sounds like you, you may be closer than you think to achieving your very own certificate!
Additionally, the NCCE enrichment program is entirely free and tailored to help you provide the best opportunities for your students. Take a moment to explore our resources here, and stay updated on our upcoming webinars by following our social media platforms.
Let us know how you’re getting involved with our primary enrichment offer this year by tagging @WeAreComputing on X and using the hashtag #PrimaryEnrichment. We can’t wait to see how you and your pupils get involved!