Getting to grips with computing

From September 2014, schools across the country are expected to implement the new national curriculum. With the aim of combining the best elements of what is being taught in the world’s most successful school systems, the government is keen to generate more productive, creative and well educated students. Of course, as is the case with any change, there is a period of adjustment which is necessary in order to allow schools to acclimatise. But we are now approaching the end of the academic year, and September is looming. The question is: are schools ready? We speak to the education sector’s industry leaders to establish their thoughts.

Getting prepared
“I think schools are getting there, steadily” says Sanjesh Sharma, managing director of New Ways to Learn, a company dedicated to the creation and realisation of a forward-thinking vision within schools and businesses. “The challenge is a lack of preparation time on both an individual and Key Stage level. There is a great deal of resources out there to support teachers through the transition though, more so than ever before.”
    
The new national curriculum has been a hot topic of debate for teachers across the country. Teachers and even writers including Michael Rosen have gone on strike and lashed out in the press, arguing that the curriculum changes are harking back to an outdated attitude to teaching and learning, which focuses on a quantitative approach to learning and revokes the recent moves towards a more creative approach to teaching.
    
Nevertheless, come September, schools will have to start implementing the Curriculum, and Ofsted inspectors will be expecting to see progress. Dave Smith, Computing and ICT advisor for Havering School Improvement Services, believes that Ofsted will be looking particularly closely at a school’s approach to implementing the ICT national curriculum, which is an area arguably requiring the most change.

The advantages of CPD
Continuing Professional Development has always been necessary for schools and their teachers to stay up to date with the advancements in their field. However, in light of the new national curriculum, CPD will be fundamental if teachers are to feel on top of the UK Government’s new expectations. “The devolution of previously ring-fenced technology and training budgets directly to schools is allowing schools the autonomy to source their own training and tools, meaning they have got to act smart in  choosing the right resources” says Dave.
    
The British Education Suppliers Association’s (BESA) 16th annual survey detailed that funding for information communication technology (ICT) investment in school will be reaching an all time high this year. According to Lawrence Royston, managing director of Groupcall, the survey of 1,238 UK schools found that in the school year 2014/15, schools forecast their ICT expenditure will be higher in cash terms than at any other time on record.
    
“Implementing the new curriculum efficiently will undeniably require huge ICT investment and with such investment comes the pressure to ensure that schools get the best possible return on investment,” says Lawrence. “CPD is a must for ensuring that teachers are properly equipped to do this.”
    
However challenging the new curriculum is for educators, the focus needs to be on how best to implement it for the benefit of students and schools. As James Betts, school governor and managing director of educational software publishers Kudlian believes, “CPD will also help to dispel the myth that the new curriculum is overly difficult, and will lead to empowered teachers who are happy and confident in taking our digital learners forward.”
 
Significant changes
“Computer Science, Computer Science, Computer Science” says Dave Smith. “The bar has been raised. It’s time to get to know your coding from your algorithms.” The new curriculum’s focus on more intensive ICT lessons for children means that teachers who find technology a challenge are at something of a disadvantage.
    
Utilising the available support is just one way for teachers to feel on top of the new curriculum. “I suggest that teachers read the free CAS/Naace guide Computing in the National Curriculum. It’s a really useful tool which helps allow schools to reinvigorate teaching and learning in this area of the curriculum.”
    
But there is more to the new curriculum than just drilling programming into students. “It is also important to bear in mind that there is more to this than simply teaching students how to code; it is about encouraging computational thinking in students, including logic and problem solving” says James. “For many teachers, the notion of teaching programming skills to KS2 and above is totally new, and somewhat daunting. Ensuring that teachers feel equipped to deliver in this new area is key.”
    
Another big change is the introduction of a language at Key Stage 2 level. In a similar way to the ICT Curriculum change, many schools fear that they do not have experienced enough staff, or the resources to facilitate this focus on language. However Sanjesh believes that “there is a real opportunity here to make use of the vast amount of online resources and applications which encourage language development through game play.” Modern teaching cannot escape the influence of technology in either the curriculum or the classroom, and it is an intuitive step forward for teachers to take full advantage of new ICT resources available to help them adjust to the upcoming changes.

Autonomy
There is a widely accepted argument that one of the biggest advantages of the new curriculum is the autonomy which it gives to educators, however not everyone agrees that this is the case. “I am not convinced that schools will have the autonomy they expect,” argues Sanjesh. “Academies and Free Schools, for example, are exempt.”
    
For some schools the word ‘autonomy’ is arguably a euphemism for ‘lack-of-guidance’ in the curriculum. As Dave says, “previous incarnations of the national curriculum in England would have been accompanied by government procured curriculum materials, training and advice. The new computing curriculum for primary schools in England is no more than two sides of A4 paper and brief in its statements.”
    
The abolition of standard level grading is one such example of this; while this is supposed to mean that schools now have greater flexibility, teachers fear they may be left foundering as they try to make sense of the marking process. There are concerns that some teachers may simply try to adapt the old system to the new to create a sense of familiarity.
    
However, there are a number of academic professionals who believe schools being granted greater autonomy can only be an advantage. “Whilst the more open nature of the new curriculum may be seen as a negative by some schools, it is a key strength to many, and one which allows schools to better develop a learning environment which best suits their learners” argues James. “The ability for schools to do this is very exciting, and is something which should be wholeheartedly embraced.”
    
Recent research suggests that the more autonomous a school is, the better the outcomes for students. “Increasing levels of autonomy means that schools are far more open to working with other schools, swapping advice and sharing best practice techniques and tips with each other,” says Lawrence. “My advice to schools and head teachers is to ‘buddy up’ with other schools in their areas as much as possible. Not only will their staff and students benefit from sharing experiences and initiatives, but they stand to benefit financially too: schools can purchase collectively and take advantage of economies of scale.”

Looking forward
As Francis Bacon once said, ‘great changes are easier than small ones’. As with any change, there will be teething problems and stumbling blocks, however it is important to look at the positives which do come with the new curriculum.
    
“While it is important for educators to recognise and address the associated challenges presented by the new curriculum, it is important for them to look at all the positives, too” adds Lawrence. “Implementing the new curriculum means new opportunities; to revise and enhance teaching approaches and to implement revolutionary technology to support learning. Focussing on the positives rather than the challenges is a good way of getting ready!”
    
In the 26 years since the national curriculum was first introduced, 2014 is arguably the year which will be seeing the most significant change. The important thing for educators is to feel that they are supported in the implementation of these changes, and to make sure that they are working with the curriculum, not against it, to provide pupils with the best learning opportunities for their specific needs.

Further information
tinyurl.com/kkae9ds