The interactive digital insights day was designed by the leading ESG specialist, Ahead Partnership, and seeks to reach young women who lack awareness or connections to the tech sector. By introducing them to the sector’s growing wealth of roles and opportunities, it aims not only to foster their personal development, but to help employers build a diverse pipeline of talent for the future.

The day gave 153 young women from 11 schools across Leeds access to an impressive catalogue of events, including panel sessions, workshops and networking with role models and industry leaders.

The immediate impact of the event is clear in its feedback: only 59% of pupils understood the meaning of the ‘digital sector’ on arrival, growing to 90% by the end of the session; an impressive 94% of pupils felt aware of the key skills, qualifications and entry routes involved in the digital sector by the end of the event, rising considerably from just 67% at the start of the day.

Ahead Partnership delivered this year’s event with the support of several long-standing partners and employers, including Leeds City Council, Netcompany, and multi-billion pound organisation, Sulzer. Representatives from the organisations had the unique opportunity to network and share personal insights with the next generation of young, female talent, encouraging them to consider a future in technology and innovation.

Executive President of Sulzer, Dr Suzanne Thoma, said: “The skills gap in tech is growing, so it’s essential that we engage with young people early and showcase the opportunities that are available to them.

“This is particularly important for young women; with only 24% of the UK tech industry workers being female, the need for change is clear. As longstanding champions for diversity and inclusion, we are very proud to have teamed up with Ahead Partnership to help spearhead that change.

“It was fantastic to see the young women who took part in each of the activities today grow in confidence across the day, and I hope that it will leave a lasting impact on each of them as they consider the multitude of opportunities available to them in future.”

Girl Tech is the flagship event in Ahead Partnership’s Growing Talent Digital Leeds programme. Led and funded by some of the city’s top employers, the award-winning initiative harnesses the combined resources of key employers and partners to inspire and encourage young people aged 10-18 years to pursue a career in digital; address specific skills gaps in the industry and create an inclusive, diverse and skilled talent pipeline.

The game introduces primary aged children (7-11yr olds) to the basics of online safety in a fun and interactive way. Four to six players compete to make their way across the game board, in an online safety quest. Along the way, players respond to various situations described on the games’ ‘Online Safety Scenario’ cards, and are reminded about ways to stay safe by reading out the game’s ‘Online Safety Pledge’ cards.

Scenarios highlight situations children may well face in their real, every day, digital lives, for example, ‘While playing a game someone asks you for your real name. What is the safe thing to do?’. These are paired with advice on how to be a responsible digital explorer, ‘I will be a good online friend by respecting others’ feelings and ideas’.

Players try to land on bonus spaces on the game board, such as  ‘Reported bullying – move forward 2 spaces’, while dodging penalty spots – ‘No Wi-Fi – Miss a go’. This downloadable game features a game board illustrated with LGfL’s stylized graphics, card packs and additional blank card templates so children can add their own content to the game.

For more information and to download the game, please visit https://digitalexplorers.lgfl.net

The Department for Education (DfE) introduced the accreditation scheme in response to the rapid growth of the online education services sector, as well as the growth of alternative provision, which marked an increase in the last academic year[i]. The scheme aims to reassure children, caregivers, schools, and local authorities of the quality of education and safeguarding arrangements offered by accredited providers.

Academy21 offers best-in-class online education providing students with the unique experience of live instruction and adaptive teaching, which helps to develop relationships and build students’ confidence. The school’s Ofsted reports can now be accessed via the ‘Get Information about Schools’ (GIAS) website as an accredited provider.

The DfE report highlights the “culture of high ambition and high expectations” evident at Academy21 and lauds the school’s “driven focus to provide the best online provision possible for the pupils they serve”. In particular, the report notes that the positive learning environment and approaches taken by the school enable students to gain confidence, progress academically and, in many cases, successfully reintegrate back into their school or other educational placements.

Alessandro Capozzi, Executive Head at Academy21 (pictured left), said: “We’re really proud to be the first Online AP in the UK to receive this recognition from the Department for Education (DfE). We’re committed to providing students with an exceptional education that caters to each individual child’s needs, and we welcome a scheme that recognises the vital role of quality online education in empowering students with additional needs or challenging circumstances.”

The report notes: “A significant strength of Academy21 is the strategic direction, focus and oversight the executive teams at Inspired Education. There are very high levels of accountability – alongside similar levels of support. Central teams including, for example, experts in safeguarding, finance, technological development and curriculum provide additional expertise to support ongoing improvements.

“Teachers demonstrate strong subject knowledge alongside a secure understanding of the technical knowledge and skills needed to operate within an online environment. The positive learning environment they create promote pupils’ confidence and this has an important impact on the progress they go on to make.”

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “We are proud to have Academy 21 as a valued ASCL partner and are delighted that it has received a very positive report from Ofsted under the Online Education Accreditation Scheme. This accreditation scheme is an important initiative in the growing field of online education services and provides vital assurance to children, parents and local authorities of the quality of education and safeguarding arrangements. Academy 21 provides fantastic support to some of the education system’s most vulnerable students and its values closely align with ASCL’s mission to act on behalf of children and young people.”

As approved providers on many local authority frameworks, Academy21 works in partnership with over 900 schools and over 140 Local Authorities to provide quality, innovative and inclusive fully live online education in a supportive environment that enables students with additional needs or challenging circumstances to reconnect with learning and move successfully onto the next phase in their education.

For more information on the scheme, visit here.

Esri UK created mobile apps that enabled children to map their emotions along with what they saw, heard and smelt across the gardens and start learning some of the skills needed to study biodiversity. Findings were explored on an interactive dashboard, helping them to understand how different environments cause different reactions.

The National Education Nature Park is a pioneering Department for Education initiative launching later this year, created to teach children about climate change and improve biodiversity across the country. Run by a partnership led by the Natural History Museum (NHM), working with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and geospatial partner Esri UK, the park will enable young people to lead the way in mapping, monitoring and enhancing biodiversity at their places of education, equipping them new skills and improving wellbeing.

The activity day was visited by representatives from the DfE and Chair of Trustees of the NHM, Sir Patrick Vallance and Clare Matterson CBE, Director General of the RHS. Baroness Barran MBE, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the DfE, attended as the DfE announced £15m in funding for education settings in the most deprived and nature depleted areas to engage with the programme. Children who took part were from schools in pilot regions of the Northwest and West Midlands, currently helping to shape the National Education Nature Park scheme.

Esri UK created mapping apps for the event, enabling young people to record their experiences by plotting what they saw, heard and smelt, along with the emotions they felt at different locations. Another app introduced them to species identification and the skills needed for tending to different plants and wildlife. The software also allowed them to explore the results on an interactive dashboard to understand how different environments cause different reactions and encourage problem solving. Designed to introduce young children to the concepts of mapping and citizen science, the test apps will help develop final versions for the Nature Park.

“Digital mapping enabled the children to record and share information and start learning some of the skills needed to study biodiversity at their own learning sites,” explained Katie Hall, Schools Manager at Esri UK. “This type of activity helps young people begin to understand our emotional connection with the natural world and how improvements to it have a positive impact on wellbeing. Biodiversity mapping will help children develop a wide range of skills, including numeracy, spatial awareness, data visualisation and analysis, which encourages analytical thinking. All of these skills help prepare them for future careers and to better protect the world around us.”

Doug Gurr, Director of the Natural History Museum said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be working with the Department for Education and our partners to make the National Education Nature Park and Climate Action Awards start to become a reality. In the face of the planetary emergency and Museum research showing that the UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, having our scientists sharing their world-leading biodiversity expertise with the scientists of tomorrow gives me so much hope, both for the future of biodiversity in this country and for the futures of the young people taking part.”

Clare Matterson CBE, Director General of the Royal Horticultural Society, said: “From creating pollinator-friendly habitats, digging ponds, identifying wildlife or planning planting schemes, nurseries, schools and colleges will be able to play a driving role in mapping, monitoring and enhancing biodiversity on their doorstep. Children and young people will have a chance to create and grow a garden that works for wildlife, to learn new skills and understand impacts of climate change – all of which offers a gateway to a lifelong interest in nature, biodiversity and sustainability.”

All education settings in England will be able to sign up to become part of the National Education Nature Park and work towards the Climate Action Awards via a new online platform, set to launch in the Autumn term. They will also be able to access the free resources and track biodiversity gains in their areas.

All those interested in taking part can receive the latest updates by signing up to the NHM mailing list here: https://www.nhm.ac.uk/education-nature-park

The new toolkit comprises a collection of key documents that schools can use to improve their cybersecurity and also use as a foundation for attaining Cyber Essentials Certification – a foundation level certification designed to provide a statement of the basic controls they should have in place to mitigate the risk from common cyber threats.

The following key documents can be downloaded for free:

A CyberSecurity Policy Template  – designed to complement the schools existing social media and acceptable use policies – which outlines the school’s guidelines and security provisions that are there to protect its systems, services, and data in the event of a cyberattack.

An Incident Response Plan which can be used as a starting point for planning recovery from a ransomware attack, or any other kind of unforeseen outage.

An Example Risk Register that can be used to assess, evaluate, prioritise and manage cybersecurity risks. This can also be used by the school’s senior leadership team to report to governors on how they are proactively managing risks and improving cybersecurity.

An Example Asset Register that can be used as a starting point to inventory the equipment used in the school. It sounds obvious, but it’s impossible to be secure if you don’t know what you have.

An Example Software Register used to record which software/systems schools have and whether they hold confidential information. This can be used to complement the Incident Response Plan for prioritising the recovery of services.

Commenting on the new resource, Dinesh Seegobin, Head of ICT at STEP Academy Trust, said, “We all know that being aware of cybersecurity is critical but how many of us can claim to be experts? In addition, there is so much information out there to digest, where do you begin? This is where, yet again, LGfL has come to our rescue. The Elevate Cybersecurity Toolkit is an absolute game changer. A one-stop shop to help get you on track backed up with all the weight of industry experts.”

To download your free copy please visit http://www.elevate.lgfl.net

Tanners Brook Primary School in Millbrook has welcomed over 30 new desktop computers to enable children to explore, learn and develop IT skills to prepare them for their next steps of education.

The IT suite seats 32 children and has also been used as a teacher training hub.

Tanners Brook Primary School is passionate about its pupils ‘achieving their personal best’ and discovering the subjects they love as early as possible.

The IT suite has encouraged children to find a passion for IT while learning the fundamentals of online computer safety.

Headteacher Ingrid Dowse said she is delighted about the new IT suite and is excited to see pupils and teachers making use of the space.

Ingrid said: “The new suite has provided our pupils with opportunities to build really strong IT skills at a young age and prepare them for the transition into secondary school.

“We want our pupils to achieve their personal best during their time at Tanners Brook and it’s important we provide them with excellent facilities and equipment.

“We’ve certainly seen a lot of excitement from the teachers and pupils about the new suite. The children can’t wait for their next IT lesson.

“We love watching them explore the subjects they’re interested in, discover what they love and pursue their passions.”

Tanners Brook Primary school is committed to continuous improvement and will be opening a new science lab soon.

The Southampton school is part of the HISP Multi Academy Trust which works with schools across the wider Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Southampton and Portsmouth.

To find out more about Tanners Brook School, visit its website https://www.tannersbrookpri.org.uk

Why is it valuable to children?

Learning to code as a child brings myriad benefits. Most notably the job prospects it offers. The UK tech sector is estimated to be around £540bn and this is only growing. The number of jobs in Manchester alone increased by 164.6% in 2021.

But it’s not just job prospects, understanding code will help them understand how the world around them works. From their smartphone to their wearable tech, hospital machines to gaming apps, once children start seeing how code works in the real world it can help show them how important coding is for our everyday lives.

What skills does it foster?

Even if your child doesn’t go on to work in the STEM industry, learning code can help garner skills that can be applied throughout their whole life.

Critical thinking: Learning code will teach them critical thinking. If they do ‘this’ then ‘that’ happens. As they analyse a situation from all angles, they’ll learn to replicate this skill outside of coding.

Creativity: The only limit to coding is the coder’s imagination. Coding fosters creativity. From creating apps to websites, drones to motion cameras. If they can dream it, they can code it, and create it.

How to get started with coding

Like all new skills, learning as a child is easier than learning as an adult. But the key to getting kids to engage is to make it fun, challenging, but also achievable. Here are some of our top tips to help get you and them started with coding.

Play with them: You don’t need to know how to code to get started. Together you can help them discover coding.  You can start a project together using a Raspberry Pi computer. Designed for beginners, they can help your little one (and you) grow in confidence with coding.

Make it fun: Yes, you’re hoping your children will learn a new skill, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have to be fun. There are a number of ways you can teach kids about code that don’t involve typing. Scratch, LEGO® WeDo and LEGO® Mindstorms are free programming sites where users can create their own interactive stories, games and animations.

Know when to stop: When teaching your children any new skill, you need to know when to take a break. If your child doesn’t seem that interested in coding, don’t push it. There are a number of other ways you can foster the same skills needed for coding.

Millions of young people across the UK are set to benefit from a unique schools’ programme that puts creativity and collaboration at the heart of learning based on real-world examples.

UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK is launching the programme designed to inspire young people, aged 4 to 19, with its creative projects showcasing collaborations across science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM).

The UNBOXED projects involve hundreds of events and activities across the UK and online, and cover a range of ideas, including space and science, the environment, growing and sustainability, and history and community. From a bio-diverse forest in a city centre to a North Sea offshore platform transformed into a giant artwork, schools can experience first-hand these creative successes when engineering and design, scientific research and technological innovation, including AR and artistic work, come together.

Designed by educators, teachers, technicians and artists with a wealth of experience in STEAM, this free learning programme from UNBOXED includes engaging and fun lesson plans, worksheets and presentations to stimulate young people’s creative thinking, encourage global citizenship and develop the skills they will need for the future of work. The resources are aligned to the curriculum across all home nations and suitable for enrichment and personal development. The programme is entirely flexible and offers a complete blend of class-based, online, real-world and location-based learning.

Resources currently available are linked to About Us, an immersive journey through 13.8 billion years of our history from the Big Bang to the present day; Our Place in Space, designed by renowned artist and writer Oliver Jeffers, which recreates the solar system as a 10-kilometre trail here on earth and Dreamachine, an artwork you ‘see’ with your eyes closed, which explores the human mind, as part of a massive research project into human perception.

Future resources will be based on StoryTrails, one of the biggest people’s history projects ever undertaken; Dandelion, a Scotland-wide growing project that reimagines the harvest festival for the 21st century; Green Space Dark Skies, which considers the environment and the UK’s beautiful landscapes; PoliNations, which is inspired by the fact that almost 80 per cent of the UK’s plant life originates from overseas; GALWAD: A story from our future, which projects the population into 2052, and SEE MONSTER, a feat of engineering and design that transforms a decommissioned off-shore North Sea platform into a space to playfully explore reflect the great British weather, reuse and sustainability.

According to a recent report from the Policy & Evidence Centre ”The promotion of creativity in educational settings can help young people build entrepreneurial skills and improve their future employability”. The UNBOXED Learning Programme recognises the importance for teachers to provide future skills-based and real-world learning to the classroom and seeks to reinvigorate creativity in every classroom in the UK. It believes creativity – our creativity – has the power to change the world.

Bhav Patel, Year 5 Teacher at West Hill Primary School, Staffordshire, said: “The resources we had from About Us were brilliant. They give children the ability to combine their creativity and science knowledge, through writing a poem based on space. It was so popular we had children asking to stay in rather than go out and play. The free resources are perfect for any teacher to just pick up and build into their lesson planning to increase engagement in the classroom and provide an exciting learning experience.”

UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK is the biggest and most ambitious creative programme ever presented on these shores. It is funded and supported by the four governments of the UK, and is co-commissioned with Belfast City Council, EventScotland and Creative Wales.

Explore the free resources and join the UNBOXED Learning Programme today: unboxed2022.uk/learning-programme

Esports @ Bett is a new feature hosted in association with British Esports which will allow teachers, education leaders and parents to experience and understand the potential impact of esports in education.

The move comes as it emerged that esports will be piloted as a competitive sport at the Commonwealth Games later this year.

As part of the esports takeover, Bett 2022 will host daily tournaments on the popular Rocket League game and feature teams from the British Esports Student Champs, the national schools and colleges competitive gaming tournament.

Unlike any other education event before, Esports @ Bett will host a dedicated space that is the epicentre of all things esports, providing a hub within which visitors can participate in gaming and experience real time product demonstrations.

There will also be opportunities to hear from inspiring industry experts like Chester King, CEO of the British Esports and Mark Weller, Chief Gaming Officer from GB Esports Team, VEXED.

After making waves in the education technology community as an alternative recreational activity for students, esports has boomed in popularity having recently been featured on BBC’s The Apprentice and has now been officially sanctioned as a pilot event for the 2022 Commonwealth Games Federation.

In a UK national first, the British Esports Association has partnered with Pearson to introduce the esports BTEC, the first qualification of its kind in the world with a skills-based focus launching back in April 2020, with more than 1800 students currently taking part in the BTEC over both Level 2 and Level 3.

For the first time at Bett, visitors will be able to hear from the educators, leaders and technology providers championing esports across schools. The three day agenda will showcase sessions on how schools and universities can harness this growing industry to: build their own esports programme, drive greater student engagement and skillsets, and explore the role diversity and inclusion plays across esports.

For those who can’t attend, the Bett website will bring the esports story to life, housing a brand-new online esports zone that will equip the Bett community with a multimedia toolkit of articles, case studies, audio visual content and research to deepen insight and inspire engagement.

Eve Harper, UK Portfolio Director, EdTech said, “We are thrilled to welcome Esports @ Bett to this year’s show to celebrate esports in education and exhibit some of the opportunities it can provide to young people. With more than 70% of schools considering an esports programme, and with the expectation that the global esports market will triple by 2025, Bett is proud to be supporting such a fast growing and innovative industry.”

Elliot Bond, British Esports ’ Head of Broadcast and Events said, “We are proud to be representing the esports industry in the incredible Bett show in March. It’s a huge opportunity for those interested in gaming to learn how education and esports can be brought together to inspire and motivate young people.”

Registration is FREE for attendees and is now open now at: https://uk.bettshow.com/visitor-registration

Classroom sets of physical computing kits are now available for primary and secondary schools to borrow from the NCCE’s national network of 34 Computing Hubs based at schools and colleges across England.

The NCCE Computing Hubs are led by schools and colleges with excellence in teaching computing and support schools and colleges to provide a high-quality computing education to all young people. They provide training courses with generous bursaries; teaching and learning resources; and school-to-school support. From September they now also lend new physical computing kits. Physical computing means interacting with real-world objects, such as lights, buzzers and motors by programming them with a computer. The NCCE Hubs can now offer classroom trays of Crumble, micro:bits, Raspberry Pi Pico or Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ devices to enable children to explore the possibilities.

The NCCE, funded by the Department for Education, aims to enable teachers to deliver a world-class computing education and offers high-quality professional development, curriculum resources and schools-led support.

Dan Elwick, a Programme Manager at the NCCE, said: “This project is such an exciting opportunity to inspire students of all ages to learn about computing in new and engaging ways by providing kit, content and training for free to schools across England that have not had the budget or expertise to teach physical computing before.

“We’d like to thank the Micro:bit Educational Foundation and the Raspberry Pi Foundation for their generous donations and Redfern Electronics, Pimoroni and Gratnells for their support in providing the equipment needed for the kits.”

Joseph Birks, Director of Redfern Electronics, said: “When I was at school, I was lucky to have a teacher who was passionate about exploring new technology. This set me on the path that eventually led me to develop the Crumble. I am thrilled the NCCE is embedding Physical Computing into its curriculum so that even more pupils will have opportunities to get hands-on with technology and be inspired to create the devices of the future.”

Gareth Stockdale, CEO of Micro:bit Educational Foundation, said: “We believe that computational thinking and coding are fundamental skills for the 21st century. That is why we are so pleased to be able to donate BBC micro:bits to the NCCE’s Computing Hubs, supporting teachers to deliver physical computing into the classroom and helping more children to take their first steps to create with technology.”

Each tray contains enough devices for a classroom, along with all the peripherals such as LEDs, motors, wheels, and cables needed to complete units from the NCCE’s Teach Computing Curriculum, designed for children aged from five to 18.

Primary school teacher Suzanne Kennard, from Furneux Pelham in Hertfordshire, had never tried physical computing before. She borrowed a physical computing kit from the NCCE’s London, Hertfordshire and Essex Hub at Saffron Walden County High School.

“As the computing lead in a small school, I am looking to develop and enhance computing across the school,” she said. “I liked the look of the physical computing unit, saw the loan scheme and contacted the Hub.

“We completed most of the sessions from the NCCE’s Teach Computing Curriculum while we had the kit. As my confidence increased, I could set the class challenges to programme colours and sequences. At one point I asked them to make a disco, which wasn’t in the lesson plan! They really benefited from the physical equipment.”

The NCCE has developed new face-to-face courses which support the physical computing kits and introduce the Crumble, micro:bits, and Raspberry Pi Pico. In addition, the NCCE also provides online courses for teachers to develop their physical computing skills. Details of all courses, both face to face and online, are available from Courses – Teach Computing.

To find out more about borrowing a classroom kit for your school, contact your local hub via the Computing Hub homepage at teachcomputing.org/hubs.