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Empowering Teachers: Inspiring Young Minds

We are proud to share the BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT's report, Empowering Teachers: Inspiring Young Minds, that celebrates the incredible achievements of the CAS community and outlines our aims for the future. 

Since its inception in 2008, CAS has grown from a grassroots movement into a nationwide force, reaching 90% of UK schools and supporting over 3.5 million pupils. This success is a testament to the dedication of our volunteers, educators, and partners who work tirelessly to ensure every child has access to high-quality computing education. 

Through CAS, BCS has helped drive a 370% increase in computing GCSE entries

Schools BCS supports through CAS enter 18% (7000) more candidates each year

Those candidates achieve 0.2 of a grade higher on average than those at other schools (Hattie 2009)

Key achievements

The report highlights the remarkable progress we’ve made together:

  • 370% increase in Computing GCSE entries since 2014, with schools supported by CAS entering 18% more candidates and achieving grades 0.2 higher on average - equivalent to a year’s extra progress. ​
  • 141,000 teachers across all age groups have accessed CPD and resources, with 115,000 primary teachers gaining confidence through the Barefoot programme. 
  • 3.5 million pupils have been supported through Barefoot, with 85% of UK primary schools reached. 
  • 10,500 new members joined CAS in the last year, growing our community to 186,742 members globally. 

Supporting teachers in a digital world

The report also highlights our efforts to address the growing presence of AI in education.  With new resources, training, and community support, we are helping teachers navigate this evolving landscape with confidence, ensuring technology enhances learning while safeguarding students.

Explore our AI resources

Our specialist community groups, which now boast over 10,000 members, continue to foster innovation and collaboration among educators.  From AI to physical computing, these groups provide a platform for sharing expertise, exploring new ideas, and building connections. 

Join an online community

Looking ahead: Our vision and mission 

As we look to the future, our vision remains clear: to ensure every learner has the knowledge and skills to thrive in the digital age.  To achieve this, we are committed to supporting teachers with the skills, confidence, and resources they need to deliver engaging, inclusive, and effective computing lessons. 

Our priorities for the next three years include:

  • Supporting teachers and schools to develop all young people’s digital literacy in preparation for the revised curriculum
  • Supporting teachers with the incoming curriculum for computing, with a focus on the new GCSE
  • Strengthening local communities
  • Expanding free, high-quality resources across all key stages
  • Advocating for equity and inclusion in computing education policy
  • Closing the teacher confidence gap – especially in underserved areas
  • Measuring and sharing evidence of impact to inform future policy

Download the full report here

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