CAS A-Level Community

I was wondering if you have had any students who’ve done a games based NEA and scored highly? (Say a B or better)
It would be great if you could find out if the student would be happy for their work to be shared anonymously. Maybe you’ve marked a game this year which scored highly and are just waiting for it to be moderated?
If you’re able to share any comments about students who’ve done a game for their NEA or are able to share any examples of a successful game NEA, please do contact me on becci.peters@bcs.uk
Thanks

It’s been a great year for Ada Computer Science

Four things to think about next:

1. Our baseline tests. Set once. Instantly spot gaps in student knowledge.

2. A research trial you can join. Improve the platform for you and everyone else.

3. Cambridge’s STEM SMART programme. Support diversity in computer science.

4. The UK Bebras Challenge is back soon. Can you beat last year’s sign-ups?

More in today’s blog: Ada Computer Science

Are you interested in AI?
Are you interested in five FREE online twilight professional development sessions, along with one face-to-face study day. The content will focus squarely on introducing the maths and statistics underpinning machine learning and AI, and will explore topics such as predictive modelling and the use of technology.
There will be three cohorts of teacher participants, starting respectively in October 2025, January 2026 and April 2026.
There are 60 spaces for Computing / CS teachers. Find out more here: Maths into AI - AMSP

Thank you to everyone who joined our recent CAS A Level Event on managing successful NEA projects for the OCR A Level Computer Science specification. The session explored key strategies for guiding students through the project process, from planning to completion, while meeting assessment criteria effectively.

If you were unable to attend—or would like to revisit the advice and examples shared—you can now access the event summary, recording, and resources here:
Event Summary & Resources: Managing Successful NEA projects for OCR A level CS - CAS A-Level event

We hope the materials support your NEA planning and delivery. If you have further questions or tips of your own, we’d love to hear from you.
Thanks,
CAS

The Raspberry Pi Foundation is looking for A level teachers to test and feed back on their new data science resources.

They are running an in-person workshop on 10th July in Cambridge, UK.

Explore how to teach data science concepts to students and get a first look at their new classroom materials and professional development plans.

Teachers from ANY subject are welcome. Just bring your passion for data science education.

Find out more:

The Chartered Institute of Information Security (CIISec) are running a summer event aimed at students coming to the end of Year 13 who have either studied the CyberEPQ or who have an interest in a career in cyber. The event is called Pathway to Progress.

The event is happening on Thursday 17th July, at our London office near Tower Bridge. The event aims to assist students on:

Exploring early career opportunities in cybersecurity
Understanding key certifications and essential skills for early-career professionals
Learning about the UK Cyber Security Council’s new Cyber Access Network and the NCSC Bursary Scheme
Connecting with cyber professionals, CIISec’s academic and corporate partners, as well as fellow students

Additionally, attendees will discover how becoming a member of a professional organisation like CIISec can enhance their development and create opportunities throughout their career.

To see the full agenda, address, timings and to secure free tickets please copy and paste this link into your browser: https://www.eventcreate.com/e/ciisec-s-pathway-to-progress

Tickets are limited so register now for places before they are gone!

Hope to see you there.
The CIISec CyberEPQ Team

The Chartered Institute of Information Security (CIISec) are running a summer event aimed at students coming to the end of Year 13 who have either studied the CyberEPQ or who have an interest in a career in cyber. The event is called Pathway to Progress.

The event is happening on Thursday 17th July, at our London office near Tower Bridge. The event aims to assist students on:

Exploring early career opportunities in cybersecurity
Understanding key certifications and essential skills for early-career professionals
Learning about the UK Cyber Security Council’s new Cyber Access Network and the NCSC Bursary Scheme
Connecting with cyber professionals, CIISec’s academic and corporate partners, as well as fellow students

Additionally, attendees will discover how becoming a member of a professional organisation like CIISec can enhance their development and create opportunities throughout their career.

To see the full agenda, address, timings and to secure free tickets please copy and paste this link into your browser: https://www.eventcreate.com/e/ciisec-s-pathway-to-progress

Tickets are limited so register now for places before they are gone!

Hope to see you there.
The CIISec CyberEPQ Team

sorry Jake, you’re right it’s the 12th - next Thur!

@bpeters you’ve got the date wrong above - it’s on the 12th not 6th, unless something has changed?

Join us next week for a free online event designed to help you manage NEA projects more effectively and confidently.

Event: Managing Successful NEA Projects for OCR A Level CS
Date: Thursday 6 June 2025
Time: 4:00pm – 5:00pm
Location: Online (link will be sent after registration)
Register here: Managing Successful NEA projects for OCR A level CS

This session will be packed with practical guidance, top tips, and real classroom strategies to support your students through their NEA, while also meeting exam board expectations. Whether you’re new to teaching the A Level or looking to refine your current approach, this is a great opportunity to hear from experienced educators and ask questions.

Thank you to everyone who joined our recent CAS A-Level Event focused on the Cyber EPQ. The session introduced what the qualification involves, its benefits for students, and how it can enhance progression into cyber and computing-related fields.

If you couldn’t make it—or would like to explore the content again—you can now access the summary, recording, and useful resources here:

Event Summary & Resources: Cyber EPQ: What is it and why should your students do it? - A - Level event

We hope the information helps you consider how the Cyber EPQ might fit into your post-16 offer. We’d love to hear your thoughts or experiences if you’re planning to offer it!

Thanks,
CAS

Thank you to those who joined us for yesterday’s event exploring the future of Key Stage 4 Computing.

If you couldn’t make it — or would like a recap — I’ve put together a blog summarising the three proposals that were shared:
A single, broader Computing GCSE
A modernised GCSE linked to real-world skills
A new Digital Creativity GCSE alongside Computer Science

This is a great opportunity to hear the ideas that were discussed and add your own thoughts to the conversation.

Read the blog and share your views: Rethinking GCSE Computing: What Are Our Options?

We’d love to hear from as many secondary Computing teachers as possible — your feedback is vital as we build the case for positive change. What should we do with qualifications for KS4?

I just wanted to send a quick reminder about a great event happening next week that you won’t want to miss!

CyberEPQ: What is it and why should your students do it?
Learn about the CyberEPQ and how it can open exciting pathways for your students into cybersecurity careers.
Date: Thursday 15th
More details and booking: Cyber EPQ - what is it and why should your students do it?

The session promises to be really informative, and they’re a fantastic way to gather new ideas and opportunities for your students.

Please do book your place if you haven’t already – it would be great to see you there!

NOW LIVE on Coursera and EdX!! A brand new Intro to AI course from Arm Education. A free online course for post 16 year olds, from Arm Education, covering foundational AI and ML concepts.

Bridging the gap between schools and colleges/universities, this course introduces learners to the potential of AI, whilst critically exploring its challenges. Learners will develop a deep understanding of ML models and complete a capstone project, programming their own solution to an image classification problem using PyTorch.

https://www.coursera.org/learn/intro-to-ai-arm
https://www.edx.org/learn/computer-science/arm-education-introduction-to-ai

In response to Abirami’s query, the link to the A level Computer Science student quizzes are here: Ada Computer Science

Dan

Is there a link for Ada Computer Science quizzes for A level ?

Dan

Is there a link for Ada Computer Science quizzes for A level ?

Ada Computer Science has created 40 new computer science quizzes on their platform. That’s 40 opportunities for your students to practise before the BIG DAY. The quizzes are tailored to A level, GCSE, National 5, and Higher qualifications. Check them out: Ada Computer Science?

Hi Jonathan
You might want to post something on the A-level community noticeboard (comment box) so more people see it CAS A-Level Community

Hello fellow A-Level CS Teachers,

Anyone up for moderating some A Level Coursework or know of good places to find someone ?

I’m the last one left in my trust.

BCS 2025 Competitions Please publicise these, and maybe enter your students and how about entering the BCS Open classes yourself ? - many thanks Margaret

This year there are BCS 2025 competitions, organised by the BCS GreenIT, e-learning, Animation and Games Development SGs.

Details of all these at Community competitions | BCS

All student entries, at all levels, including part-time students, must be entered by a member of staff at that educational establishment.

Each year there are different themes for each of these competitions.

Here you will find a list of competitions being run by our BCS SGs

BCS e-Learning specialist group
-Theme: “AI for Health Improvement and Education”. - Who can take part?: Primary to Post-grad (p2p) and Open classes

Entries by: Monday 7 April 2025, World Health Day 2025 BCS e-Learning SG 2025 competition | BCS
BCS Animation and Games Development specialist group

Theme for the artifact: “The Power of Connection - Design a game where the core idea is understanding, empathy, and unity among players from different cultures and backgrounds”
Who can take part?: Primary to Post-grad (p2p) and Open classes
Entries by: Friday 9 May 2025
BCS GreenIT specialist group

Theme: Our Power, Our Planet “This is why Earth Day’s theme for 2025, Our Power, Our Planet, is perhaps our most important theme ever. This year we will shine a spotlight on renewable energy — for our power, our people, and our planet.!”
Who can take part?: Primary to Post-grad (p2p) students and open classes
Entries by: Tuesday 22 April 2025 (Earth Day) -
BCS Cybercrime Forensics SG Theme: “Cybercrime Forensics - show us your stuff!”
Who can take part?: HE and FE students
Entries by: Friday 30 May 2025

An example of a winning entry of one of the Power Point competitions:

The winning entry a few years ago for the idea for a computer game was a single PowerPoint titled “The Last Mermaid” showing a picture of a mermaid sitting on a rock with rubbish in the sea around her - so the picture immediately gave a clue to the subject, as did the title “The Last Mermaid”.

There were 5 bullet points that explained the idea, which were:

a simple computer game for all ages from the young to the old to compare how long different items remained in the sea (say comparing an apple core to a baby’s nappy)

a more different difficult level of the game “The Last Mermaid” was to identify how different materials could harm different types of wildlife in the sea, from eating plastic to getting trapped in plastic containers

the aim of the game which was to make everyone regardless of age more aware of the harm that we could do to the oceans and the creatures that live in it

everyone should to think about renewing or reusing items that we no longer use

Every one of the Panel of Judges independently chose this, “The Last Mermaid”

as it was relevant to the theme, with a clear simple explanation, together with suitable picture(s) relevant to the theme for that year, showing a possible useful application to help solve a problem

Although the judges are given no precise criteria, they are asked to rank the entries in their preferred order. Their comments that I received after from the judges all commented positively on those above points.

Hi Becky this looks great and I’d love to pass on to some (one or two) apprentices I work with, but it says it is currently closed for applications. Any idea when the application window is open? Thanks.

Elan – the first new programming language to be designed in Britain specifically for teaching in secondary schools since BBC Basic in 1981 – was publicly announced at the CAS Conference in July 2024 and attracted a lot of interest. Beta versions are currently accessible (see https://elan-lang.org) and the production release (Elan 1.0) is scheduled for May 2025, along with a selection of quality teaching resources.
We’re organising a whole-day training course on Elan for Wednesday 25th June. It will be hosted at the BCS headquarters in London, running from 10:00 to 16:00 with lunch provided. The course is free to attend, and open to all active secondary school teachers. You will not need to have any prior exposure to Elan, nor to be an expert programmer – Elan is an advanced language, but is designed to be easily assimilated by any teacher with prior experience of teaching programming up to GCSE standard in any contemporary language. The day will address both GCSE and A-level standard programming, and even if you don’t currently teach A-level, you should find the latter very helpful in developing your own understanding.
Sign up here:
Elan training day

Please pass on this message to your year 13 students (only for those aged 18+):
We are working with Epic Games for their Game Jam, held in support of the World Food Programme. This exciting event will challenge you to create impactful games around the theme “Outplay Hunger and Food Security”, raising awareness about global food security issues through creative game design.

Event Details:
Theme: Outplay Hunger and Food Security
Date: March 21st – 23rd, 2025 (Please confirm your availability below)
Platform: Games will be created using Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN)
Team Size: 2 – 5 members

Sign up here: Microsoft Forms

Do you know a young person aged 16-24,who is studying a computing, digital or related subject at college, university or as an apprentice and is keen to develop a career in tech?
Then My Digital Future could be the ideal way to help them develop additional skills and connections to help them in their next steps to a career in tech.
Applications are open for a limited number of places on My Digital Future. This inspiring 3-year programme provides coaching, financial support, networking opportunities and BCS student membership. Find out more and how to apply at https://www.mydigitalfuture.co.uk/application

Next week we’ve got 3 events for you focusing on post 16:
On Monday OCR will be talking us through their Level 3 Vocational quals inc AAQs. Sign up here: OCR Level 3 Vocational inc AAQs

On Tuesday we’ve got an introduction to what T Levels are and where they came from, context setting by taking a look at the current technical education landscape, and how providers deliver T Levels through industry contacts. Sign up here: T-Levels overview - what are they and support for delivery

On Wednesday Hazel Hatch from Harris Federation will focus on A-Level NEAs, providing tips and guidance on key aspects such as general advice, managing timescales, understanding the differences and similarities between exam boards, spotting plagiarism, and identifying essential elements to maximise marks. Sign up here: NEA: Tips & guidance

Hope to see you next week!

Next week in the CAS Vocational Qualifications community we will be hosting an online webinar where we will be looking at the three Pearson Digital T Levels that will be operating from September 2025 and how they are being updated and assessed, as well as what support will be on offer.

Pearson Digital T Levels from September 2025 Onwards
Tuesday, 25th February
4 - 5 pm
Pearson Digital T Levels from September 2025 onwards

Hi all!

I’m Yanna and I’m a researcher at the Cambridge Cybercrime Centre (Dept of CS and Technology, University of Cambridge). We’re investigating how security and cybercrime are presented in A-Level qualifications. We’d love to hear CS teachers’ experience with this content and any challenges you face in delivering it, so we’re organising online focus groups with teachers based in England (from all boards).

The findings from the study will help identify any gaps in the CS curriculum and develop recommendations for new content.

For more info and to register your interest, please see: https://computingeducationresearch.org/blog-cybersecurity-curriculum-research/. If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch: yp301@cam.ac.uk.

Thanks!

Please complete this super short survey to help us understand the community better: Microsoft Forms
There are only 2 multiple choice questions

Thanks!

Next week is National Apprenticeship Week! See information below for years 11-13

1. Available Now: NHS Data Apprenticeships Career Panel
   In January, there was an exclusive NHS career panel for career professionals, focusing on the exciting data career opportunities and apprenticeships available for school and college leavers.
   During the 60-minute video, you’ll hear from Sarah Blundell and Andy Lavelle, leaders of the NHS Data and Analytics Academy. They share valuable insights on the impactful and rewarding data careers within the NHS. You will also meet current data apprentices and learn from our apprenticeship and recruitment experts.

If you missed the session, we’re pleased to share the recording and lots more resources with you - visit the dedicated NHS Data Apprenticeships page here:NHS Apprenticeship career panel - Digdata - a Data Inspiration Group programme

2. Next Week: NHS Data Apprenticeship Recruitment Briefing
   To celebrate National Apprenticeship Week, there is a live online apprenticeship recruitment briefing on 11th February at 6:30pm, aimed at parents and students interested in exploring data apprenticeships.

Please share this free live event with students and parents in your school or college network - this session will provide useful information for anyone considering data roles in the healthcare sector, especially those seeking to start their careers through apprenticeships.

Event Details:

Date: 11th February 2025
Time: 6:30pm
Platform: Online
Link to book: NHS apprenticeship live recruitment briefing - Digdata - a Data Inspiration Group programme
Why attend?
Learn about data careers and apprenticeships in the NHS
Hear from their Data and Analytics Academy leaders and current data apprentices
Get guidance on how to apply for apprenticeships
Please encourage students and parents to register for the session by sharing the details within your community.

Hiya,

A follow up to Becky’s latest message: I am now tutoring said student in CS but the father is still looking for a Maths tutor. I know some of us have trained in Mathematics, so I told him I’d put a call out in here. Email is still euckun@gmail.com

Will

We’ve been contacted by someone who’s looking for an online personal tutor for AQA A-Level. If you’d be interested, please contact euckun@gmail.com

If you’ve missed our recent events here are the summaries for you to catch up on.

A new programming language suitable for KS3-5 Elan – First Language for British Schools Since 1981 - TC meeting

Ideas for educational visits and work experience for KS3-5 Inspiring Computing Students Beyond the Classroom

How to get started with unreal engine and the Rube Golberg competition Interactive 3D: Rube Goldberg in Unreal Engine

Help Shape the Future of Computing Education – Share Your Insights!

We’re seeking your input to better understand the challenges and opportunities surrounding GCSE Computer Science and part-time teaching roles. Your feedback is invaluable in helping us identify practical solutions to improve access and support for Computing education. Both of these surveys are anonymous and multiple choice so very quick to fill in!

Survey 1: GCSE Computer Science Availability
If you’re a teacher, we’d love to hear whether your school offers GCSE Computer Science and the factors influencing this.

Survey 2: Part-Time Teaching Insights
If you work part-time, please take a moment to complete this survey. We want to understand how schools manage timetables and school activities for part-time staff, including events on your non-working days.

Thank you for your time and input – your voice matters!

Hi everyone,

Our Thematic Community meeting, Elan – First Language for British Schools Since 1981, is happening today at 4pm and there’s still time to join us!

Register here if you haven’t yet: Elan – First Language for British Schools Since 1981

Looking forward to seeing you there!

CAS A-Level Community session reminder: Elan – The First Programming Language for British Schools Since 1981

Date: 5th December

Join the conversation about Elan, the first programming language for British schools since BBC Basic in 1981. Free, browser-based, and launching in May 2025, Elan is designed to make programming accessible and adaptable for classrooms.

Richard Pawson, leader of the Elan design team, will share the journey behind its creation and how it can transform computing education.

Sign up here: Elan – First Language for British Schools Since 1981

Just a quick reminder that our session, “NEA Preparation with Inversity’s Free A-Level Resources,” is happening tomorrow!

There’s still time to join us—register here: NEA Preparation with Inversity’s Free A-Level Resources

We hope to see you there!

hiya, I’ve had a bit of a new career path in mind and realised that I didn’t take the correct a-levels for a computer science degree at uni. So in my gap year I’m teaching myself a computer science a-level and I was wondering if there are any similar students to me who wanted to make a discord so we can ask questions and help push each other on, kinda like a study group I guess. anyways the invite link is Computer science help if you would like to join it. If you don’t link clicking links from strangers, fair enough you could add me first on discord my user name is “phroggomcwoggo” and I can invite you through discord so you know it isn’t a scam. Have a good day all!

Are you teaching 14-18 year olds Computing and looking to introduce or improve your students’ SQL skills?
We’ve just launched a set of FREE resources designed to help you teach SQL with confidence!

These resources cover the essentials, from basic queries to more advanced database concepts, tailored to engage and challenge your students. Whether you’re new to SQL or looking to refresh your lessons, these materials are perfect for you!

Download now and give your students a head start in understanding databases: KS4 and KS5 SQL Lessons

Digdata is thrilled to announce free virtual work experience events with National Highways this November and December. These career challenges are designed to develop key employability skills such as problem solving, data literacy, storytelling, and presentation. Hosted on Microsoft Teams, these sessions take place outside of school hours, making them easily accessible.
First Step Challenge Years 7-6 (England and Wales), Years 8-10 (NI) and S1-S3 (Scotland) - 27th November
Next Step Challenge Years 10-13 (England & Wales), Years 11-14 (NI) and S4-S6 (Scotland) - 11th December
Find out more: National Highways career challenges - Digdata - a Data Inspiration Group programme

We are absolutely ecstatic to announce our much anticipated 8th annual Teens in AI #IWD2025 Global Techathon. From 6 - 25 March 2025, we’ll unite cities worldwide in an epic tech extravaganza. Our mission? To close the gender gap in tech by introducing the thrilling world of AI to bright young minds aged 12 to 18.

But we can’t do it alone; WE NEED YOUR HELP! Do you champion gender diversity? Do you dream of making a positive impact in your community? Or do you have an interest in the world of AI? We’re on the lookout for Local Ambassadors like YOU, to inspire the next generation of tech innovators!

Why Join Us?

• Sharpen your organisational, leadership, and management skills
• Boost your credibility by associating with a global event promoting diversity and inclusivity, enhancing your professional portfolio
• Experience the fulfilment of promoting gender equality and diversity while aligning with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals

Join us as a Local Ambassador and seize these incredible opportunities! Sign up now https://bit.ly/iwd2025 to lead the way in promoting a more diverse and inclusive tech generation. Deadline: 30 November 2024.

Visit Global Techathon - Teens in AI for more details

#teensinai #ai4good #iwd2025 #globalgoals #unsdgs

Hi everyone,

The UK Bebras challenge 2024 will be taking place between 4th-15th November. If you haven’t already registered your school and students there is still time to do this.

The Bebras Challenge introduces computational thinking to students worldwide. This exciting challenge takes place in schools, under the supervision of teachers, over a two-week period every November. Last year, over 3 million students from more than 80 countries participated!

In the UK, the challenge is open to all young people aged 6 to 19. Each participant has 45 minutes to tackle a series of interactive tasks, designed to encourage logical thinking and problem-solving skills appropriate for their age group. The challenge is conducted online, and tasks are marked automatically by our competition system.

If you would like further information or support we are hosting a series of online sessions. Details of the dates and joining link can be found on the calendar page of our site bebras.uk.

Thank you and we look forward to seeing students take part!
Harriet - Learning Manager
Raspberry Pi Foundation

Hello everyone,

Just a quick note to let you know that our A- Level Community meeting, Building advanced database skills for the NEA, is coming up next week on Monday, 14th October at 4pm. We’d love to see you there!

In this practical session, you will explore Ada’s embedded SQL editor, engaging with a new database scenario and related project resources. The event is CPD-eligible, so you can further your professional development while participating.
( CPD Certificates Now Available for Online Events! )

Mark your calendars—we hope you can join us!

Register here:
https://www.computingatschool.org.uk/events/2024/october/building-advanced-database-skills-for-the-nea

I am excited to share an excellent professional development opportunity that I believe will be highly valuable. The event, BRILLIANT, is a free, full-day professional development experience designed to inspire, educate and equip teachers with the tools to innovate in the classroom.
Why Attend BRILLIANT?

This event offers a blend of inspiration, hands-on learning and cutting-edge resources to help you and your staff enhance your teaching practice, particularly in the fields of Computing and STEAM - and it is free!

CAS have a stand at the event and I will be delivering a presentation in The Inspire Theatre at 11.35am that unpicks students learning about AI.

Key Highlights:

Classroom of NOW: Experience the latest technologies, teaching methods and see firsthand how they can be applied in your classroom.
STEAM Integration: Discover practical ways to incorporate Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics into your curriculum to foster problem-solving and innovation.
Visionary Speakers: Hear from renowned educators, thought leaders and industry experts on the future of education and the role technology will play.
Hot Topics: Explore key trends such as Artificial Intelligence, DE&I in classrooms and the growing world of Esports and Gamification.
Networking & Collaboration: Connect with over 1,000 fellow educators and industry professionals, sharing ideas and building a robust learning community.
Date: 15th October 2024 (8.30am - 5.00pm)
Location: ACC Exhibition Centre, Kings Dock, Liverpool, L3 4BX

I highly recommend registering to take advantage of this inspiring day of learning and growth. Whether you’re looking to deepen your knowledge in computing or broaden your understanding of STEAM, BRILLIANT offers something for every educator.
To register or learn more, visit the BRILLIANT website.

I hope to see you there.
Becci

I’ve been working on a Python project (bit of a toy project for myself, to get into using Tkinter’s Canvas as much as anything) - it’s to be able to create graphs and then demonstrate standard graph algorithms, step by step.

It’s now at a point where it’s worth sharing with others - it’s not beautiful, coding speaking, but it works as far as it goes (couple of minor cosmetic changes, then on with further functionality). Screenshots and GIF of a screencast, below.

For those interested, it can be installed through PyPI or the source code can be grabbed direct from GitHub.

Any thoughts, suggestions, etc then please do contact me

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In case you missed the exciting announcement at CAS Conference, Richard Pawson announced ELAN - a new programming language designed for education. You can find out more and join the discussion here: Elan - the first new programming language designed for British schools since BBC Basic - #10 by Richard_Pawson

Thank you to everyone who joined us for CAS Conference on Saturday - it was great to see you all in person! We hope you all enjoyed catching up with each other and listening to some great speakers as well. And don’t forget, the session materials are available to download from

https://www.computingatschool.org.uk/communities-and-events/cas-conference-2024/workshop-programme

New resource! Use this to teach students how to use AI responsibly and what to watch out for.

Join me tomorrow at 4pm where Dave Hartley will be doing an intro to Object Oriented Programming
https://www.computingatschool.org.uk/events/2024/june/intro-to-oop-or-why-everything-is-an-object

Free competition on Open Source Data Analysis launching for A-level CompSci students tomorrow

Hi all, we’re launching a free Open Source Data Analysis competition tomorrow, well-suited to CompSci A-level students. It launches at 6pm Saturday 1st June, with one clue landing each day until Friday. Entrants have to use a variety of Open Source Investigation techniques to solve the clues - from geolocating a photo, to computer vision analysis of satellite imagery, to prompt injection of a chatbot. There’s a leaderboard - and it should be accessible and great fun whilst being safe and appropriate for young people. All the data is provided and is synthetic (fictional). If any of your students might be interested then here’s a link: Inversity

Have a great weekend! James

I’ve been doing some research into how many degrees don’t require Maths A-Level and the findings were really interesting! Please share with your students The Path to Computing Degrees: Unlocking Opportunities for All Students

1-day Hackathon in London suitable for A-level Computer Science students

Morning all, we’re running a 1-day hackathon in London on Saturday 6th July at The Crown Estate, just off Piccadilly Circus. We have an incredible net-zero challenge, lots of industry mentors on hand, and short expert workshops throughout the day on software prototyping, developing in teams, AI in development and pitching. It’s a great ‘first hackathon’ for A-level students and our last one got an average rating of 9/10. It’s £25 to enter - which includes free food and drink all day - there’s also £2000 of cash prizes for winners and internships available, too…!

Learn more and register at Inversity

Thanks and hope to see some of you there James

If you missed yesterday’s session about how AI changes the skills needed for software engineers, here’s a blog post summarising it which includes a link to the recording

Join me tomorrow at 4pm where I’ll be joined by a former Chief Technical Officer when he’ll explain ‘How AI changed the skills I hired for in Software Engineers and Data Scientists… and what this means for A-level CompSci students skills.’
https://www.computingatschool.org.uk/events/2024/may/cas-a-level-skills-needed-for-software-engineers-and-data-scientists-jobs

University courses for A Level students without Maths (and, indeed, a few good courses for those without A Levels) now added: The Open University, De Montfort University; Newman University.

There are some great HE opportunities out there for bright students who either didn’t flourish in school, or whose schools were unable to nurture or support their interests.

Brilliant - thanks Becci

Many A-Level students won’t be studying Maths and will want to continue studying a CS-related degree when they finish A-Level. I’ve started putting together a list of degree courses which don’t require Maths A-Level. Please contribute any courses you know of, or come across which don’t require Maths A-Level and use to support your students CS degrees without maths req - Google Docs

For anyone who missed the session last night about using AI for assessment, here’s the blog including links to the slides and recording: AI to enhance assessment and integrity. AI TC Meeting
The later part of the session was focused on student use of AI in the NEA

Join me on Monday where I’ll be joined by 2 teachers discussing AI for assessment AI to enhance assessment and integrity

On Thursday at 4 pm I’ll be joined by Rebecca Franks for an introduction to Unreal Editor for Fortnite.

Explore our new enrichment resources that will support your learners in getting started in Unreal Editor for Fortnite. In the enrichment sessions, learners can design their own 3D world and personalise it with their own objects, they can then make a fun collectable game.
Sign up here: Getting started in Unreal Editor for Fortnite

On Wednesday at 4 pm I’ll be joined by Harry Wake and Anna Wake who will be
-offering some top tips on how you can make your programming lessons more interesting.
-demonstrating how to teach fundamental programming contexts with real-life scenarios, for instance, how programming can be used to tackle climate change.
-showcasing Mission Encodeable, the website they’ve created that takes students from knowing nothing about programming in Python to being able to answer high-demand GCSE programming questions. It’s completely free to access, very popular with students, and includes lots of interesting, real-world projects.
Sign up here Mission Encodeable's free programming resources

@bpeters suggested I share this here too…

DSIT are carrying out a survey to understand why teachers choose to deliver or not deliver the CyberEPQ and what the main incentives and barriers are. It should only take 10 minutes to complete and your participation will be highly appreciated and valuable to DSIT policy makers, whether or not you currently deliver the CyberEPQ.

Complete the survey here - https://dsit.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_39qV4fAM8t8aMt0

COMPUTING, ELECTRONICS & ROBOTICS
05 – 09 August 2024, University of Southampton

LIMITED FEMALE PLACES AVAILABLE!

Take your child’s passion for STEM to new heights in this five-day, ALL-INCLUSIVE residential course. This course will introduce students to industry professionals from Amazon Future Engineer, plus provide them with the opportunity to design and build their own robots whilst learning about the fundamentals of coding and circuits!

This course is available to students currently in Year 12 in England and Wales, S6 in Scotland, and Year 13 in Northern Ireland.

Hi Alan, on another topic - I wonder if there is a CAS meeting planned for Manchester Central? I am happy to come along or host at Tameside College if a venue is needed.
Thanks, Louise

Please sign up yourself or point your students here: Isaac Computer Science
This is an opportunity for your students and you to find out more about apprenticeships from the BCS and about other alternatives to traditional university degrees at an Isaac Discovery event we are hosting at 9am-10:30 am on 20th February 2024. (Aware that we are hitting half-term for some schools!)

(I’ll cross post to other threads - with advance apologies)

Thank you Richard, The spreadsheet really helps.

Abirami

Not a worksheet as such, but if you are teaching floating point normalisation, you might find this interactive spreadsheet simulation that I created useful:

https://metalup.org/floatingpoint/description.html

It is quite sophisticated, but by interacting with it you end up with a really strong feel for how normalisation works and why it is important to maintain accuracy. Also gives you an understanding of why the first two digits need to be different.

Richard

@Alan Harrison, thank you. I never thought about chatgpt worksheets.

@Abirami Kumar I use Craig’n’Dave resources, ExamBuilder and Isaac, but I also just used the free ChatGPT 3,5 to create some questions with this prompt.

Create a worksheet of six questions worth between 4 and 8 marks each, on 2’s complement fixed and floating point binary numbers, suitable for an exam in OCR A-level in Computer Science. Each question should have a mix of AO1 (demonstrate knowledge and understanding), AO2 (apply knowledge) and AO3 (evaluate and design solutions) marks. At the end of the worksheet write the mark scheme with model answers.
The results are in the chat transcript here, along with a follow-up prompt to create some simple conversion questions. Results are not bad, might need a tidy up.

@Priya Ravi it’s here: Useful websites for A-Level CS - Google Docs

Hi
I still can’t find the resources from 5/2/24 session - Useful websites to teach A level.
Can anyone help?
Thanks

@abirami Kumar, I teach it off the board, but you could try the Isaac Computing workbook? Isaac Computer Science

For OCR the questions on Data representations start on p127.
Alternatively ZigZag have worksheets with some questions.

Does anyone have worksheets for 2’s complement and fixed and floating point binary.

Hi all, for those of you teaching KS5, your learners may be interested in applying for an Apprenticeship at Arm. They have Level 4 and Degree apprenticeships in the Arm Cambridge offices.

Apply here: Search for available jobs at arm here

Lots of useful websites are linked to from here: Useful websites for A-Level CS - Google Docs
Do add your own if they’re not already included

Once I have taught Boolean algebra I get my classes to do Boolean Algebra Quiz and see how many questions they can get right in a row.

Are there any useful websites you use for teaching or would recommend for your students? Hoping to showcase some at our next event on 5th Feb. Email me if you’d be happy to show (Becci.peters@bcs.uk)

Ok, links being stripped out. Please do go to Isaaccomputerscience.org discover events for more details.

Hi there, I’m very excited to be able to offer “Alternatives to traditional university degrees” to a-level students via Isaac Computing events. As an OU graduate and post-grad and a teacher with an utterly non-traditional career, I would not be writing this here now without the OU. We are also talking about Apprenticeships and Code First Girls degrees. Isaac Computer Science
I hope it’s okay to tell people about this here :).

As someone teaching OCR for the first time this year these are really useful - thank you!

Thanks to those who came to the session this week about marking OCR exam papers. Here are the slides from the session. Do let us know if there’s anything you’d like covered in future sessions

Good idea!