CAS Primary Community

Astro Pi Mission Zero entries are closing soon!

You have until 24 March to enter this free, one-hour challenge. Perfect for beginners, students will write a simple program to display an image on an Astro Pi computer aboard the International Space Station.
All participants receive a certificate showing the ISS’s location when their code ran. If your coders are slightly more advanced, we provide guidance on how they can level their creation up to a GIF.

Full mentor guides provided, free to enter, and an offline worksheet is available to help get started: rpf.io/mz-worksheet

Register now: Astro Pi | A free challenge where kids run their code in space

Good morning!

Although there are no events scheduled in the CAS Primary community next week, we have some exciting Barefoot Live Lessons planned to support our Physical Computing Competition.

Exploring the micro:bit - Tuesday, 13th May, 1:30 - 3:00 pm: This session is perfect for those who haven’t yet unpacked their devices. We’ll introduce the micro:bit to your pupils, guiding them through exploring inputs and outputs, and modifying programs to collect data.

CAS Physical Computing Live Lesson - Thursday, 15th May, 1:30 - 3:00 pm: In this session, your pupils will explore competition entries, identify a problem to solve, and plan their entry.

We look forward to seeing you there!.

To sign up for the sessions please visit - Primary school workshops | Barefoot Computing

CAS Primary Event – Starting Soon!
Join us this afternoon as we dive into an exciting session on how AI training data can be used in block-based coding!
At 4:00 pm, Mohammed Reda from Pixelia will be showing us how to bring this to life using Pictoblox.
Don’t miss it — use the links below to join the session!

Meeting ID: 326 352 544 732

Passcode: MW3fo7KJ

Hi

The primary support drop in starts at 4pm. I will share news from CAS and Barefoot and then there will be an open forum where people can ask questions, share ideas or just lurk. Come along for all it or dip in for a bit. It will be an informal session.

Use the link below to join the meeting

Meeting ID: 318 159 354 231

Passcode: Vv7Ce7o5

See you soon

Ben

Good Morning,

This week looks like a very busy one in the CAS Primary calendar with three online sessions arranged: two that focus on learning with AI and the first of our half-termly subject leader drop-in sessions. It is not too late to sign up to any of these session. Please visit Events to do so.

On top of that, our physical computing competition launches today which designed to allow pupils aged 7-14 explore how technology can be used to solve problems in different ways. Head over to Physical Computing Competition to find out more.

Finally, we are excited to invite you to our upcoming online webinar, “Esports: Introduction and How to Get Started,” happening next week

Webinar: Introduction to Esports and How to Get Started
Date: May 6, 2025
Time: 16:00 - 17:00 BST

In this session, we’ll cover:

What Esports is
How to introduce Esports into your school
Key considerations for implementation
This webinar is suitable for both primary and secondary educators. Whether you’re new to Esports or already incorporating it into your curriculum, join us to share your experiences and learn from others.

Register Now: Esports (introduction and how to get started) - prim & sec

Don’t miss this opportunity to explore the exciting world of Esports and enhance your teaching strategies!

Event: Code, Compute, Connect: Liverpool City Region

Join us at The Studio School on July 4th! Hosted by hi-impact Consultancy and CAS, this free event offers workshops for teachers across all key stages, covering topics like physical computing, block-based coding, GCSE/Post 16 strategies, and AI in education. Network with colleagues, see student demos, and take away practical ideas for your classroom.

Register now to secure your place, we would love to see you there!

Hello Everyone,

My name is Jade and I am an Education Community Manager at Canva. Would love to see you at our Canva Learning Labs roadshows! Information below:

Join us at Canva Learning Labs to discover how Canva for Education can help you and your students create, collaborate and bring learning to life.

In 2025, we’re taking our workshops on the road, stopping in Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Newcastle, Glasgow and Wales for a full day of hands on learning and practical inspiration.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

Practical ways to boost teacher productivity and teamwork
How to create engaging, student friendly assignments
Building student portfolios using simple website tools
Bringing ideas to life with video and animation
We’ll also introduce some brilliant new features from Canva Create:

Canva Sheets: Data meets design. Use Magic Insights to analyse student data and track progress
Canva AI & Canva Code: Create interactive learning tools - no coding required!

Register here to save your place UK Canva Learning Labs

Canva for Education is completely free for all primary and secondary schools.

We’d love to see you there!

Hello everyone!

I hope you all had a fantastic Easter break and are feeling refreshed. Next week, we’re excited to host several online events in the CAS Primary online community that you won’t want to miss!

Webinars: Dive into the world of AI with our upcoming sessions on Gaimes Lab and Pictoblox. These webinars are a great opportunity to explore the amazing resources available to support teaching and learning about AI.

Networking Meeting: Join us for our first half-termly Computing Subject Leaders’ Network Meeting. This is a wonderful chance for teachers to connect, share insights, and discuss the latest trends and challenges in teaching computing and using digital technology in primary schools.

For more details and to book your spot, click here - Events

Looking forward to seeing you online!

Hi,

Thank you to everyone who joined our recent CAS Primary Event on developing and implementing an AI strategy in schools. The session explored how AI can support teaching and learning, along with practical steps for integrating it effectively.

If you weren’t able to attend—or would like to revisit key discussions—you can now access the event summary, recording, and supporting materials here:
Event Summary & Resources: Developing and Implementing an AI Strategy in Schools - CAS Primary event

We hope these insights help you navigate AI’s role in education. If you have any reflections or experiences to share, we’d love to hear from you!

Thanks,
CAS

Hi,

Thank you to everyone who joined our recent CAS Primary Event on developing and implementing an AI strategy in schools. The session explored how AI can support teaching and learning, along with practical steps for integrating it effectively.

If you weren’t able to attend—or would like to revisit key discussions—you can now access the event summary, recording, and supporting materials here:
Event Summary & Resources: Developing and Implementing an AI Strategy in Schools - CAS Primary event

We hope these insights help you navigate AI’s role in education. If you have any reflections or experiences to share, we’d love to hear from you!

Thanks,
CAS

Exciting online webinars are coming up in the CAS online communities next week, and you won’t want to miss them!

Monday, 24th March: Kickstart your week with an information-packed webinar about our upcoming Physical Computing Competition. Running over the summer term, this competition is aimed at pupils aged 7-14. They’ll get the chance to use a micro:bit to solve real-world problems in their local environment. Plus, we’ve got a fantastic set of resources to help those new to micro:bits dive right in!

Join the CAS Physical Computing Competition Launch - CAS Physical Computing Competition Launch

Tuesday, 25th March: Our Primary Online Community is hosting a must-attend session on Developing and Implementing an AI Strategy in Schools. Julie Carson, Director of Education at Woodland Academy Trust, will guide you through the strategic considerations for adopting AI tools to enhance teaching, learning, and administrative efficiency. You’ll hear practical examples of successful implementations and learn about the challenges faced along the way.

Discover AI Strategies for Schools - Developing and implementing an AI strategy in schools

BCS 2025 Competitions Please publicise these - 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) -
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.

Hello,

Thank you to everyone who took part in our recent CAS Interactive 3D & Gaming Event, where we explored how video games can be used meaningfully within primary computing. The session sparked some great ideas around creativity, engagement, and curriculum links.

If you couldn’t join us—or would like to revisit any of the discussions—you can now access the event summary, full recording, and useful resources here:
Event Summary & Resources: Video Games in Primary Computing - CAS Interactive 3D and Gaming event

We hope these materials help inspire new ways to bring computing to life in the classroom. As always, we’d love to hear how you’re using games in your teaching!

Thanks,
CAS

Upcoming Online Community Events

We have two exciting events lined up next week that you won’t want to miss!

Tuesday, 18th March: VEX Primary Computing Session Join us for an interactive session with Chris from VEX, where you’ll get to explore the VEX 123 robot, perfect for use from EYFS to KS2. Chris will also demonstrate the free VEX online simulator and discuss upcoming robotics competitions. Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your computing skills and inspire your students! Sign up here - VEX Primary Robotics]

Thursday, 20th March: TICE Showcasing Session Discover innovative classroom-based research from three dedicated teachers in our TICE showcasing session.

Justin Heath will present FLARE: Enhancing Code Comprehension and Formative Assessment in Block-Based Programming.
Alex Price will delve into the factors influencing Key Stage 3 girls’ decisions to opt out of Computer Science GCSE.
Rachael Coultart will focus on developing debugging skills and supporting learners in improving their code in Scratch.
This is a fantastic opportunity to gain insights and practical tips from experienced educators. Sign up here - TICE Project Presentations

Don’t miss out—register today and be part of our vibrant learning community!

Common Sense Media’s AI literacy lessons are suitable for ages 10 and up.
Zero cost.
Simple registration to access them - email only!
Easy to use, bite size, adaptable.
Teachers love them!

AI Literacy Lessons
Quick, grab-and-go lessons to help your students think critically about AI and its impact.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the world we live in. From using generative AI for schoolwork to dealing with misinformation and befriending AI chatbots, students have a lot to consider when it comes to this ever-evolving technology.

This collection of quick lessons (20 minutes or less!) provide an introduction to AI and help address its social and ethical impacts. Through these lessons, students will:

Understand what AI is and how it works
Consider some of its potential benefits and risks
Think critically about how we can be responsible and ethical users of AI
New! See our AI Foundations self-paced training course for educators!

Common Sense Education has an AI Foundations self-paced training course for teachers - just the boost of confidence and introduction you need to teach.

Good Morning,

Next week we are running a online webinar where Neil Rickus will look at how commercial video games can be used to introduce pupils to programming concepts and provide an approach that is engaging to learners. These session will cover the concepts of sequence, selection, repetition and variables.

To reserve a place on ‘Video Games in Primary Computing,’ please use the link below.

https://www.computingatschool.org.uk/events/2025/march/video-games-in-primary-computing/

Thanks,

Ben

Shift Insight, an independent research organisation, are conducting a survey to help understand the confidence levels of teachers and school teams in supporting children with special educational needs (SEND) in light of recent government reforms.

Shift Insight is keen to hear from a wide range of educators, including teaching staff, TAs, and SENCOs across the UK. The results of this survey will be published in a public report, which they will share with us. If you’re willing, please consider participating in the survey and sharing the link with other educators:

Survey link: Starting survey...

The survey takes about 7 minutes to complete, and participants will have the chance to enter a prize draw to win £150 as a thank you for their time.

Thanks, Ben

Barefoot Teacher CPD Workshops March 2025

Hello all. A quick message to let you know that there are still places available on Barefoot’s free Teacher CPD Workshops running in March.

We have the following workshops running

Computational Thinking - 5th March 15.45 - 17.00

Designed to boost subject knowledge and confidence, this workshop will introduce you to computational thinking and help you get started with Barefoot.

During the online interactive session, you will give some of Barefoot’s “unplugged” activities a try – proving you don’t need expensive kit to teach computing. You’ll also be introduced to the Barefoot website and our fantastic range of lesson plans and resources

Early Years - 12th March 15.45 - 17.00

Designed to boost subject knowledge and confidence, this workshop will introduce you to computational thinking in the Early Years and help you get started with Barefoot.

During the online interactive session, you will give some of Barefoot’s Early Years activities a try and see how computational thinking links with the Early Years framework. You’ll also be introduced to the Barefoot website and our fantastic range of resources designed especially for Early Years.

Programming in Scratch 19th March 15.45 - 17.00

This workshop provides the perfect introduction to programming in the Scratch environment through a series of code reading and writing activities (all with a camel theme!).

It highlights the application of computational thinking skills in programming and introduces the concepts of sequence, repetition and selection through a series of interactive activities.

To book a place at any of the above sessions please visit - Primary school workshops | Barefoot Computing

Joined the Achievery Ben! Looks fab! How do we enter the competition for a Scratch T-shirt as no idea where to post my form…

Free Scratch Resources (and chance to win a t-shirt)

The Scratch team is excited to share over 50 Scratch tutorials on our partner site: the Achievery. From now through February 28, you can enter to win a Scratch t-shirt for simply signing up for a free Achievery account! Follow these steps:

1. Visit the Achievery – using our affiliate link and the partner code SCRATCH directly supports Scratch Foundation!
2. Register your account
3. Submit a screenshot of your registration confirmation here for your chance to win a Scratch tee! (requires Google login)
4. Browse Scratch tutorials to discover debugging lessons, coding challenges, and design journals; explore topics like music, writing, and art; and much more.
5. Be sure to sign up and submit your registration confirmation no later than February 28 to be eligible to win a Scratch t-shirt! The winner will be notified by email.

EYFS Showcase

Are you looking for ways to develop computational thinking in your Early Years setting. Do you know an EYFS practitioner who would like to inspired by others on how to promote an understanding of early programming. If so, then use the link below to register for the EYFS Showcase later this month which has been organised by Rachel Coultart.

https://www.computingatschool.org.uk/events/2025/february/eyfs-showcase-2025/

Hi all,

Thank you to everyone who joined our recent CAS Interactive 3D Meeting: Flock XR! It was a fantastic session exploring the potential of interactive 3D environments in education.

If you missed it—or want to revisit key discussions—you can now access the event summary, recording, and resources here:
Flock XR Meeting Summary & Resources: CAS Interactive 3D meeting: Flock XR

We hope this inspires new ideas for integrating immersive technologies into teaching. If you have any questions or insights to share, we’d love to hear from you!

Thanks,
CAS

Hi Everyone,

Thank you to everyone who joined the CAS Primary TC Meeting: E-Safety (Session 2) last night.

We’re pleased to share the summaries and resources from our recent CAS Primary TC Meetings on E-Safety. These sessions explored key aspects of supporting children’s digital safety and provided practical strategies for the classroom.

You can now access the session recordings, slides, and additional materials here:
Session 1: CAS Primary TC meeting: e - Safety session 1
Session 2: CAS Primary TC Meeting: E-Safety Session 2

We hope these insights help strengthen e-safety education in your school. If you have any questions or thoughts to share, we’d love to hear from you!

Thanks,
CAS

Hi Everyone,

Thank you to everyone who joined the CAS Primary TC Meeting: E-Safety (Session 2) last night.

We’re pleased to share the summaries and resources from our recent CAS Primary TC Meetings on E-Safety. These sessions explored key aspects of supporting children’s digital safety and provided practical strategies for the classroom.

You can now access the session recordings, slides, and additional materials here:
Session 1: CAS Primary TC meeting: e - Safety session 1
Session 2: CAS Primary TC Meeting: E-Safety Session 2

We hope these insights help strengthen e-safety education in your school. If you have any questions or thoughts to share, we’d love to hear from you!

Thanks,
CAS

You Can Still Join Us – TC Meeting: Online Safety 2 Tomorrow!

Hi everyone,
Just a quick reminder that our Thematic Community meeting, Online Safety 2, is happening tomorrow at 4pm There’s still time to join us for what promises to be an engaging and insightful discussion.

Whether you’ve attended before or are joining for the first time, this is a great chance to share your experiences and connect with your peers in the computing education community.

Register here if you haven’t yet: Online Safety (2) Primary Community Meeting

You can also find the summary of the first event here - CAS Primary TC meeting: e - Safety session 1

Looking forward to seeing you there!
Best regards,
CAS

Hello,

Thank you to everyone who joined the recent CAS Primary TC Meeting: E-Safety (Session 1).

For those who couldn’t attend—or if you’d like to revisit the session—a summary is now available, including the session recording, slides, and resources to support e-safety education in primary schools. You can access everything here - CAS Primary TC meeting: e - Safety session 1

We hope these materials inspire and support your work in delivering effective e-safety guidance to young learners. If you have questions or would like to share feedback, we’d love to hear from you.

Thanks,
CAS

Happy New Year!

We hope you had a wonderful Christmas holiday and are feeling recharged and ready for an exciting term. We’re thrilled to share the upcoming online sessions in the CAS Primary Community, place between now and the February half-term.

E-Safety Sessions:

In preparation for ‘Safer Internet Day’ on Tuesday, 11th February, we have two special sessions focusing on E-Safety. We’ve invited organizations that provide free E-Safety resources for schools to share their valuable materials.
• Thursday, 23rd January: Project Evolve and Barefoot will present their resources.
• Tuesday, 28th January: Common Sense Media and Parent Zone will showcase their resources.

Thursday 6th February: Developing and implementing an AI strategy in schools

Julie Carson, Director of Education at Woodland Academy Trust, will discuss how the trust has developed and implemented its AI strategy. She will highlight the tools currently used to support teaching & learning, and administrative efficiency, along with the strategic considerations involved in the implementation.
Please feel free to share the details of these sessions with anyone in your school who might benefit from attending. The AI session will be very useful to any senior leaders deciding on how to move forward with AI within their setting.

We hope to seeing you there!

Book your sessions using the links below:

https://www.computingatschool.org.uk/events/2025/january/online-safety-1-primary-community-meeting

https://www.computingatschool.org.uk/events/2025/january/online-safety-2-primary-community-meeting

https://www.computingatschool.org.uk/events/2025/february/developing-and-implementing-an-ai-strategy-in-schools

Discover ‘Build the Change’ on the Barefoot Website!

We are thrilled to announce the launch of our newest teaching resource, ‘Build the Change’, developed in collaboration with the D&T Association, now available on the Barefoot website.

‘Build the Change’ is designed with teachers in mind, offering a comprehensive and engaging approach to teaching key concepts to pupils aged 7-10. This resource is packed with interactive activities, detailed lesson plans, and practical tips to make learning both fun and effective.

Key Features:
• Sustainable and Accessible Design: Pupils will learn about sustainable and accessible design, using this understanding to create 3D models of buildings for their local community.
• Scratch Integration: Inspire creativity and environmental awareness by enabling pupils to program and animate their designs in Scratch, sharing information about their creations with the local community.
• Interactive Activities: Engage your pupils with hands-on activities that make learning enjoyable and memorable.
• Detailed Lesson Plans: Save time with ready-to-use lesson plans that align with curriculum standards and learning objectives.
• Practical Tips: Get expert advice on how to implement the activities and adapt them to suit your classroom needs.

Exciting News: Live Lessons in March!
To support this fantastic resource, we are scheduling live lessons in March. These sessions will provide hands-on guidance and inspiration, helping you and your pupils make the most of ‘Build the Change’. Stay tuned for more details!

Download the resource for the Barefoot website

News for CAS Primary Community

The recordings from our recent AI Adventure: Explore, Create, Innovate session are now available, along with detailed summary blogs. This new resource is aimed at supporting Primary and KS3 educators, with sessions covering KS2 AI Resource for the Non-Specialist and KS2/3 AI Resources for the Specialist Computing Teacher. You can access the blog and recordings here:

If you’re also interested in AI more generally, consider joining the CAS AI Teacher Community

In this community, we explore various AI-related themes and teaching strategies. For example, you can find recording of our recent sessions on Using Google NotebookLM for Teaching and Learning here: Using Google NotebookLM for Teaching and Learning - TC meeting

We hope these resources are helpful as you explore AI in the classroom.

Exciting Hour of Code Opportunity with Scratch!

As part of Hour of Code, Scratch is hosting a live code-along session on their YouTube channel on 10th December at 6 pm GMT (1 pm ET). The session will explore activities inspired by young scientist Gitanjali Rao, named Time Magazine’s 2020 “Kid of the Year”.

While the timing may not be ideal for those in the UK and Europe, the resources are available to use at your convenience after the live session. Each of the two activities includes starter projects, lesson plans, coding cards, and explainer videos.

Activity 1: Design your own invention, inspired by Gitanjali’s innovations.
Activity 2: Spread a message of kindness using Scratch.
This is a fantastic opportunity to engage your students in coding while celebrating creativity, kindness, and innovation.

To sign up for the live session or explore the resources, visit: Hour of Code LIVE Create-Along with Gitanjali Rao — Scratch Foundation

There’s still time to join us for today’s CAS Physical Computing Community session - Physical Computing KS1

Don’t miss this engaging session with Primary Computing Specialist Sarah Zaman! Explore affordable physical computing toys that bring computational thinking to life in Early Years and KS1, perfectly aligned with the KS1 Computing Curriculum.

Sign up here: Physical Computing KS1

Primary teachers - we’re investigating how physical computing is taught in schools, particularly with using the micro:bit. Do you have 10 minutes to help us by completing a quick survey? This will really help to inform our research.

More details and the link are here: Primary teachers: tell us about your experience of teaching physical computing - Raspberry Pi Computing Education Research Centre . Even if you’ve only used physical computing a little your responses will be useful to the study.

Please do also share with colleagues in your school and networks too!

This survey is part of the Exploring Physical Computing in Schools research project that is running from 2024-2029 at the University of Cambridge.

Many thanks and have a great weekend!

Sue and Jessie
University of Cambridge

Do you have a STEM Governor in your school? We’ve been working with others on this new toolkit!

The STEM Governor Toolkit has been developed by AtkinsRéalis, Governors for Schools and GovernorHub to define the role STEM school governance through a guidebook of questions designed to prompt teachers on how to uplift the culture of STEM provision and careers advice in schools. Ultimately benchmarking performance and creating a standard that can be adhered to across the education system in the UK.

The questions within the toolkit have been coined in collaboration with a number of expert education partners who are all dedicated to modelling high quality teaching across the STEM curriculum subjects in a show of strength to raise the bar and drive attainment.

We collectively believe this is the missing product in careers provision that will not only help governing colleagues to apply their time effectively, but ensure STEM is prioritized on the school agenda to ultimately respond to, and, provide a solution to the skills crisis.

Discover the toolkit:
• Questions to ask about STEM: https://ow.ly/7rZa50U4tVP
• STEM: role of the link governor: https://ow.ly/nAqn50U4tVS
• How to make STEM a strategic priority in your school or trust: https://ow.ly/y06v50U4tVQ

We have updated our resource AI Adventures to include a new set of lessons designed for Key Stage 2 and for teachers who are less confident when teaching about AI. Over the five lessons, pupils will learn about:

What AI is and where it currently exists in their everyday life,
How machine learning systems are used,
How machine learning systems are created,
Digital assistants, how they work, and the implications of using them,
How AI can be used to solve problems.

Throughout the unit, pupils will engage in a range of unplugged and plugged activities to develop and reinforce their understanding. Each lesson contains a full set of resources, including a detailed lesson plan, lesson presentation, and supporting worksheets.

The resource can be downloaded now as part of our AI Adventures resource.

Download the resource here AI Adventure: Explore, Create, Innovate

Barefoot turned 10 this year, and we’re inviting our whole amazing community to join the party! And since we’re Barefoot, you know it’s going to be loads of fun!

Here’s how you can help us celebrate: Share your favourite jokes with us!

Whether it’s as a school, a class, a pupil, or a teacher, we want to hear your best giggles and guffaws! You can get creative with how you share:
• Design hilarious posters
• Film funny video clips
• Use our Barefoot resource – ScratchJr Knock Knock Joke Activity
• Or even adapt this Scratch file that we have created for the celebration.
https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1076329491

Share your jokes on social media tagging Barefoot and #Barefoot10, so we can share the laughter. Or, send them to us at enquiries@barefootcomputing.org.

Mark your calendars! On Friday 1st November, we’ll pick the joke that tickles our funny bone the most. The winning entry will receive a fantastic prize!

So put on your thinking caps, warm up those funny bones, and let’s make Barefoot’s birthday a real laughing matter!

Congratulations to Sir Demis Hassabis CBE, Google DeepMind, on winning the Noble Prize for Chemistry. His team has recently been awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their ground breaking work on AlphaFold2, a revolutionary AI system that predicts protein structures. We’re also proud that Sir Demis Hassabis CBE accepted the BCS Lovelace Medal last year for his significant contributions to the field of AI and the UK tech sector

It’s great to see computing is a driving force at the cutting edge of scientific innovation, with the Nobel Prize for Physics awarded for work on Machine Learning!

Please see the information below regarding the Bebras challenge 2024 shared by Harriet at the Raspberry Pi Foundation.

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

Reminder:

Don’t forget to join us tomorrow for Carbon Quest, Tuesday 8th October at 4pm! We’ll explore Barefoot’s new resource on carbon emissions. Plus, Ben Davies will share classroom tips and insights. There’s also a surprise to celebrate Barefoot’s 10th birthday!

Looking forward to seeing you there!

https://www.computingatschool.org.uk/events/2024/october/carbon-quest-barefoot-s-innovative-new-resource

Barefoot’s latest resource, Carbon Quest, launches next week. This activity combines scientific inquiry and computing. Pupils investigate their school’s carbon emissions linked to the use of technology and use Scratch as a tool for sharing these findings.

I will be hosting a webinar on Tuesday (8th October) to introduce these resources and discuss how they can be used in the classroom. I’ll also be sharing how you and your pupils can help Barefoot celebrate its 10th birthday.

The session also qualifies for our new CPD certificate.

https://www.computingatschool.org.uk/events/2024/october/carbon-quest-barefoot-s-innovative-new-resource

Hi everyone,

We’d love to have you join us at next week’s community session, Carbon Quest, on Tuesday, 8th October at 4pm!

The session will explore Barefoot’s new resource, Carbon Quest, which allows pupils to investigate the carbon emissions associated with technology use, collect data on their school’s technology usage and use Scratch to share these findings with a wider audience.

During the session, you will:

• Learn more about the pedagogy used in the programming aspect of the activity.
• Get first-hand tips on how to deliver the activity in the classroom.

As a special surprise, you’ll also hear about our exciting plans to celebrate Barefoot’s 10th birthday and how your pupils can get involved in the celebrations!

Ben Davies, our new Computing Subject Lead, will provide an insightful overview of these fantastic new resources.

Mark your calendars, and we hope you can join us!

https://www.computingatschool.org.uk/events/2024/october/carbon-quest-barefoot-s-innovative-new-resource

Join us today at 4pm. Find any LEGO robotics kits you have in your classroom / cupboards and bring one along to this session where Brian Egles will be talking us through what the kit is (if you don’t know) and giving some ideas of how you can use them and where to find free resources.

If you’re using LEGO robotics kits in your lessons / clubs please come along and share what you’re using them for!

You’ll also get a CPD certificate for attending.

https://www.computingatschool.org.uk/events/2024/october/lego-robotics-what-do-i-do-with-this-kit-ive-got

We’re delighted to hear that BCS will be taking part in @WMinsightUK’s #AIinSchoolsWM Digital Conference on the benefits, opportunities, and risks for GenAI in schools and colleges across the UK. Julia Adamson, Managing Director – Education & Public Benefit, BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, will be chairing this online event.

For 20% discount, use code SPKR4385 AI in Schools and Colleges Digital Conference - Westminster Insight

Exploring Physical Computing in Primary Schools

The “Exploring Physical Computing in Primary Schools” project is a five-year longitudinal study starting in March 2024, funded by the Micro:bit Educational Foundation, BBC, and Nominet. The research, led by Sue Sentance and Jessie Dunk at University of Cambridge, aims to investigate primary-aged children’s creativity with technology, their agency and confidence with computers (especially physical and tangible devices), and their response to physical computing lessons. It also explores teachers’ attitudes towards teaching computing with physical devices.

They are currently looking for teachers from years (3-5) to complete a short micro:bit activity with a group of pupils and complete a short set of questions afterwards. The activity requires pupils to use micro:bits; they are not required to code them.

For more information please see Sue’s Blog post.

Just a friendly reminder that our AI community meeting, Oak Academy’s AI Lesson Planning Tools, is taking place today at 4pm.

Oak National Academy’s AI lesson planner helps teachers create custom lessons using adaptable content. Learn how it can aid in planning computing lessons at this intro session.

There’s still time to register and join us for what will undoubtedly be an engaging and thought-provoking session.

If you’ve not registered yet, you can do so here: Oak Academy's AI Lesson Planning Tools

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

Catch up on yesterday’s event where we explored creating Canva websites. The recording and all relevant resources are now available on our blog:
Creating Canva Websites - CAS Primary TC meeting

Get inspired by the innovative renewable energy projects from Barefoot’s Global Scratch Conference workshop. Read more - Barefoot hosts collaborative workshop at global Scratch Conference 

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! Year 6 - 7 Transition - Code breaking activity

This resource is ideal for a taster session when y6 students are visiting their Secondary schools. This activity can be done with/without computers and involves computational thinking to crack open some cyphers. It promotes teamwork so students can get to know their new classmates whilst having fun.

!! Calling all schools longing for more engaging STEM lessons and lightbulb moments !!

SEND, Primary, Secondary, Specialist, Grammar, Private, Academies, clubs, all welcome!

My multi-awarding winning company CirKits Ltd® is currently selecting 25 schools in 3 regions for the opportunity to road test the teaching resource ComponentBuilder, which:
Encourages more girls to take up STEM subjects
Improves grades (21% average mark improvement in our trial)
Makes computer science more engaging for all students

ComponentBuilder is a tactile learning resource that I have developed to give students the opportunity to interactively experiment with the insides of the computer in a collaborative, innovative way.

If you’re passionate about improving computer science learning experiences and having an impact on STEM results in UK schools, please give me a shout.

Our aim with these 25 schools is to replicate our trial results before bringing ComponentBuilder to the market nationwide.

Here’s how it’ll work:
I’ll come visit your school twice (and bring my 10 years of computer science teaching experience with me) - once to teach a computing/STEM lesson using ComponentBuilder and once to get your feedback.
You will then get to loan a ComponentBuilder kit, free of charge, for 2 weeks to use in lessons, focus groups, extracurricular activities and transition days.
I’ll support and advise you throughout the demo period.

The road test will run in the September-October 2024 term.

If you’re at STEMFest 4-5th of July I’ll be exhibiting the ComponentBuilder and I’d love to see you.

For more information about me and this exciting opportunity, look me up on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hwright3d/ or email me at at info@cirkits.co.uk.

Can’t wait to hear from you

Hannah Wright
Founder and CEO of CirKits Ltd®

CirKits is fuelled by a passion for lightbulb moments, bringing more women into STEM and creating better computer science learning experiences for students.

The institute of imagination are working with BBC micro:bit for an online webinar for teachers and educators as part of the BBC micro:bit Playground Survey. The live webinar will be hosted by Carrie Anne Philbin MBE. It will be on Wednesday 19th June from 3.45pm-4.45pm where we will be exploring in more detail the project and using micro:bits at school. They will provide resources and everything needed ahead of the workshop, as well as the webinar link closer to the time.

Your school must already have micro:bits to participate fully in the webinar and in this activity. Sign up here: Institute of Imagination x BBC micro:bit

The institute of imagination are working with BBC micro:bit for an online webinar for teachers and educators as part of the BBC micro:bit Playground Survey. The live webinar will be hosted by Carrie Anne Philbin MBE. It will be on Wednesday 19th June from 3.45pm-4.45pm where we will be exploring in more detail the project and using micro:bits at school. They will provide resources and everything needed ahead of the workshop, as well as the webinar link closer to the time.

Your school must already have micro:bits to participate fully in the webinar and in this activity. Sign up here: Institute of Imagination x BBC micro:bit

Just a quick reminder that you can still register for today’s community event - Pedagogical approaches for teaching programming.

Matthew Wimpenny-Smith will guide us through various approaches to support KS2 programming with Scratch, based on the latest Ofsted research.

You can register here – Pedagogical approaches for teaching programming

If you missed last night’s session about the Raspberry Pi Foundation’s code editor for ages 9+, you can read a summary and check out the resources here Raspberry Pi Foundation's Code Editor - TC meeting

Hi all,

We’re running a free full day Primary Computing training day on 14th June in London at Adobe’s HQ in Old Street.

Adobe, with Primary Computing specialist & NCCE National Trainer Tom Bolton, invite primary teachers to attend a training session at Adobe HQ on Friday 14th June 2024 from 9.30am to 3pm.

Location - White Collar Factory, 1 Old Street Yard, London EC1Y 8AF

Lunch will be provided and teachers will all receive free swag.

The aim of the day is to inspire primary teachers & Computing leads to deliver engaging curriculum experiences following the NCCE Primary Computing framework using Adobe Express.

Attendees will work with images, video, text, AI & animation so they can teach these skills in the classroom.

Please fill out this form to book your free place.

www.bit.ly/ncceadobe

It will be a really fun, hands-on day designed to increase teacher confidence and give them skills and resources they can take back to their school.

Feel free to come along if you like!

Join me on Thursday at 4pm to get a demo of Raspberry Pi’s code editor suitable for ages 9+
https://www.computingatschool.org.uk/events/2024/june/raspberry-pi-foundations-code-editor-for-python-and-html-1

Are you in need of some AI training? Why not ask your senior leaders for this to be on your September INSET agenda:
https://www.computingatschool.org.uk/events/2024/september/an-introduction-to-ai-in-primary-education
Mon 2nd Sept 2-4pm online. Please share the link with colleagues

If you missed the session earlier this week about free careers resources suitable for primary students, check out the summary including links here: FREE Careers resources from BCS & Tech She Can - Primary & Secondary TC meeting

Join Jo Hodge and I on Thursday at 4pm to get ideas on how to use your Crumbles, Spheros and Micro:bits in your classroom
https://www.computingatschool.org.uk/events/2024/may/cas-physical-computing-lets-get-physical

Join me on Wednesday at 4pm for a hands on AI masterclass from James Kuht (former CTO). With free pro tools now available from ChatGPT this is going to be a very interesting session!
https://www.computingatschool.org.uk/events/2024/may/cas-ai-hands-on-ai-masterclass-from-a-former-cto

Hi. We’ve just released further details about the development of a new set of Code Editor features to help school teachers run text-based coding lessons.

The Raspberry Pi Foundation Code Editor is tailored for young people who are new to text-based programming. And it’s free forever.

Educators will be able to create coding activities in the Editor, share them with their students, and leave feedback directly on each student’s work. More information here: Introducing classroom management to the Code Editor - Raspberry Pi Foundation

We’re also taking part in a CAS online event on 6th June if you would like to hear more: Raspberry Pi Foundation's Code Editor for Python & HTML

Introducing…
AI Explorers – the latest resource from Barefoot, created in partnership with Ocado Group, and Code for Life!

It has been designed to introduce pupils aged between 9-11 to the world of Artificial Intelligence and to explore how it is used all around us. It contains three fun unplugged activities based around real life uses of Artificial Intelligence, and has been created in partnership with Ocado. Pupils consider how we can use Artificial Intelligence to solve problems, detect patterns and create new content.

To download ‘AI Explorers’ for your classroom today, head to the Barefoot site.

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

Hi everyone!

You can now access the final set of resources to help you navigate online platforms!
“Getting Started with Microsoft Teams - a 3-part video series” is now available.

Hey everyone Exciting news! Our new resource, ‘Getting Started with Google Classroom,’ is now available.

On Tuesday the 26th March, we’ll be looking at some free resources for physical computing and asking you what resources you’d like to see CAS produce. We’ll also be explaining our revised digital badging system which is exclusive to the Physical Computing community and telling you how to claim your badge! There’ll also be some news about how to get an Amazon voucher for submitting a new Physical Computing resource.

https://www.computingatschool.org.uk/events/2024/march/support-for-physical-computing-and-resources

Want to find out how to make the most out of AI tools when using them for productivity? Join Tig Williams on Monday at 4 pm. Sign up here Using AI tools for productivity and join the AI community here CAS AI Community

Great Science Share for Schools

‘Sustainable Science’ is the theme for this year’s Great Science Share for Schools, the annual award-winning campaign which inspires 5-14 year-olds to ask questions that matter to them, investigate and share their science with new audiences.

New Great Guided Enquiries, consisting of teacher notes and pupil activities, enable you to participate with ease. Consider the impact of technology on the environment in the Great Computing Share.

The computing resources can be found here - Great Computing Share — The Great Science Share for Schools

You will need to sign up to the GSSfS website to access the Toolkit.