11 August 2025
Barefoot Live Lessons: A Year of Connection, Creativity and Computing
This past academic year marked an exciting new chapter for Barefoot with the launch of our Live Lessons—bringing computing to life in classrooms across the UK and beyond. What started as a pilot in Northern Ireland quickly grew into a nationwide celebration of collaboration, creativity, and computing.
From our very first session on 31st January, where eight classrooms of 5–7-year-olds explored online safety through games and discussion, to our final lesson of the year, we’ve delivered over 12 live sessions covering topics such as:
- Online safety and digital literacy
- Programming with Scratch
- Physical computing with micro:bit
- A special celebration of Alan Turing’s legacy
- A collaborative session with the Primary Coding League
In total, we’ve welcomed over 3,700 pupils from 130+ classrooms, including early years settings and schools from India and Kenya. It’s a number we still rub our eyes at!
Why Live Lessons Matter
Live Lessons are more than just a teaching tool—they’re a shared experience. They:
- Bring joy and engagement to computing through interactive, hands-on activities
- Model effective pedagogy, showcasing unplugged approaches, PRIMM, and “use, modify, create” strategies
- Connect classrooms across the home nations, building a sense of community and shared learning
But don’t just take our word for it. Here’s what some of our participating teachers had to say:
“Thank you so much—we have loved it and learned lots!”
“We learnt lots about Alan Turing and really enjoyed the code-cracking Barefoot game.”
“Thank you so very much—this was a great session!”
What’s Next?
Building on this success, we’re thrilled to announce our Autumn Term Live Lessons:
- 17 September – Back to School with Scratch (KS2): Pupils animate the letters of their name in Scratch
- 30 September – Introducing the micro:bit (KS2): A perfect starting point for physical computing
- 7 October – Who Does This Belong To? (KS1): Exploring digital ownership and online safety
- 14 October – Dive into Cyber Safety with The Phisherman! (KS2): A thrilling underwater adventure tackling phishing and cyber threats
More sessions will be added soon, so keep an eye on the Barefoot Buzz page for updates.
Whether you’re joining us for the first time or returning for another session, we can’t wait to welcome you and your pupils.