Support

Computing at School (CAS), as the subject association for computer science, has been a key influence on the development of the new Computing curriculum. CAS has a vibrant support community, including members from industry and from all phases of education. There’s a dedicated forum for members in primary education, and many local and regional events. See www.computingatschool.org.uk for more information or to join (free membership).

Naace is the ICT association concerned with advancing education through the use of technology, both within and beyond the Computing curriculum. Naace members share a vision for the role of technology in transforming learning and teaching. Its members include teachers, school leaders, advisors and consultants working within and across all phases of UK education. Membership requires an annual subscription but many resources are available free: see www.naace.co.uk

CAS has worked in collaboration with the British Computer Society (BCS) to establish a Network of Teaching Excellence in Computer Science. The network coordinates and provides training opportunities for serving and trainee teachers. The initiative is supported by the DfE, OCR (examination board), CPHC (Council of Professors and Heads of Computing), Microsoft and Google. The programme aims to build a high-quality, sustainable CPD infrastructure at low cost by nurturing long-term collaboration between employers, universities, professional bodies, schools and teachers: see www.computingatschool.org.uk/index.php?id=noe

Many local authorities and CLCs (City Learning Centres) provide support and advice for schools and teachers on all aspects of the curriculum, including Computing. Contact your local advisors or consultants for details of events and support in your area.

Twitter is a great informal source of ideas and advice once you’ve built up a useful list of contacts. The CAS Twitter account: @compatsch, its followers: https://twitter.com/CompAtSch/followers and those it follows: https://twitter. com/CompAtSch/following may be helpful in developing your own personal learning network.