The National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE) has said the first group of schools have achieved accreditation in the field through their use of its Computing Quality Framework (CQF) tool.
So far 10 primary and secondary schools have achieve the benchmark level and over 700 across England are now using the CQF to evaluate their computing education.
This follows a pilot of the use of the tool run in autumn of last year.
The CQF is a free online framework that enables schools to evaluate computing provision, identify areas for improvement and access NCCE training, resources and support from the NCCE’s national network of computing hubs based at 34 schools across England.
Schools that have reached the benchmark level for all seven aspects of the framework can apply for the NCCE Computing Quality Mark, awarded by BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, which recognises and celebrates the school’s progress.
Strategic oversight
Claire Garside, senior lead facilitator at NCCE, said: "The CQF gives schools the strategic oversight to ensure all their students receive the computing skills and knowledge they will need for their future, and which are increasingly in demand from employers.”
She added: “Congratulations to our first 10 Computing Quality Mark schools. They’ve led the way to deliver higher standards in computing education and demonstrate the quality of their provision.
“They’re our first 10 but we know many more schools have brilliant computing education. The NCCE teams are working closely with primary and secondary schools across England to support them to also achieve the Computing Quality Mark.”
The first ten schools to receive a quality mark are: Anchorsholme Primary Academy, Lancashire; Barton Court Grammar School, Kent; Carmel College, County Durham; the Chase School, Worcestershire; Garforth Academy, West Yorkshire; Icknield High School, Bedfordshire; Pate’s Grammar School, Gloucestershire; Saffron Walden County High School, Essex; Tupton Hall School, Derbyshire; and the Vale Academy, Lincolnshire
NCCE is a charity funded by the Department for Education and supporting partners to improve the provision of computing education in England.
