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CAS Network of Teaching Excellence doubles its reach
Universities have helped Computing At School (CAS) double support to computing teachers through the Network of Teaching Excellence in Computer Science (NoE) - according to the latest figures in the quarterly report provided to the Department for Education.
With DfE funding, the CAS Network of Excellence has provided over 56,000 instances of professional development to teachers since the autumn of 2012. This includes formal training events, mentoring, coaching, peer observation, peer partnering to develop resources and through co-teaching provided by CAS Master Teachers, CAS university partners, CAS Hubs and CAS conferences.
The professional development teachers receive has a tremendous impact in the classroom. According to the DfE report, teachers receiving support from the Network say this has increased their confidence of teaching computing in the classroom by an average of 88%.
The Network (NoE) led by CAS, part of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, and funded by the Department for Education, was established specifically to support primary and secondary school teachers to teach the new computing curriculum which became compulsory in schools throughout England in September 2014. The Network is a national community of professional practice and is a partnership between schools, universities, IT employers and professional bodies.
Bill Mitchell, BCS Director for Education explains: “It is important for the UK to remain at the forefront of excellence in computing and teachers are vital to making that happen. Thanks to the ten university regional partners who are now part of the CAS Network of Excellence, the level of support to teachers through the Network has doubled year on year during the autumn term of 2015. What’s more, teacher’s receiving support from the Network report their confidence has increased by an average of 88%.”
The NoE partners schools with their local universities to provide teachers with low-cost continuing professional development. Together with existing CAS members and experienced teachers, the universities also help provide teaching material, as well as supporting training, local CAS Hubs and networking opportunities for teachers to meet with like-minded colleagues.
Bill concludes: “We want every school to have outstanding computing teachers and the Network of Excellence is helping to achieve this. The aim is to build teaching capacity in our schools so that every child has an outstanding computing education.”
For more information about CAS visit: www.computingatschool.org.uk
Full details can be found in the DfE quarterly progress report.
