Programming Education in England's Secondary Schools

With 2024 marking the 10-year anniversary of the introduction of computing into the national curriculum, with its emphasis on coding, it seems a fitting time to take stock of the current status of programming education in England. 

This feature highlights the key findings from this research, shedding light on choice of programming languages, pedagogical approaches, and extra-curricular opportunities that are shaping the next generation of coders.

The Dominance of Python in the Classroom

Python dominates the programming education landscape as the most popular programming language taught in English secondary schools, with over 90% of schools using it at both Key Stages 3 (KS3) and 4 (KS4). In contrast, at Key Stage 5 (KS5), a broader array of programming languages, such as C# and JavaScript, come into play as students tackle a wider range of projects, such as web development.

Block-based languages like Scratch, which are often used to introduce younger students to programming, have a strong presence at KS3. However, their use declines at later stages due to the exam structure that focuses on text-based coding.

State-Maintained vs. Independent Schools: Differences in Programming Time

The amount of time dedicated to programming varies between state-maintained and independent schools. While state schools typically allocate up to 0-25% of lesson time to programming at KS3, independent schools tend to dedicate a higher percentage, up to 25-50%. A similar picture can be seen at KS4 with a greater percentage of lesson time dedicated to programming in independent schools. This difference raises questions about disparities in access to programming education between different school types.

With OCR currently in the development of a fully on-screen assessed computer science GCSE qualification (OCR, 2023), it is interesting to note that nearly 40% of teachers indicated that they would increase the time spent on programming if on-screen assessments become more prominent.

Pedagogical Approaches: The Popularity of PRIMM

The PRIMM (Predict, Run, Investigate, Modify, Make) approach has emerged as the most commonly used teaching technique in programming classes, particularly favoured by female teachers. This approach emphasizes a structured, exploratory way of learning code, which has been shown to help students develop a deeper understanding of programming concepts. While PRIMM leads the pack, other methods like code tracing, project-based learning, and Parson’s problems are also commonly employed.

Extra-Curricular Opportunities: Clubs and Competitions

While many schools offer computing-related clubs in general, independent schools are more likely to provide extra-curricular opportunities to engage with robotics, a pursuit that requires the additional purchase of hardware, suggesting that some state schools might not have the resources to run such clubs. Additionally, all independent schools surveyed supported participation in external competitions compared to just 71% of non-selective state schools. The Bebras Challenge was the most popular competition. However, the type of competition entered does tend to vary between settings, with independent schools more likely to enter students into competitions with a programming emphasis and state schools focusing more on game design and animation competitions.

Looking Ahead: Challenges and Opportunities

England’s approach to programming education has made significant progress, but challenges remain in ensuring equitable access to resources and opportunities. As the landscape of programming education continues to evolve, it will be essential to address these disparities to ensure that all students, regardless of background, have access to high-quality programming education.

While it is good to see such a high proportion of schools providing their students with computing related extra-curricular activities, it is important to be conscious of the differences in the opportunities offered between state-maintained and independent schools particularly as girls who participate in activities such as digital making outside curriculum time are more likely to study GCSE computer science (Kemp et al. 2024).

Another consideration is the variance in programming instruction time across key stages, with independent schools generally dedicating more time than state-maintained schools. The potential shift toward on-screen programming exams could further influence this distribution.

References

• Hadwen-Bennett, A. & Kemp, P.E.J. (2024). Programming in Secondary Education in England: Technical Report. King’s College London.

• Kemp, Peter Edward Joseph, Billy Wong, Jess Hamer, and Megan Copsey-Blake. 2024. “The Future of Computing Education - Considerations for Policy, Curriculum and Practice.” https://www.kcl.ac.uk/ecs/assets/kcl-scari-computing.pdf.

• OCR (2023). “OCR to offer first GCSE with fully digital exams” https://www.ocr.org.uk/news/ocr-to-offer-first-gcse-with-fully-digital-exams/