“Everybody in this country should learn how to program a computer… because it teaches you how to think.”
- Steve Jobs
Computing empowers learners to understand and shape the digital world that surrounds them. It combines creativity, logic, and problem-solving to help pupils make sense of how technology works and how it can be used to design solutions, communicate ideas, and drive innovation. Through exploring programming, systems, and digital literacy, pupils develop the confidence and curiosity to become active creators, not just consumers of technology in an ever-changing world.
Through subject-specific training sessions, trainees will develop secure knowledge of key computing concepts such as algorithms, programming, data representation, and computational thinking, while refining the pedagogical skills essential to high-quality computing teaching. You will also explore how to inspire curiosity and creativity in learners, helping them to apply computing knowledge in authentic contexts and to understand its ethical, cultural, and societal impact.
You will train within a dedicated Computing cohort throughout the year. This focused approach ensures that you develop the knowledge and skills necessary to teach across the full computing curriculum.
All secondary Computing trainees receive specialist subject training within their placement schools, supported by a dedicated and highly experienced subject mentor. Explicit links are made across teaching phases from KS2 to KS5, ensuring the content goes beyond the KS3 and KS4 National Curriculum to promote a deep understanding of computational thinking, digital fluency, and learner progression across all key stages.
My name is Sandy Armstrong, and I have the pleasure of being your Subject Lead for Computing this year. Before becoming a teacher, I began my career in the metals industry, working with automation systems which was an experience that sparked my interest in how technology shapes the world around us. I’ve spent the past 16 years in education, initially teaching Information Technology and then Computer Science since it was introduced into the national curriculum in 2014. Over this time, I’ve also had the privilege of leading a department, developing both curriculum and teaching practice to help pupils and teachers thrive in computing. I’m passionate about supporting new teachers as they grow in confidence and skill, and about showing how Computer Science can inspire curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving in every learner.
I’m excited to be supporting you as you begin what promises to be a challenging, dynamic, and deeply rewarding year. As you step into the classroom as a future Computing teacher, you’ll not only be introducing pupils to the technical foundations of our digital world but also guiding them to think critically, act ethically, and solve problems creatively.