Learn to Program, One Byte at a Time.
This site provides materials to help teachers learn to teach programming to GCSE level and A-Level. These materials will help guide you through the process of understanding what students need to know and assist in updating your skill-set.
Using Python 3 you will become familiar with the necessary concepts to teach programming successfully to beginners at GCSE level and also how to support and encourage students who are embarking on their A-Level Projects.
The course and web materials are suitable both for those who have no programming experience and those wishing to convert their knowledge from another programming language to Python.
In addition, we run some taught sessions after school at Anglia Ruskin University. These courses include Computing theory as well as Python programming. All current courses are advertised on this page.
Why Python?
Python is a programming language which is easy for beginners. It has a very clear, readable and consistent syntax; There is no need to declare variables and Python is interpreted, making it easier for the beginner to deal with errors in their code.
It is free to install and there are many resources available on the internet to support your learning. In addition it has similarities with many other languages. By learning to program in Python you will develop transferable skills which you can use to teach (and learn) other languages.
The Course Team.
Sue Sentance
Sue is the subject leader of the PGCE ICT course at Anglia Ruskin University.
She has 11 years experience of teaching A-Level Computing, and has developed a series of materials for teaching Python that can be adapted to serve the needs of trainee teachers needing to develop skills in computer programming.
She is also an examiner for A-Level Computing. She has an MSc and PhD in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Edinburgh. She started her career as a computer programmer and has been programming or teaching programming for 25 years.
Adam McNicol
Adam is the Computing Course Team Leader at Long Road Sixth Form College, Cambridge.
He has a BSc in Computer Science from the University of Glasgow and trained as a teacher in Scotland where computing is incorporated into the ICT teacher training programme.
He has been teaching computer programming in schools for the last 6 years.
Sophie Baker
Sophie worked as a software and database designer for IBM and Price Waterhouse for 5 years and then left to run her own software development company for 15 years before turning to teaching.
She has been teaching A level Computing at The Sandon School in Essex for the last 8 years and have worked as an examiner for AQA and authored many resources including the Nelson Thornes Kerboodle online resources.
She started teaching GCSE Computing on the first pilot in September 2010 and the popularity is growing in school. The Sandon School had over 120 year 9 students volunteer for taster sessions in Computing this year.
She still spends her spare time programming and developing software for teachers. She has just started the GCSEComputing.net website where she hopes to provide some resources for students and teachers of GCSE Computing.