Overview of Computing in the curriculum
2011 saw an ever-increasing torrent of criticism of the teaching of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in UK schools. Negative headlines in the national press were commonplace:
- “School ICT lessons a ‘turn-off’, says Royal Society”
- “Computer lessons are out of date, admits government”
- “UK tech industry says ICT curriculum failing”
- “ICT ‘poor in schools’, Ofsted says”
- “Decline and fall: The UK’s shocking IT education record”
The result of this criticism was that in January 2012 the (then) education secretary Michael Gove disapplied ICT, branding it a ‘mess’ and removing it from the National Curriculum. It took until September 2013 before guidance came on what ICT was being replaced with, in the form of the 
National curriculum in England: computing programmes of study.
The scale of curricular change and the timescale allowed to teachers were unprecedented. The difference between ICT and Computing can be likened to the difference between driving a car and being a mechanic. Although most adults are comfortable driving a car, how many have any idea of what is going on under the bonnet? Many ICT teachers faced the prospect of a steep learning curve in order to deliver the fundamentals of programming and computing – and some may still not feel fully up to speed.
The good news is that the Computing content presents some fantastic opportunities to bring fresh, exciting elements to your curriculum without spending any money at all. The approaches and resources suggested in Teaching Computing at KS3 will also make it possible for your students to continue developing their interest and knowledge in Computing at home with a wide range of free-to-access software and web tools. Computing is something to be embraced, and if you are struggling to do this go to YouTube and search for the video ‘What most schools don’t teach’ (one link here correct at time of publication). Share the video with your classes – it will be a great motivator to them!