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We currently delivery the KS1 and KS2 computing curriculum through the use of Espresso Coding, supplemented with a couple of lessons from Barefoot Computing that cover specific topics that need to be taught in KS2 (computer networking being one of them). We have also used a couple of other coding apps such as code.org and Hopscotch. This is all going fine, and the kids are flying with it (it's all a bit too easy for them to be honest!), but I am worried that there has been no evidencing of the work done by pupils. All of the coding stuff is obviously online, and there is no hard physical evidence of their work. Espresso Coding allows you to save, as does Hopscotch - but it's all a bit of a mess and isn't easy to access all in one place (eg. a whole class' coding work for a particular unit). We use Classroom Monitor to track pupil's progress for other subjects, but this is not currently being done for Computing. So, basically there is no evidence of any work being done or assessed in Computing - and this can't be good for an OFSTED inpection. I'm the Network Manager - but I've been trying to take a bit of a lead with implementing the new curriculum, which wasn't being taught at all just over a year ago before I started. Does anyone know how Computing is being evidenced or tracked in their Primary schools? If anyone would like to chat further about this (I appreciate it's quite a complex post!), PM me and I'd be only too happy to have a chinwag.

Hi folks, I was wondering what other schools are using to run A-Level Computing and/or Programming courses. We have been teaching it for three years now, but the teacher running it still hasn't decided what software they need for it to be completely successful. I've asked numerous times what software they require, but they just respond 'I don't know, programming and code don't really interest me to be honest'. An odd response from someone supposed to be teaching the thing, but enough of my moaning. What I have set up is: Windows 7 hosts computers, on the network with all the usual group policy restrictions in place. VirtualBox installed on each PC with a Windows 7 VM configured. The VMs are not connected to the internet or the school network, they have their network cards disabled, but students log on to Windows with admin accounts. Installed on the VirtualBox VMs are .net framework, C# developer and python. If a student does anything untoward on one of the VMs or installs anything they shouldn't, we just delete the VM and copy over a fresh one for them. The problem I have got is that our students want to use Visual Studio to put a nice front end on things. Whilst I can install it for them, it requires connectivity to the internet in order to launch each time. Given that these VM's are unrestricted, so that students can create and run their own code and batch files etc, the last thing I want to do is join them to my network or allow them out onto the internet. Does anyone have any suggestions or decent free alternatives to Visual Studio? thanks in advance.

Please pass this on to anyone who you think may be interested and qualified We are seeking to appoint an inspirational, creative and confident teacher who can lead the department and employ a wide range of teaching strategies, following on from the excellent foundation laid by the present post holder, who is leaving for retirement. The successful candidate will be energetic, dynamic and have high expectations and contribute fully to the future development of the Computing and ICT Department, both challenging and motivating pupils. The post will include the teaching of GCSE ICT and potentially Computer Science. It is expected that the candidate will actively contribute to the school’s co-curricular programme and participate in the pastoral duties of whole-school life. Requirements of the candidate: • Qualifications: Teaching Qualification at degree level/post-graduate level would be preferred. • Experienced at teaching iGCSE in ICT is essential. • Be able to teach KS3 Computing and ICT and GCSE ICT, with potential to teach Computer Science at GCSE and possibly at A Level in the future. • Demonstrate excellent IT skills and develop the use of the interactive whiteboard and the departmental area of the VLE. Further details can be found here Solihull School - Head of Computing & ICT Solihull School Website

Good Afternoon, Has anyone had to install this software for Computing students to use? If so, how did you go about installing it, was it easy or hard. I have just been asked to install this for students to use and i have just created a group policy for this to be installed but is proving very difficult at this time. Do you also have to create a SQL Database on the server that the students can connect to with this software. Thank-you

exabytes - I'm currently organising a new technology in education conference to take place at The Midland Hotel, June 23rd in Bradford. It's a not-for profit event sponsored by Exa Education, with lots of hands-on workshops to share strategies for using technology in education. More information about the event is available at http://exa.is/exabytes If you're interested in the event and would like to know more - I'll be happy to answer your questions. While I've organised lots of training events for Computing and community events like Hack To The Future, Raspberry Jams etc. this is the first event of this kind that I've organised and I'd appreciate any support you can offer in terms of spreading news of the event. I'm a relative stranger on this forum, (occasional posts since 2011) and I would appreciate any suggestions or advice you can offer with regard to promoting, planning and organising the event. We're hoping to attract 200-300 delegates, but I have the feeling lots of people have other priorities at the moment.

We have an A level computing group that need to be able to create and run vb and exe files. Our current secirity settings prevent the saving and running of exe files and scripts from ceratin drives that the students have access to. A solution that has been thought of is to provide an extra network drive and map it to a ceratin group containg the students and allow exe files to run from it. Has anybody else had to deal with a similar thing and how did you do it?

https://whitgift.current-vacancies.com/Jobs/Advert/1443564?cid=1291&rsid=0&js=0&LinkType=1&FromSearch=False SIMS Manager (Maternity Cover) Location: South Croydon Salary: £40,485-£44,670.00 per annum (dependent on qualifications and experience) Expiry Date: Sunday 02 December 2018 Whitgift is a leading independent day and boarding school for boys, with approximately 1460 pupils including over one hundred boarding pupils and flexi boarding pupils. It is set in an attractive 48-acre parkland site in South Croydon enjoying excellent links to London, Surrey and the south coast. We are seeking to appoint a SIMS Manager who has experience of School SIMS system at both user and technical levels. The successful candidate will have the ability to work independently using your own initiative as well as part of a busy and supportive team. The post holder will understand and be responsive to the needs of the School and be able to adapt systems to meet the needs of the business. The ability to explain complex technical concepts to peers and end-users is essential. A high level of customer service, patience and advanced operating knowledge of Microsoft Office skills are required. Experience of SIMS SOLUS3, Windows Server and SQL, Virtual Learning Environments (FireFly), 4MATRIX and an understanding of the requirements of ICT in a school environment would be desirable. The position is available from mid-January 2019. In return we offer a generous salary and benefits package including a money purchase pension scheme (plus Life Assurance Cover), Employee Discount Club, discounted school fees for the Foundation Schools, discounted off-peak membership at our on-site gym (Nuffield Health), membership of a healthcare plan, a range of family-friendly benefits and season ticket loan. We welcome applications from all sectors of our community as we aspire to attract staff that match the social and cultural diversity of our student intake. From the School’s vacancy page advert, select the white 'Documents available' button at the top left for further information about the role and the skills required. To apply, select the green 'Apply' button on the top right for the online application form. For any queries, please telephone Human Resources Department on 020 8688 9222 or e-mail [email protected] . Applications will be reviewed daily and interviews may occur at any stage after applications are received so we invite interested candidates to apply as soon as possible. Closing date: Midnight on Sunday 2nd December 2018. https://whitgift.current-vacancies.com/Jobs/Advert/1443564?cid=1291&rsid=0&js=0&LinkType=1&FromSearch=False

At work i have been assigned the task of coming up with an alternative of daisy-chaining extensions together underneath the office desks. There are up to 6 chained together and was wondering if anyone had any ideas regarding a solution? Thanks, Lewis

You may be aware that I recently spoke at BarCampMediaCity and at PyConUK about a vision I had called 'BBC CodeLab'. Except at the time, I didn't explain it was a vision - I described it as a reality. The stunt I pulled did upset some people, however a group of people expressed an interest in a new BBC Micro Project. The BBC have asked Keri Facer, Professor of Education at Manchester Metropolitan Uni to investigate the strength of feeling behind this. You can email KdotFACERatMMUdotACdotUK directly and express an interest in the project. She will reply with an email that looks like this... If you feel strongly about this, I encourage you to respond. No bystanders please! --+++-----+++++++--------+++++++----------+++++++++++++++---------------------+++++++++++ Hi all Thanks for expressing an interest in informing a possible new BBC Micro Project and thanks to all of you for the comments you have already sent - apologies for the group reply, but your help with the following would be very much appreciated! Best wishes Keri Invitation to contribute The BBC is exploring the possibility of developing a new ‘BBC Micro’ project to encourage an interest amongst young people in computers, computational thinking and computer science. Manchester Metropolitan University is working with the BBC to draw on the views of teachers, lecturers, computer scientists, programmers and others with an interest in computational thinking in the UK today. We would appreciate your assistance in helping to inform the early stages of this process. First, a bit of background: In the early 1980s, the BBC started what became known as the BBC Computer Literacy Project in response to predictions of a coming microcomputer revolution and its likely future impacts on UK economy and society. The BBC based its project around a computer and programming language capable of being used to perform various tasks which would be demonstrated in a TV series The Computer Programme. The list of topics in the TV programme included graphics, programming, sound and music, controlling external hardware, artificial intelligence and teletext The computer selected was the Acorn Proton, which was then re-badged the BBC Micro. The government funded the purchase and distribution of 12,000 of the computers to UK schools for use alongside the TV programme. In turn this stimulated a significant growth in domestic use of the Micro. Today, there is criticism of the ICT curriculum and the teaching of programming (or computational thinking) in schools. The Royal Society, amongst others, believe that design and delivery of ICT and computer science curricula in schools is so poor that students’ understanding and enjoyment of the subject is severely limited. In response to this the BBC is exploring the possibility of developing a project with the specific purpose of encouraging an interest in computers, computer science and computer programming amongst young people. We would like to know your views on what the BBC could do in this area. In particular, what you would see as the desirable equivalent of the BBC Micro and The Computer Programme today? What technologies and processes, what tools and skills would such a project need to develop? In particular, we would appreciate answers to the specific questions below (NB, we use the term computational thinking rather than computer science, programming, or ICT skills because we don’t want to assume one particular view of what is important in this area. That, indeed, is what we want your views on). Key questions What aspects of computational thinking (e.g. understanding how ‘computers think/work’, using programming languages, understanding systems thinking or other issues) should a BBC Micro 2.0 project focus on? What do you think people should be able to learn to do with computers today? Why? What are the best ways to support and encourage those young people (aged 9-14) with an interest in this area, to develop their interest and skills in computational thinking ? Can you suggest any examples of resources or activities that you know of? What are the best ways to support and encourage young people (aged 9-14) with other interests to develop an interest in and understanding of computational thinking? Can you suggest any examples of resources or activities that you know of? What are the key obstacles to learning computational thinking and how might these best be overcome? If you were to make hardware available to schools in the same way as the BBC Micro in 1981, what sorts of hardware would you think was essential to develop the skills and understanding needed? If you were designing a tv programme today that sought to have the same effect as The Computer Programme in stimulating interest in the most important new area of technological development, what area would you expect it to address and what topics would you expect it to cover? Would it still be in the field of computer science? What areas? Do you know of any projects, resources and activities that would be examples that this project could learn from? Do you have any other comments on the idea of a new BBC Micro project? Thank you for your time and your help – do let us know if you’d like to be kept updated if there are further developments.

Hi all, The Network Support Team at Norlington School wishes to appoint an ICT Technician to join us, the primary role will be to provide technical assistance to maintain ICT infrastructure, hardware and software in order to support the delivery of the curriculum and facilitate a dependable service. The school has had a significant investment of infrastructure and equipment. Applicants should have relevant experience, a thorough knowledge of ICT equipment good problem solving skills and good communication skills. Training will be provided onsite on all the software and hardware the School uses. Norlington School and 6th Form is committed to safeguarding and protecting the welfare of children and young people. Application form and further details are available on the school’s website Vacancies » Norlington School and 6th Form. Closing date on Wednesday 8 December 2021 at midday. Completed application forms are to be emailed to: [email protected] ICT Technician Advert.22Nov2021.pdf ICT Tech PS L1.pdf ICT Tech JD L1.doc.pdf Application Support.doc