This report analyses the uptake of computing / computer science qualifications at GCSE and A-leve... more This report analyses the uptake of computing / computer science qualifications at GCSE and A-level by looking at the schools that offer the qualification and the students sitting it. Not all schools offer computing qualification at GCSE or A-level and not all students sit qualifications in computing. Even where a qualification is taught by a school, subject requirements might limit the type of student who is able to take the course. Whilst at A-level computing is a well established subject, it is only offered by a minority of centres, with some areas having no provision. Until recently the number of students taking A-level computing has been in decline (McBride, 2008); JCQ(2014, 2015a, 2016b) figures show that since 2014 numbers have been increasing year on year. A new computing GCSE was introduced by the OCR exam board in 2011 (OCR, 2011) with the first cohort of students sitting exams in 2013. Understandably, not all schools adopted this qualification immediately, and whilst the number of centres and students have been increasing, the numbers have not yet matched those of ICT (JCQ, 2016c). A similar picture has been observed at A-level with numbers of computing students rising 50% in 5 years but still well below ICT (JCQ, 2011, 2015a). Additionally, with recent school funding changes at A-level, from a per subject to per student system (BBC, 2015; Education Funding Agency, 2016), the computing cohort size of A-level providers now becomes a greater concern for the ongoing financial viability of the subject. Smaller subject cohorts may make a course too expensive for smaller providers.
This report’s first aim is to understand the A-level and GCSE computing cohorts beyond the widely publicised disparity in gender (JCQ, 2015b). It will look at provider type, provider location, subject mix, the ethnicity and socio-economic status of students. To conduct this research the report uses the DfE National Pupil Database (NPD) (DfE, 2015d) linked to Edubase (DfE, 2016a). The NPD provides individual student examination and characteristic data for GCSE and A-level; Edubase provides profile information on individual schools.
The GCSE and A-level in ICT are being discontinued in 2017 (DfE, 2015a). This leads to the report’s second aim, which is to contrast the computing and ICT qualifications. The DfE justification for dropping the ICT qualification and keeping computer science is that the subjects occupy the “same [subject] space” (quoted in Vaughan, 2015). It is not within the scope of this report to address the overlap in content between these subjects, instead the aim here is to compare the profiles of schools offering each qualification and the examination cohorts. Can we expect students who would have previously chosen ICT qualifications to now choose computing, or that providers which previously ran ICT courses will now switch to computing?
This report is the first iteration of an annual statistical review of computing in England. As such, we welcome comments and suggestions for improvement, as well as suggestions for areas that we can explore further. An updated version, using data from 2016, will be available next year.
Digital technology is increasingly central to our lives, particularly among young people. However... more Digital technology is increasingly central to our lives, particularly among young people. However, there remains a concern from government and businesses of a digital skills gap because many youths, especially girls, tend to be consumers rather than creators of technology. Drawing on 32 semi-structured interviews with digitally skilled teenagers (aged 13–19), this article investigates their digital career aspirations and examines how identities and discourses of gender can interact with the type of digital careers that are of interest to these youths. While it was found that digitally skilled young people still articulate traditional gendered discourses of digital competence, especially around technical abilities, the growing importance of creativity as a career pathway into digital technology is highlighted. Implications of the findings are discussed in relation to the new computing curriculum in England, which prioritises technical computing skills, and the discontinuation of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), which facilitates a broader usage of software and digital productivity.
This report analyses the uptake of computing / computer science qualifications at GCSE and A-leve... more This report analyses the uptake of computing / computer science qualifications at GCSE and A-level by looking at the schools that offer the qualification and the students sitting it. Not all schools offer computing qualification at GCSE or A-level and not all students sit qualifications in computing. Even where a qualification is taught by a school, subject requirements might limit the type of student who is able to take the course. Whilst at A-level computing is a well established subject, it is only offered by a minority of centres, with some areas having no provision. Until recently the number of students taking A-level computing has been in decline (McBride, 2008); JCQ(2014, 2015a, 2016b) figures show that since 2014 numbers have been increasing year on year. A new computing GCSE was introduced by the OCR exam board in 2011 (OCR, 2011) with the first cohort of students sitting exams in 2013. Understandably, not all schools adopted this qualification immediately, and whilst the number of centres and students have been increasing, the numbers have not yet matched those of ICT (JCQ, 2016c). A similar picture has been observed at A-level with numbers of computing students rising 50% in 5 years but still well below ICT (JCQ, 2011, 2015a). Additionally, with recent school funding changes at A-level, from a per subject to per student system (BBC, 2015; Education Funding Agency, 2016), the computing cohort size of A-level providers now becomes a greater concern for the ongoing financial viability of the subject. Smaller subject cohorts may make a course too expensive for smaller providers.
This report’s first aim is to understand the A-level and GCSE computing cohorts beyond the widely publicised disparity in gender (JCQ, 2015b). It will look at provider type, provider location, subject mix, the ethnicity and socio-economic status of students. To conduct this research the report uses the DfE National Pupil Database (NPD) (DfE, 2015d) linked to Edubase (DfE, 2016a). The NPD provides individual student examination and characteristic data for GCSE and A-level; Edubase provides profile information on individual schools.
The GCSE and A-level in ICT are being discontinued in 2017 (DfE, 2015a). This leads to the report’s second aim, which is to contrast the computing and ICT qualifications. The DfE justification for dropping the ICT qualification and keeping computer science is that the subjects occupy the “same [subject] space” (quoted in Vaughan, 2015). It is not within the scope of this report to address the overlap in content between these subjects, instead the aim here is to compare the profiles of schools offering each qualification and the examination cohorts. Can we expect students who would have previously chosen ICT qualifications to now choose computing, or that providers which previously ran ICT courses will now switch to computing?
This report is the first iteration of an annual statistical review of computing in England. As such, we welcome comments and suggestions for improvement, as well as suggestions for areas that we can explore further. An updated version, using data from 2016, will be available next year.
Digital technology is increasingly central to our lives, particularly among young people. However... more Digital technology is increasingly central to our lives, particularly among young people. However, there remains a concern from government and businesses of a digital skills gap because many youths, especially girls, tend to be consumers rather than creators of technology. Drawing on 32 semi-structured interviews with digitally skilled teenagers (aged 13–19), this article investigates their digital career aspirations and examines how identities and discourses of gender can interact with the type of digital careers that are of interest to these youths. While it was found that digitally skilled young people still articulate traditional gendered discourses of digital competence, especially around technical abilities, the growing importance of creativity as a career pathway into digital technology is highlighted. Implications of the findings are discussed in relation to the new computing curriculum in England, which prioritises technical computing skills, and the discontinuation of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), which facilitates a broader usage of software and digital productivity.
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Report by Peter Kemp
qualification at GCSE or A-level and not all students sit qualifications in computing. Even where a qualification is taught by a school, subject requirements might limit the type of student who is able to take the
course. Whilst at A-level computing is a well established subject, it is only offered by a minority of centres, with some areas having no provision. Until recently the number of students taking A-level computing has been in decline (McBride, 2008); JCQ(2014, 2015a, 2016b) figures show that since 2014 numbers have been increasing year on year. A new computing GCSE was introduced by the OCR exam board in 2011 (OCR, 2011) with the first cohort of students sitting exams in 2013. Understandably, not all schools adopted this
qualification immediately, and whilst the number of centres and students have been increasing, the numbers have not yet matched those of ICT (JCQ, 2016c). A similar picture has been observed at A-level with numbers of computing students rising 50% in 5 years but still well below ICT (JCQ, 2011, 2015a). Additionally, with recent school funding changes at A-level, from a per subject to per student system (BBC, 2015; Education Funding Agency, 2016), the computing cohort size of A-level providers now becomes a greater
concern for the ongoing financial viability of the subject. Smaller subject cohorts may make a course too expensive for smaller providers.
This report’s first aim is to understand the A-level and GCSE computing cohorts beyond the widely publicised disparity in gender (JCQ, 2015b). It will look at provider type, provider location, subject mix, the ethnicity and socio-economic status of students. To conduct this research the report uses the DfE National Pupil Database (NPD) (DfE, 2015d) linked to Edubase (DfE, 2016a). The NPD provides individual student examination and characteristic data for GCSE and A-level; Edubase provides profile information on
individual schools.
The GCSE and A-level in ICT are being discontinued in 2017 (DfE, 2015a). This leads to the report’s second aim, which is to contrast the computing and ICT qualifications. The DfE justification for dropping the ICT qualification and keeping computer science is that the subjects occupy the “same [subject] space” (quoted in Vaughan, 2015). It is not within the scope of this report to address the overlap in content between these subjects, instead the aim here is to compare the profiles of schools offering each qualification and the examination cohorts. Can we expect students who would have previously chosen ICT qualifications to now choose computing, or that providers which previously ran ICT courses will now switch to computing?
This report is the first iteration of an annual statistical review of computing in England. As such, we welcome comments and suggestions for improvement, as well as suggestions for areas that we can explore further. An updated version, using data from 2016, will be available next year.
Papers by Peter Kemp
qualification at GCSE or A-level and not all students sit qualifications in computing. Even where a qualification is taught by a school, subject requirements might limit the type of student who is able to take the
course. Whilst at A-level computing is a well established subject, it is only offered by a minority of centres, with some areas having no provision. Until recently the number of students taking A-level computing has been in decline (McBride, 2008); JCQ(2014, 2015a, 2016b) figures show that since 2014 numbers have been increasing year on year. A new computing GCSE was introduced by the OCR exam board in 2011 (OCR, 2011) with the first cohort of students sitting exams in 2013. Understandably, not all schools adopted this
qualification immediately, and whilst the number of centres and students have been increasing, the numbers have not yet matched those of ICT (JCQ, 2016c). A similar picture has been observed at A-level with numbers of computing students rising 50% in 5 years but still well below ICT (JCQ, 2011, 2015a). Additionally, with recent school funding changes at A-level, from a per subject to per student system (BBC, 2015; Education Funding Agency, 2016), the computing cohort size of A-level providers now becomes a greater
concern for the ongoing financial viability of the subject. Smaller subject cohorts may make a course too expensive for smaller providers.
This report’s first aim is to understand the A-level and GCSE computing cohorts beyond the widely publicised disparity in gender (JCQ, 2015b). It will look at provider type, provider location, subject mix, the ethnicity and socio-economic status of students. To conduct this research the report uses the DfE National Pupil Database (NPD) (DfE, 2015d) linked to Edubase (DfE, 2016a). The NPD provides individual student examination and characteristic data for GCSE and A-level; Edubase provides profile information on
individual schools.
The GCSE and A-level in ICT are being discontinued in 2017 (DfE, 2015a). This leads to the report’s second aim, which is to contrast the computing and ICT qualifications. The DfE justification for dropping the ICT qualification and keeping computer science is that the subjects occupy the “same [subject] space” (quoted in Vaughan, 2015). It is not within the scope of this report to address the overlap in content between these subjects, instead the aim here is to compare the profiles of schools offering each qualification and the examination cohorts. Can we expect students who would have previously chosen ICT qualifications to now choose computing, or that providers which previously ran ICT courses will now switch to computing?
This report is the first iteration of an annual statistical review of computing in England. As such, we welcome comments and suggestions for improvement, as well as suggestions for areas that we can explore further. An updated version, using data from 2016, will be available next year.