Pupils cracking the code to interactive learning

Pupils at Derby Grammar School in Littleover have been 3D printing, making robots and creating animations as part of National Coding Week (w/c September 18).

Computing is a particularly busy and successful department at the school in Rykneld Road, which offers Computer Science at GCSE and A Level and runs weekly clubs in coding and robotics.

John Speight, Computer Science teacher at Derby Grammar School, said National Coding Week has been an opportunity to highlight to pupils the fascinating and varied opportunities computing and coding provide.

“The tech industry is constantly evolving and as such we have to make sure our offering evolves with it,” said Mr Speight.

“There are a huge number of unfilled jobs available within the fields encompassed by computer science.  We do our utmost to prepare our pupils for these roles.  As we make huge advances in AI, robotics, nanotechnology and quantum computing, students need an engaging, exciting, up-to-date curriculum, and a space to practise and hone their skills before moving on to higher education.”

Derby Grammar School runs a popular robotics club where pupils 3D print components to build their own robots which are raced against each other and programmed to avoid obstacles, follow lines and solve simple mazes.  The lunchtime robotics club competed in the EEP Lego Robotics competition last year, bringing back a trophy for teamwork.

The school also competed in the Raspberry Pi competition, looking at ways of using computing to help the transition to cleaner energy

In the Primary School, pupils also got more comfortable with computing during National Coding Week, using programmes which aid their learning of maths and English, while also teaching them the basics of coding.

The school’s efforts to foster a love of coding and software design have already reaped the benefits for pupils. Earlier in the year, pupil and member of the school’s popular Coding Club, James Schaffer, 17, and former pupil Harrison Green, 16, made it through to the finals of the 2023 BAFTA Young Game Designers Competition with their computer game, Escape the Darkness.

Mr Speight said: “There are many opportunities available in the rapidly expanding Video Game industry.  In fact, automation, robotics and software design now fit into every walk of life.  There is no field of work or study which is not enriched by hardware or software.  Now more than ever before, computing is, simply put, the future.”