Pupils in S1 and S2 in targeted schools in Renfrewshire will benefit from the opportunity to take part in extracurricular coding clubs in a project which aims to engage pupils in coding, increase their skills, build their interest in computing science and also influence subject choices for their studies in S3 and S4.
Three schools in the Renfrewshire area will host a coding club with 15 pupils in each. The project will aim for a 50/50 split of boys/girls.
Coding clubs will focus on teaching pupils about programming, animation and games development, using accessible development tools such as Scratch, Kodu and Touch Develop.
West College Scotland’s teaching staff will mentor a team of STEM ambassadors, recruited from West College Scotland’s senior students, who will run the clubs on a week-to-week basis. This will allow those students to share their knowledge and enthusiasm for computing science, while at the same time benefitting them through the opportunity to undertake valuable work experience.
To sustain the Coding Clubs in the longer term, secondary school teachers in Renfrewshire will be recruited to the programme, receiving CPD sessions to train them on coding tools and applications and how to deliver Coding Clubs, including the use of the BBC Micro:bit, an embedded system designed for use in computer education in the UK.