The BBC micro:bit is a pocket-sized computer that can be used to teach primary school children about coding and every UK primary school can now claim 30 devices to aid teaching.
From today, all primary school teachers can register on the BBC micro:bit website, and will receive a set of devices and a resource pack between September 2023 and March 2024.
The strategic partnership is a response to research suggesting that 65% of primary school children will end up working in jobs that do not exist today*. BBC micro:bit – the next gen will support primary school children and teachers in this transition to future digital careers by accelerating computational thinking, programming, digital creativity and machine learning skills.
Matt Moore, Primary Computing Specialist at the Green Lane & Priestley Academy Trust, has been using micro:bits with his classes as part of a pilot scheme. He told us: “The children in my school love using the micro:bit. We’ve been using them in computing to create fun projects, as well as for other cross-curricular lessons including Geography, Science and PE where we’ve been using functions such as the step counter.
“For teachers who are new to the micro:bit or a bit of a technophobe, there really isn’t anything to worry about. There are loads of easy-to-follow tutorials and guidance on the website that starts off super easy. It’s a really low barrier to entry but with a really high output.”