The Whitehaven Academy has been recognised for delivering high-quality computing education to young people, developing their digital skills and preparing them for the future.

The Whitehaven Academy has achieved the national Computing Quality Mark after evaluating its computing education and demonstrating high-quality provision. The Computing Quality Mark is awarded by the National Centre for Computing Education and recognises excellence of computing education offered by a school as part of their curriculum development through the Computing Quality Framework (CQF).

Nigel Youngman, headteacher said:

“The Computing team have utterly transformed the computing curriculum. Students now have the chance to explore coding, develop their creative media skills and discover a world of technology. New courses at Key Stage 4, an overhauled curriculum at key stage 3 and plentiful creative opportunities mean that the young people of The Whitehaven Academy can become more than just digitally literate, they can discover careers, experiences and new worlds. It’s a pleasure to work with such dynamic professionals”

Jo Fowler subject lead for Computing, said:

“As a team we have worked tirelessly over the last couple of years to develop a computing curriculum fit for the digital revolution.  We are dedicated to providing a range of digital technologies for our students to engage with and we have worked alongside local industry leaders and supporting companies to deliver a range of opportunities for our students. With much more still to come, I am honoured to be part of such an amazing and forward-thinking team.”

The Whitehaven Academy completed all seven aspects of the CQF in order to receive the Computing Quality Mark, which recognises achievement in:

  • Leadership and Vision
  • Curriculum and Qualifications
  • Teaching, Learning and Assessment
  • Staff Development
  • Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and SEND
  • Careers Education
  • Impact on Outcomes

Claire Garside, senior lead facilitator at the NCCE, said:

“Congratulations to The Whitehaven Academy, on becoming an NCCE ‘Computing Quality Mark’ school! They’re among the schools leading the way to deliver high standards in computing education. The Computing Quality Mark recognises the quality of their provision to ensure all students receive the computing skills and knowledge so valuable for today and in their future careers.”