“Microsoft has a long and proud history supporting education in the UK. One area of focus for us is the promotion of computer science in schools for young people. This promotion is essential so that we can develop talent and ensure the UK continues to produce world class computer science and programming graduates.”
Steve Beswick, Director of Education for Microsoft, commenting on their partnership with UTC Reading
UTC Reading has been delivering computer science and engineering excellence for 14-19 year olds since 2013. It was rated Oustanding by Ofsted in 2015 and awarded the World Class Schools Quality Mark in December 2017.
The school has established a reputation for:
– Drawing on the expertise and resources of industry and academic partners to develop and refresh the curriculum;
– Establishing computer science (which helps to deliver digital literacy skills) as a core curriculum subject at Key Stage 4;
– Building a technical curriculum that provides specialisations at Key Stage 4 and corresponding progression pathways at Key Stage 5, to include: Programming and software development, Networking and communications technologies, and Engineering and systems.
The school aims to educate and train the next generation of technicians, engineers and industrial innovators. Project-based learning is at the heart of the learning experience at UTC Reading. It wants to inspire students with the challenges of solving real-life industrial and community problems, gaining the technical and soft skills needed to contribute to the future of businesses and public services.
As a lead school for computing at school (CAS), UTC Reading also engages with local primary and secondary schools to increase interest in taking computer science and engineering.
The school is supported by Activate Learning (an education and training group based in Oxford, which runs schools, further education colleges and work-based training across Oxfordshire and Berkshire, and delivers higher-education and international study programmes too), together with a range of industry partners, including Cisco, Microsoft, Network Rail and Peter Brett Associates.
Students at the school, work with employers on industry-specific projects. This helps them build relevant skills, including teamwork and communication, and gain experience which prepares them for the workplace. It’s partnership with some of the world’s leading tech companies provides students access to a number of professional qualifications, with some being the first in the UK to become Microsoft Office Specialists.
