Get to know Julia Adamson

What do you do in your role?

My work is focused on ensuring that every child in the UK has the skills to thrive in the digital world.

I love my job, no two days are the same, I get to meet all sorts of amazing people and be part of making great things happen for a great deal of teachers and students.

From Computing at School (CAS), the professional network for computing teachers, to the new National Centre for Computing Education, we want every child to have a world-leading computing education. We’re focused on delivering high-quality professional development and resources to teachers from primary through to A level. CAS, as an integral part, enables us to promote and nurture teacher-to-teacher support to help embed and build on the training and development.

I work closely with a wide range of industry partners on all aspects of my work, leveraging pro-bono support, funding, and specialist insight and expertise to enable us to maximise our reach and impact.

Why BCS?

I work at BCS because I can make a difference to the things that I’m most passionate about. I’m passionate about all things education, from student learning opportunities and teacher professional development opportunities, to the technology that underpins schools and colleges and how it facilitates effective parental engagement.

What’s the proudest achievement in your career?

Reaching the teachers of over 2 million primary-aged students with Barefoot! I’ve been part of the team behind Barefoot since inception, in various guises, and I am so very proud of the reach and the impact that we’ve had. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with hundreds of volunteers and teachers to help introduce the computing curriculum to primary schools right across the UK.

Where do you think computing can have the biggest impact in society?

Computing has, and will continue to have, a significant impact on all aspects of society. But if I need to choose the one I think is the biggest, I’d say location and transport.

I think it’s going to become irrelevant where you’re located, and I think the way we engage with virtual products and services is set to transform the way we live our lives. Thankfully, I think we’re set to see the demise of the mass daily commute, at the same time as increasing the opportunity to communicate and collaborate effectively with colleagues.

This means we’ll all benefit from an improved work / life balance, the “postcode lottery” will become a thing of the past, and society will see an increase in equity of opportunities for all, regardless of where you live. This is all dependent, of course, on sound connectivity to ensure that everyone in the UK has the same baseline.

What’s your favourite drink?

I love a spiced ginger tea, but if I have to choose one drink then it has to be water - a large glass of cold water, there’s nothing like it!