BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT has joined a new maths tutoring programme for schools aimed at helping a more diverse community of young people to learn about, access and prepare for computer science at university.
Working in partnership with Levelling Up: STEM, BCS will serve as the 'hub' for university computer science departments, providing tutoring materials and implementation support, and facilitating collaboration between participating institutions.
The ‘Levelling Up: Maths for Computer Science’ scheme will support students — via participating universities — by raising the maths capabilities of those interested in computer science and developing students’ understanding of computer science as a study option and career pathway.
Since its launch in spring 2021, Levelling Up: STEM has worked with universities and learned societies to provide high quality academic material and pastoral support to A-level students from underserved and underrepresented communities. Universities arrange for their undergraduates to tutor the A-level students in small groups. This programme not only prepares students for university level STEM courses but also aims to increase their A-level grades significantly, ensuring they meet the entry requirements of high tariff universities.
The programme started with maths, physics and chemistry, and expanded to engineering. BCS and Levelling Up: STEM have now launched the programme for computer science. Working with the London Mathematical Society, who developed the tutoring material for the maths content, BCS have built additional content of particular relevance in computing.
Maths plays a crucial role in computer science, and whilst undergraduate degrees vary across the computing field, the higher tariff universities typically require very high performance in maths at A-level or Advanced Highers. Supporting students to improve their performance in maths can widen access to computer science courses at these institutions.
Making a difference for young people
Julia Adamson, Managing Director for Education and Public Benefit at BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT said: 'We are very excited to be part of this programme, which will make a difference for many young people who are interested in pursuing their passion for computing at a high level beyond school and into university.
'Working in collaboration with Levelling Up: STEM we will combine our strengths, enhance the support structure for students and ensure that the pathways into STEM, particularly mathematics and computer science, are broadened and made more accessible.'
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The first institutions to run the computer science programme are the University of Sheffield, Queen Mary University London, University of Bath, and Cardiff University.
Tony Hill, founder of Levelling Up: STEM, said, 'We are excited to be working with BCS to launch our computer science stream. It will enable us to reach more students and enrich our programme with high quality computer science expertise. This collaboration not only aims to elevate educational standards and outcomes but also aspires to create a diverse and dynamic IT workforce that mirrors the society it serves. Our goal is to ensure that every student, regardless of background, has the opportunity to excel in STEM, and this collaboration is a big step forward in that direction.'
Dr Neil Walkinshaw, Senior Lecturer in Testing and Inclusive Computing Lead in the School of Computer Science at the University of Sheffield said: 'I’m delighted to be bringing this programme to the University of Sheffield. It builds on and enriches our efforts to grow and diversify the pipeline into higher education computer science, deepening our engagement with local schools. The delivery model also provides clear benefits for the undergraduates who get involved by providing opportunities to improve key employability skills such as communication, collaboration, and project management.'
Universities interested in joining the programme can contact levellingup@bcs.uk
About Levelling Up: STEM
Levelling Up: STEM is a not-for-profit organisation focused on supporting A-level students from underserved groups who may be planning to study a STEM subject at university.
