I have worked as the designated IT Tech at schools across several counties in the UK. In some junior schools the role of I.T co-ordinator is just given to the n

I have worked as the designated IT Tech at schools across several counties in the UK. In some junior schools the role of I.T co-ordinator is just given to the newest/youngest most unsuspecting teacher. Usually they have no specific ICT knowledge or interest in the subject. There is a vast difference in the quality of ICT teaching at the younger age it doesn't provide a standard foundation for this new curriculum to sit upon. Students arriving at high school at 11 have such different experiences of ICT. The curriculum they need going forward needs to have flexibility to teach what's individually challenging & help those above average to excel & not get bored. The schools that I've seen integrate ICT successfully separate the 'use' of IT day-to-day from the teaching about of the history, theory & application of the subject. For example groups in the class using laptops to type up a project vs sitting in the ICT suite to learn to write instructions to control robots/traffic light sequences etc. It's not fair to consitute word processing, e-mail, or desktop publishing as learning ICT anymore. It's like providing a lesson on using the telephone, it's not needed now they're a universal method of communication. Now sitting at a computer to do general work doesn't constitute ICT learning. Integrating ICT into the classroom works well. You have no idea how long it takes to take 30+ excited pupils down to the ICT suite, to keep them calm, get them logged on with their own username & password and to start a lesson. The lesson is half over by then. Had I been exposed to the world of programming in a structured way I would have jumped into it feet first & would no doubt have many years experience by now. I can vividly remember being around 12 and wishing to know how I could build websites & to learn how to code and not knowing where to start or who to ask. I assumed that it was for college/university level. College focused on building relational databases & the data protection act, Then at University I was thrown in with already proficient programmers. Even though I had 16 years within the academic system I feel the majority of what resonates with me has all been self taught in the last few years since leaving University. The new curriculum needs to show pupils exactly what's possible with the power & scope of CS skills and that it's accessible from a young age.