Schools urged to ‘byte’ the bullet and sign up to this year’s Coding Day

Schools across Dorset are urged to sign up now for an event that can help inspire their pupils to be the IT geniuses of the future. 

For the third year running, Dorset Council is holding its annual Coding Day for children in years 5,6 and 7. 

Taking place during the week of 7-11 October, the event – which last year saw 5,000 pupils take part – is once again being run in partnership with BCP Council and Barclays Digital Eagles. 

Through a virtual exercise, the children will learn how to code their own computer programme inspired by the south coast landscape and ecology. 

They will also get to hear from real-life and local tech leaders, as the council assembles a team of volunteers from industry to speak to the schools. 

Cllr Richard Biggs, Dorset Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Property & Assets, Economic Growth & Levelling Up said: “We are proud to once again offer Dorset Coding Day to schools across the county. 

“The event has been very successful in previous years and we hope that many schools will take part again this year. 

“For our economy to grow and prosper in the future, we need to inspire young children about the opportunities available to them in digital industries right here in Dorset.” 

Dorset Coding Day aims to ignite curiosity in children by showcasing the exciting possibilities within Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths (STEM). From designing apps to programming games, coding offers endless creative applications. 

For this year’s event, schools will be provided with fun interactive programming activities along with workbooks and videos which they can do at any point during the week - offering timetable flexibility. 

Dorset Council is recruiting tech industry professionals to volunteer some of their time to help with the practical sessions in schools and talk to the children about their work in tech. 

To sign up for Dorset Coding Day as a school, homeschool setting, or a tech volunteer, visit: dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/dorset-coding-day-2024 or send an email to digitaldorset@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk