Assessment

What lies behind the astonishing rise in Computing ?

Among this year’s slew of A-level and GCSE statistics, one subject stood out for the rising number of students choosing to take it. Computing – an umbrella for a number of subjects such as Software Engineering, AI, Computer Science and Computer Games and Animation - is the fastest growing subject at GSCE and second fastest at A-level. And this is happening despite it appearing to be suffering with a shortage of specialist teachers. So the question has to be: Why is Computing attracting so much attention from the students? Steve Kenny, AQA’s head of curriculum for Computer Science, looks at what lies behind the astonishing rise of Computing.

Date07/09/23

AuthorSteve Kenny

The rise of computing's popularity it down to a combination of factors
Photo: John Schnobrich/Unsplash

Computing's popularity boom

In 2019, just over 10,300 students took Computing A-level. This year, the figure is 17, 251 – a staggering 67.5% growth.
GCSE entries grew nearly 13% from 77,707 to 87,405 over the same period.

Year on year, Computing is the fastest growing GCSE subject and second fastest A-level.

And that fascination does not stop at the end of Year 13.

UCAS’ most recent data shows there were 94,870 applications for computing-related degrees this year, a near 10% rise on 2022 and 33% on 2021.

The statistics clearly show the appeal of these subjects is rocketing for students pondering their future education and careers.

Source: UCAS

Why is Computing becoming so popular with students?

There is no one single contributor but a confluence of several - the ubiquity of technology in our private and working lives, changing perceptions of the sector and high-level government strategies to improve teaching and learning.

Is Computing becoming an extension of young people's everyday lives?

It is likely that the growth of technology in our everyday lives is the primary driver.

Vanessa Wilson of the University Alliance has said a desire to “develop what they see as future-proof skills” and a growing awareness of AI may have a part in the boom.

UCAS has put it down to a “growing conversation around technology and artificial intelligence.”

The British Computer Society – the Chartered Institute for IT - found interest in emerging technologies helped boost computing uptake.

Others have said that pupils are now ‘digital natives’ who have honed and developed their computing skills from a young age using powerful technology and easily accessible on-line tutorials.

Computing sheds its image as the preserve of the few

Perception of the tech sector has also evolved so it is no longer seen as a niche industry.

Computing now has a reputation as a dynamic and creative field that crosses most sectors and has the power to shape the future.

The country's well-documented tech skills deficit – especially in the booming UK gaming industry – may also have drawn attention from those on the brink of entering the world of work.

The high profile of AI combined with career options ranging from cyber security, to climate change and data science are also thought to be a factor.

How is the government and industry helping boost Computing in schools?

Then there are the intervention strategies to improve and increase computing education and the flow of skilled workers into the sector.

The National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE) was set up in 2018 with £84m of DfE funds and extra money from other businesses to improve teaching and halt the decline in students studying ICT related subjects.

Through its nationwide network of grass roots computing hubs, it offers specialist teacher training, continuing professional development and loans personal computing kits to students.

Teachers from any subject can get a ‘subject knowledge certificate’ so, even though they are not specialists, they can confidently teach computing.

Students get to join coding clubs, live events and access to online resources.

When Computing lessons get a boost, so do students

The support the NCCE offers appears to be having a positive effect.

Not only has the number of students taking the subjects grown hugely, the proportion of teaching hours delivered by non-specialists has fallen from 54.4% in 2017/18 to 45.9% in 2022/23.

Source: DfE workforce data

But, vacancies are growing and the DfE has hit only 35% of its target for bringing in new recruits in to teach Computing despite the offer of a bursary.

Source: DfE workforce data

Don't forget the students' role in the rise of Computing

Even with all the issues around recruitment, computing has seen the biggest rise in top grades awarded with a 23.3% growth since 2019 - the biggest rise for any subject.

In 2023, more than one in five students - 21.7% - achieved an A/A* in their A-levels, up from 17.6% in 2019. It was a similar number - 21.4% - awarded an 8/9 at GCSE.

All of this success reflects the hard work done by various groups.

The government, educational organisations and industry bodies have promoted the subject and invested in both teachers and students.

Inside schools, leaders have expanded computing curriculum and resources. Teachers have also played a role by developing their skills to improve outcomes in classrooms and computer labs across the country.

But, most importantly, we must not ignore students’ efforts to get good grades and their role in bringing about the change.

As Julia Adamson of the BCS put it: “Young people – and an increasing proportion of young women – see that a computing degree is a passport to change the world…It’s no wonder so many people see their futures in technology.”

More by this author:
Who is responsible for digital literacy?
Reducing gender disparity in the classroom

More on this topic:
Estonia: A small country with big results
Simulation Assessment: A future tool for today
Careers Advice: Plugging the leaks

Assessment

What can this year’s GCSE entries tell us to look for in tomorrow’s results?

With GCSE Results published on 22nd August, Dr Chinwe Njoku looks into the underlying data on what subjects this year's cohort took and how this has changed from previous years.

Assessment

A-level maths students hit six figures – what’s behind its popularity?

On Thursday, more than 100,000 A-level maths students in England will find out their results – 11.4% more than last year. Why the upturn? Dr Chinwe Njoku, AQA Education Insights Lead and former maths teacher, was heartened by the news and keen to look at the story behind the data.

Education Policy

What comes after ‘urgent’ for the new Education Secretary?

After the burning issues are addressed, what should come next for the new Education Secretary?

Education Policy

Labour’s oracy plans: They need clear goals

Sir Keir Starmer has said he wants to boost students’ confidence by raising the importance of speaking skills – oracy. In this previously published blog, Reza Schwitzer, AQA’s director of external affairs, applauds the ambition but warns there needs to be clear goals

Education Policy

Through the looking glass: How polling the public can help policymakers learn about themselves

Public attitude data is key to effective policymaking. Proper polling can reveal what people think about existing policies and what they want for the future. But, if looked at from a different angle, it can also help policymakers question themselves and their assumptions about the public. In this blog, AQA’s Policy and Evidence Manager Adam Steedman-Thake, reveals the lessons he learned about himself while reading a recent public attitude survey.

Assessment

Assessing oracy: Is Comparative Judgement the answer?

Oracy skills are vital to success in school and life. And yet, for many children, opportunities to develop them are missed. Educationalists are engaging in a growing debate about where oracy fits into the school system. Labour has put it at the heart of its plans to improve social mobility and an independent commission is looking at how it is taught in the classroom. This renewed focus on oracy means it is more important than ever that teachers have a way to reliably assess and understand their students’ attainment and progression. Amanda Moorghen of oracy education charity Voice 21 explains how Comparative Judgement can help with that and why it may be a game changer.

Education

TV subtitles as an aid to literacy: What does the research say?

Jack Black is probably best known in educational circles for playing a renegade substitute teacher in School of Rock. But the Hollywood star has made a more conventional foray into education by backing the use of TV subtitles to improve child literacy. Stephen Fry and the World Literacy Foundation also want parents to use their TV remotes to get children reading. So, could this simple click of a button be a solution to boost pupils’ reading skills? AQA’s resident expert on language teaching, Dr Katy Finch, casts her eye over the research to see whether it stacks up.

Data Analysis

What is left behind now education’s Data Wave has receded?

Is data the solution to all education’s issues? About a decade ago the prevailing wisdom said it was. Advocates of this Data Wave argued that harvesting internal statistics would help schools solve issues such as teacher accountability and attainment gaps. As with all waves, after crashing onto the beach they recede, leaving space for another to roll in. In this blog, teacher, author and data analyst Richard Selfridge looks at the legacy of the Data Wave to see what schools can take from it.

International Approaches

Finland & PISA – A fall from grace but still a high performer?

Finland was once recognised as one of the most successful educational systems in the world. At the turn of the millennium, it topped the PISA rankings in reading, maths and science. But by 2012, decline set in. The last set of results showed performances in maths, reading and science were at an all-time low. In this blog Dr Jonathan Doherty of Leeds Trinity University outlines some reasons that may account for the slide.

Briefing

PISA, TIMSS and PIRLS: What actually are they and what do they tell us?

According to the latest PISA results, England’s science scores are still on a downward trajectory that started a decade ago. Yet TIMSS, another respected study, has science performances rising. Which of them is right? Is one more valid than the other? In this blog AQi examines three International Large-Scale Assessments and finds that, although they may look the same from a distance, get up close and you’ll find they are very different beasts.

Download a PDF version.

Download a copy of this content to your device as a PDF file. We generate PDF versions for the convenience of offline reading, but we recommend sharing this link if you'd like to send it to someone else.

What lies behind the astonishing rise in Computing ?

Computing's popularity boom

Why is Computing becoming so popular with students?

Is Computing becoming an extension of young people's everyday lives?

Computing sheds its image as the preserve of the few

How is the government and industry helping boost Computing in schools?

When Computing lessons get a boost, so do students

Don't forget the students' role in the rise of Computing

What can this year’s GCSE entries tell us to look for in tomorrow’s results?

A-level maths students hit six figures – what’s behind its popularity?

What comes after ‘urgent’ for the new Education Secretary?

Labour’s oracy plans: They need clear goals

Through the looking glass: How polling the public can help policymakers learn about themselves

Assessing oracy: Is Comparative Judgement the answer?

TV subtitles as an aid to literacy: What does the research say?

What is left behind now education’s Data Wave has receded?

Finland & PISA – A fall from grace but still a high performer?

PISA, TIMSS and PIRLS: What actually are they and what do they tell us?

Join the conversation on Twitter

Download a PDF version.

Sign up to our newsletter