What National Centre for Computing Education does

The National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE) is a UK government-funded programme established in 2018 and operated by STEM Learning on behalf of the Department for Education, with its primary contact entity based in Elland and a residential training academy at the National STEM Learning Centre in York. It delivers free computing education resources and professional development to all state-funded teachers, schools, colleges, and Initial Teacher Education (ITE) providers in England, and is explicitly restricted from Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

Its core product is the Teach Computing platform, anchored by the Teach Computing Curriculum (over 500 hours of free resources covering Key Stages 1-4) and the Isaac Computer Science platform for A-Level. Supporting products include the Computing Quality Framework (CQF) school self-assessment tool that leads to an accredited Computing Quality Mark, more than 132 professional development courses delivered online, via live remote training, and through residential programmes in York, plus the I Belong diversity programme. Teacher certification is co-awarded by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, providing the only nationally recognised KS3 and GCSE Computer Science Subject Knowledge Certificate.

The business model is non-commercial freemium to end users: all courses, resources, and certifications are provided at no cost to state-funded educators in England, with the Department for Education acting as sole funder and data controller, and STEM Learning contracted as data processor for programme delivery. Go-to-market combines direct digital channels (teachcomputing.org, email, LinkedIn, Facebook), partner channels through ITE providers, and direct school engagement including School Trusts.

Name

National Centre for Computing Education

Legal name

National Centre for Computing Education

Website

https://teachcomputing.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The National Centre for Computing Education is a UK government-funded programme, operated by STEM Learning, that delivers free computing curriculum resources, teacher training, and BCS-recognised certification to state-funded educators across England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Teacher Professional Development

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Computer Training (61142), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Science & STEM Instruction (School-Delivered) (EDAJAFAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

STEM & Computer Science Curriculum (EDAGAAAB), Virtual Test Prep & Online Supplemental Instruction (K–12) (EDAJADAI), Text-Based Programming (Python, Java, C/C++) (EDAMACAB), Professional & Applied Skills Noncredit Certificates (Non-licensure) (EDAAAEAD)

Keywords

• Computing teacher training
• Curriculum teaching resources
• Professional development courses
• Teacher certification programs
• School computing education

Headquarters

HQ city

Elland

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: The NCCE is a programme funded by the Department for Education. Services are delivered free of charge to state-funded educators in England. The Department for Education is the data controller, with STEM Learning contracted as data processor to deliver the programme.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The National Centre for Computing Education provides free professional development courses (online, live remote, and residential), nationally recognised teaching certificates awarded by BCS, the Teach Computing Curriculum of over 500 hours of free resources covering Key Stages 1-4, the Isaac Computer Science platform, and the Computing Quality Framework for school self-assessment. It is funded by the UK Department for Education and operated by STEM Learning, delivering services at no cost to state-funded schools, teachers, and Initial Teacher Education providers across England.

Product overview

The National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE) operates the Teach Computing programme as a comprehensive platform offering free resources and professional development for computing teachers in England. The portfolio consists of the Teach Computing Curriculum (over 500 hours of free resources), Isaac Computer Science platform, Computing Quality Framework (CQF) for school assessment, professional development courses (100+ online, remote, and residential formats), teacher certification programmes (Primary and Secondary certificates awarded by BCS), the I Belong programme for increasing computer science uptake, and AI education resources. All offerings are free for state-funded educators in England and are funded by the Department for Education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Teach Computing: Online platform providing computing courses, curriculum resources, and teacher certification for computing education in England
• Teach Computing Curriculum
• Isaac Computer Science
• Computing Quality Framework (CQF)
• I Belong

Products and services

• Teach Computing Curriculum Over 500 hours of free curriculum teaching resources covering Key Stages 1 to 4, designed to help teachers deliver computing education in England schools.
• Isaac Computer Science An online platform providing computer science resources and support for GCSE and A-Level students and teachers, backed by the Department for Education.
• Computing Quality Framework (CQF) A free, easy-to-use online tool to help primary and secondary schools review, develop and implement effective change to drive high-quality computing education, with a Computing Quality Mark accreditation pathway.
• KS3 and GCSE Computer Science Subject Knowledge Certificate A professional development programme for teachers leading to a nationally recognised certificate in Key Stage 3 and GCSE Computer Science subject knowledge, awarded by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT.
• Primary Teacher Certificate A nationally recognised qualification for primary teachers to demonstrate commitment to developing computing as a school subject, covering Key Stages 1 and 2.
• Secondary Teacher Certification Nationally recognised certificates for secondary computing teachers covering computer science subject knowledge, pedagogy, and leadership skills.
• Professional Development Courses Over 100 free professional development courses for teachers covering Key Stages 1 to 4 and Post-16, delivered online, via live remote training, or as residential courses. Topics include programming (Python, Scratch), computer systems, networks, cybersecurity, algorithms, and pedagogy.
• I Belong Programme A programme designed to inspire each learner to choose computer science careers and grow their interest in the subject, providing curated resources, training and implementation support for all schools.
• GCSE Computer Science Support Resources and professional development specifically aimed at supporting teachers preparing students for GCSE Computer Science qualifications.
• AI and Ethics in Education Resources Educational resources and training to help teachers and students understand artificial intelligence, its ethical implications, and how to teach AI concepts responsibly.

Quantifiable outcome

• 132+ professional development courses available covering all key stages
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• STEM LearningflagshipImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSTEM Learning has been contracted by the Department for Education to deliver the NCCE programme as the data processor. They handle business processing, marketing, reporting, and manage the STEM Community platform and event delivery including safeguarding support.
• BCS, The Chartered Institute for ITcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBCS awards the nationally recognised certificate in KS3 and GCSE Computer Science subject knowledge. The certificate is developed in collaboration with NCCE and provides professional recognition for teachers completing the programme.
• National STEM Learning CentrecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThe National STEM Learning Centre in York hosts residential courses for the NCCE. The centre provides on-site accommodation and catering for participants. Bed and breakfast is available at discounted rates for course participants.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Code.org: Code.org is a US-based non-profit providing free K-12 computer science curriculum, teacher professional development, and the Hour of Code. It is the most internationally comparable organisation to NCCE in mission, scale, and funding model.
• Computing At School (CAS): CAS is a grassroots community of computing educators that provides teacher CPD, regional hubs, and curriculum resources across the UK. It directly complements NCCE's mission by supporting computing teachers at the community level, often serving as an on-the-ground counterpart.
• National STEM Learning Centre: The York-based training centre hosts NCCE residential courses and operates as the UK's flagship STEM CPD venue. It shares the same delivery model (residential teacher training), target audience (educators), and operational relationship with STEM Learning.
• BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT: BCS awards NCCE's nationally recognised subject knowledge certificates and runs its own professional registration, accreditation, and computing education initiatives. It is a strategic partner and a comparable credentialing body in UK computing education.
• Digital Schoolhouse: Digital Schoolhouse is a UK-based programme using games to teach computing to teachers and students, offering free workshops, CPD, and enrichment. It shares NCCE's mission of engaging teachers and pupils in computing education through free programming.
• Raspberry Pi Foundation: The Raspberry Pi Foundation runs the Isaac Computer Science platform (which NCCE also uses), delivers free online computing courses, and operates extensive teacher training programmes. It is a key UK peer in computing education CPD and curriculum development.
• STEM Learning: STEM Learning is the contracted operator of the NCCE, delivering STEM education programmes across the UK. It is the parent delivery vehicle and most directly comparable organisation, sharing infrastructure, the STEM Community platform, and many overlapping CPD and curriculum programmes for teachers.
• Oak National Academy: Oak National Academy provides free, high-quality online curriculum resources and teacher CPD across England, including computing. It is a direct UK government-backed peer offering free teaching resources and curriculum content for state-funded schools.

Broad incumbents

• Teach First: Teach First is a major UK teacher training and development charity operating in low-income schools. While broader than computing-specific, it engages in teacher CPD, ITE partnerships, and school improvement programmes targeting similar segments of educators and state-funded schools.
• Khan Academy: Khan Academy provides free online courses across subjects including computing, with teacher dashboards and curriculum resources. While not government-funded, it overlaps with NCCE in offering free curriculum content and supplementary instructional resources.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WeAreComputing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-centre-for-computing-education
• Xx.com/TC_ComputingHub

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Centre for Computing Education