Many articles insist that coding and computational thinking should be the building blocks of England’s computing curriculum. Although this is true, it might not be enough: we need to teach children to use technology to solve real-world problems.

Young people intuitively solve problems with technology, googling for a tutorial or an app, or hacking hardware to make it work for them. But this has to be applied in the context of work, not just leisure, which is where the curriculum comes in.

This curiosity and practical thinking should be nurtured by schools. In Stoke-on-Trent, we’re doing this by organising hack labs and creating a dedicated digital innovation centre.

Carl Plant, Technical director, bITjAM.