I have heard it said that coding is the literacy of the 21st century. With so many elements of our daily lives – every website, smartphone app and even microwave – powered by code, computing students are future architects of the digital age.
I’m proud to say that Monmouth School thoroughly embraces this vital subject.
Our passionate staff are continuously expanding the computing department and inspiring pupils to build projects outside of school, highlighting limitless possibilities and creating a real excitement around coding.
Last summer one of our pupils, Harri, became the third Monmouth boy in a row to be listed in the UK’s top 50 A level computing candidates.
This fantastic achievement came after Harri and two friends designed and built Watt the Duck, a genius combination of Raspberry Pi computers, sensors and a giant rubber duck, to revolutionise how data from oceans, rivers and lakes is collected. The clever invention, which they entered into Young Rewired State’s Festival of Code, was victorious in the Code a Better Country category, and went on to become the people’s favourite finalist out of 16 in the public vote.
Coders under 18 from all over South Wales have been meeting at Monmouth School – one of 66 hyperlocal centres in the UK – ahead of this national competition to team up, design, build and test websites, apps and games. This year will be the third time we have hosted this creative hub, and the standard of work produced by the pupils is going from strength to strength. Lyndsay Hope, the School’s head of computing, runs monthly hyperlocal events throughout the year, open to budding coders from across South Wales.
With access to the latest cutting-edge technology, like the tiny Pi Zero computer, like-minded children come together to develop their skills. They discover codes they’ve never used before, build friendships and discuss new ideas which could potentially change the world we live in.
With coding causing such a buzz, it’s very fitting that one group of Monmouth boys have even recreated the entire school in online game, Minecraft.
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