Secondary · shipping real products
Spark · Creators
Full curriculum document
Teens building real products that people actually use
Contents · 6 units
- 1Web apps with JavaScriptSPKC-U1 · Months 1–2 · 60 GLH · Portfolio + exam
- 2Data, state & logicSPKC-U2 · Months 3–4 · 60 GLH · Internal portfolio
- 3Algorithms & problem-solvingSPKC-U3 · Months 5–6 · 55 GLH · Portfolio + exam
- 4Introduction to AISPKC-U4 · Months 7–8 · 55 GLH · Internal portfolio
- 5Build a real AI featureSPKC-U5 · Months 9–10 · 60 GLH · Internal portfolio
- 6Ship a real productSPKC-U6 · Months 11–12 · 60 GLH · Portfolio + exam
Overview & approach
A product is not a demo — it is something a real person chooses to use. Creators build full web apps and their first AI features, then ship them to a live URL and defend the choices they made.
The first-principles learning loop
- 1Problem
- 2Understanding
- 3Reasoning
- 4Design
- 5Implementation
- 6Testing
- 7Reflection
- 8Improvement
Every unit runs this loop, then goes round again — deeper each time.
Competencies, values & contemporary issues
7 CBE core competencies
- Communication & collaboration
- Critical thinking & problem solving
- Creativity & imagination
- Citizenship
- Digital literacy
- Learning to learn
- Self-efficacy
Values
- Integrity
- Responsibility
- Respect
- Excellence
- Unity
- Patriotism
Pertinent & contemporary issues
- Digital citizenship & online safety
- Data protection & privacy
- AI ethics, bias & fairness
- Environmental sustainability (compute cost)
- Financial literacy & entrepreneurship
- Inclusion & accessibility
- Mental well-being & healthy screen habits
- Career & life skills
The 6 units in full
SPKC-U1 · Level 3 · Months 1–2 · 60 GLH · Portfolio + exam
Web apps with JavaScript
Strand: Interactive web engineering
Key inquiry: “What makes a web page an app — something that reacts to the person using it?”
You ship: An interactive web app built with JavaScript, deployed to a live URL.
LO1 · Interactivity
- AC 1.1 Handle clicks and input with JavaScript
- AC 1.2 Update the page in response to the user
LO2 · Structure & deploy
- AC 2.1 Organise HTML, CSS and JS cleanly
- AC 2.2 Deploy the app to a live URL
Core competencies
- Critical thinking & problem solving
- Digital literacy
- Creativity & imagination
PCIs addressed
- Data protection & privacy
- Inclusion & accessibility
Hands-on practice
- Build an interactive widget from scratch.
- Handle user input and update the page live.
- Deploy the app and share the link.
Unit grading (Pass · Merit · Distinction)
| Pass | Builds a basic interactive app with support. |
|---|---|
| Merit | Handles input and deploys independently. |
| Distinction | Ships a polished, accessible web app. |
SPKC-U2 · Level 3 · Months 3–4 · 60 GLH · Internal portfolio
Data, state & logic
Strand: Application logic
Before this unit: Can build and deploy an interactive web app (Unit 1).
Key inquiry: “How does an app remember things and stay correct as the user changes them?”
You ship: An app that stores, updates and displays data reliably.
LO1 · State & data
- AC 1.1 Store and update app state
- AC 1.2 Render data to the screen
LO2 · Correctness
- AC 2.1 Handle empty and wrong input
- AC 2.2 Test that the app behaves
Core competencies
- Critical thinking & problem solving
- Digital literacy
- Self-efficacy
PCIs addressed
- Data protection & privacy
- Inclusion & accessibility
Hands-on practice
- Build a to-do or tracker app.
- Handle the awkward edge cases.
- Test it with real use before shipping.
Unit grading (Pass · Merit · Distinction)
| Pass | Manages simple state with support. |
|---|---|
| Merit | Handles data and edge cases independently. |
| Distinction | Ships a reliable, data-driven app. |
SPKC-U3 · Level 3 · Months 5–6 · 55 GLH · Portfolio + exam
Algorithms & problem-solving
Strand: Algorithmic thinking
Before this unit: Comfortable building data-driven apps (Unit 2).
Key inquiry: “When a problem is hard, how do we find an approach that works and is fast enough?”
You ship: A set of solved algorithmic challenges with a short write-up of the approach.
LO1 · Approaches
- AC 1.1 Break a problem down into parts
- AC 1.2 Choose a suitable approach
LO2 · Efficiency
- AC 2.1 Compare two solutions
- AC 2.2 Explain which is faster and why
Core competencies
- Critical thinking & problem solving
- Learning to learn
- Self-efficacy
PCIs addressed
- Career & life skills
- Environmental sustainability (compute cost)
Hands-on practice
- Solve a problem two different ways.
- Compare their speed.
- Write up the approach you would defend.
Unit grading (Pass · Merit · Distinction)
| Pass | Solves guided challenges with support. |
|---|---|
| Merit | Chooses and justifies an approach independently. |
| Distinction | Solves hard challenges with efficient, explained solutions. |
SPKC-U4 · Level 3 · Months 7–8 · 55 GLH · Internal portfolio
Introduction to AI
Strand: Applied machine learning
Before this unit: Confident coding and problem-solving (Units 1–3).
Key inquiry: “A model is not given rules — so how does it learn, and where can it get things wrong?”
You ship: A simple trained classifier with an honest note on where it fails.
LO1 · How AI learns
- AC 1.1 Train a classifier from examples
- AC 1.2 Test it and read the result honestly
LO2 · Limits & fairness
- AC 2.1 Show a case where the model is wrong
- AC 2.2 Discuss fairness and privacy in your own words
Core competencies
- Critical thinking & problem solving
- Learning to learn
- Citizenship
PCIs addressed
- AI ethics, bias & fairness
- Data protection & privacy
Hands-on practice
- Train a model to tell two things apart.
- Try to fool it, and see why it breaks.
- Discuss where bias could creep in.
Unit grading (Pass · Merit · Distinction)
| Pass | Trains and tests a model with support. |
|---|---|
| Merit | Evaluates the model independently. |
| Distinction | Delivers a tested classifier with an honest account of its limits. |
SPKC-U5 · Level 3 · Months 9–10 · 60 GLH · Internal portfolio
Build a real AI feature
Strand: Applied AI products
Before this unit: Can train and evaluate a simple model (Unit 4).
Key inquiry: “How do we add an AI feature that genuinely helps — and behaves when it is unsure?”
You ship: An app with a working AI feature and a sensible fallback for when the AI is wrong.
LO1 · Integrate AI
- AC 1.1 Add an AI feature to an app
- AC 1.2 Handle a wrong answer gracefully
LO2 · Responsible use
- AC 2.1 Test for unfair or unsafe output
- AC 2.2 Explain the feature’s limits to a user
Core competencies
- Creativity & imagination
- Critical thinking & problem solving
- Citizenship
PCIs addressed
- AI ethics, bias & fairness
- Data protection & privacy
Hands-on practice
- Add an AI feature to an app you built.
- Add a fallback for when the AI is unsure.
- Red-team your own feature for bad output.
Unit grading (Pass · Merit · Distinction)
| Pass | Adds a working AI feature with support. |
|---|---|
| Merit | Adds a fallback and tests it independently. |
| Distinction | Ships a helpful, responsible AI feature. |
SPKC-U6 · Level 3 · Months 11–12 · 60 GLH · Portfolio + exam
Ship a real product
Strand: Synoptic product · showcase
Before this unit: Can build an app with an AI feature (Unit 5).
Key inquiry: “What separates a class project from a product real people choose to use?”
You ship: A portfolio-grade product, live for real users, that solves a real problem.
LO1 · Build & deploy
- AC 1.1 Scope and build a complete product
- AC 1.2 Deploy it for real users
LO2 · Present
- AC 2.1 Gather feedback and improve
- AC 2.2 Demo the product and defend your choices
Core competencies
- Self-efficacy
- Communication & collaboration
- Creativity & imagination
PCIs addressed
- Career & life skills
- Financial literacy & entrepreneurship
Hands-on practice
- Scope a real problem ruthlessly.
- Ship the product publicly and gather feedback.
- Present it to a mentor panel and defend your decisions.
Unit grading (Pass · Merit · Distinction)
| Pass | Ships a working project with support. |
|---|---|
| Merit | Validates with users and iterates independently. |
| Distinction | Ships a portfolio-grade product with a compelling demo. |
What you walk away with
A portfolio of 6 real, shipped artefacts — one per unit, assessed to standard.
- 1 An interactive web app built with JavaScript, deployed to a live URL.
- 2 An app that stores, updates and displays data reliably.
- 3 A set of solved algorithmic challenges with a short write-up of the approach.
- 4 A simple trained classifier with an honest note on where it fails.
- 5 An app with a working AI feature and a sensible fallback for when the AI is wrong.
- 6 A portfolio-grade product, live for real users, that solves a real problem.
Assessment rubric (CBE & Cambridge)
| CBE level | Cambridge grade | What the evidence shows |
|---|---|---|
| Below expectation | Not yet Pass | Cannot yet demonstrate the outcome unaided; work is incomplete or does not run. Needs re-teaching and another attempt. |
| Approaching expectation | Pass | Meets every assessment criterion with guidance. The artefact works for the happy path and the learner can explain what it does. |
| Meeting expectation | Merit | Meets all criteria independently, handles edge cases, evaluates the result, and justifies design decisions from first principles. |
| Exceeding expectation | Distinction | Ships a production-grade artefact to real users, critiques trade-offs (cost, latency, safety), and extends beyond the brief with original work. |