Skip to main content
Spark · Level A Ages 6–17 · Explorers, Builders & Creators

The Spark · Level A curriculum

Before a single line of code, young learners ask what a computer actually is: a machine that follows exact instructions, one step at a time. From that one idea — instructions in order — everything else is built, from visual blocks to real Python.

6 units255 guided hours3 levels · one school year eachCambridge Level 2 (foundation)
Apply to join
The course at a glance

6 units · 255 guided hours

The full curriculum, top to bottom. Tap any unit to open its detailed record.

Built from first principles

Reasoning before tools, evidence before opinion

Before a single line of code, young learners ask what a computer actually is: a machine that follows exact instructions, one step at a time. From that one idea — instructions in order — everything else is built, from visual blocks to real Python.

  1. Problem
  2. Understanding
  3. Reasoning
  4. Design
  5. Implementation
  6. Testing
  7. Reflection
  8. Improvement

Every unit runs the loop, then goes round again — deeper each time.

7 CBE core competencies

Assessed across every unit, not taught as an add-on.

Communication & collaborationCritical thinking & problem solvingCreativity & imaginationCitizenshipDigital literacyLearning to learnSelf-efficacy

Values

Threaded through projects and peer review.

IntegrityResponsibilityRespectExcellenceUnityPatriotism

Pertinent & contemporary issues

Deliberately built into the briefs learners tackle.

Digital citizenship & online safetyData protection & privacyAI ethics, bias & fairnessEnvironmental sustainability (compute cost)Financial literacy & entrepreneurshipInclusion & accessibilityMental well-being & healthy screen habitsCareer & life skills
The units

6 units · 255 guided learning hours

Open any unit for its full record — learning outcomes, assessment criteria, competencies and grading.

Strand: Computational thinking foundations 40 GLH Weeks 1–6 Internal portfolio

Key inquiry: “If a computer only does exactly what it is told, how do we tell it to do something useful?”

You ship: A sequence of instructions (an “algorithm”) that solves a real everyday task, acted out and then coded in blocks.

LO1 · Instructions & sequence

  • Break a familiar task (making tea, a dance) into exact, ordered steps
  • Explain why order matters and fix an out-of-order instruction

LO2 · Patterns & logic

  • Spot a repeating pattern and describe it as a loop
  • Make a simple decision with “if this, then that”
Core competencies (CBE)
Critical thinking & problem solvingDigital literacyLearning to learn
PCIs addressed
Digital citizenship & online safetyMental well-being & healthy screen habits
Hands-on practice
  • Robot-and-programmer game: one learner gives exact steps, another follows them literally.
  • Build the same task with a shorter set of instructions using a loop.
  • Reflection: where did the “robot” go wrong, and why?
Unit grading (Cambridge · Pass / Merit / Distinction)
Pass

Sequences a task with support.

Merit

Sequences independently and uses a loop.

Distinction

Designs a clear algorithm others can follow first time.

What you walk away with

A portfolio of 6 real, shipped artefacts

Not certificates — working things you built. Every unit ends in a real artefact you own, assessed to standard and ready to show a school, an employer, or an investor.

Unit 1 · Level 2

A sequence of instructions (an “algorithm”) that solves a real everyday task, acted out and then coded in blocks.

Unit 2 · Level 2

A playable game or animated story built in visual blocks, shared on a live link.

Unit 3 · Level 2

An interactive art, music or animation project shared on a live link.

Unit 4 · Level 2

A small Python program published to a link you can share.

Unit 5 · Level 2

A published personal web page and a class digital-safety guide.

Unit 6 · Level 2

A friendly app with one AI feature (image or text recognition) and a shared showcase.

Assessment

One rubric, aligned across CBE and Cambridge

CBE performance levels and Cambridge grades describe the same evidence — a working artefact and the reasoning behind it.

CBE levelCambridge gradeWhat the evidence shows
Below expectationNot yet PassCannot yet demonstrate the outcome unaided; work is incomplete or does not run. Needs re-teaching and another attempt.
Approaching expectationPassMeets every assessment criterion with guidance. The artefact works for the happy path and the learner can explain what it does.
Meeting expectationMeritMeets all criteria independently, handles edge cases, evaluates the result, and justifies design decisions from first principles.
Exceeding expectationDistinctionShips a production-grade artefact to real users, critiques trade-offs (cost, latency, safety), and extends beyond the brief with original work.
Read the full document (print / PDF)

The complete curriculum in one printable, saveable document.

Follow it through with a mentor in your corner

Every unit ends in a real artefact — assessed to standard and added to your portfolio.

Apply to join Back to Spark
// LET’S BUILD

Have a project? Send us the brief.

Tell us what you need — even a rough idea. You'll hear back within a day with an approach, a timeline, and a fixed quote. No pitch decks, no account managers.

Hire Us Browse services