Our Curriculum

Our curriculum is divided into five progressive groups, designed to take children from beginner to advanced coding skills:

Micro → Kilo → Mega → Giga → Tera

Each stage builds on previous knowledge using our spiral curriculum approach, allowing students to revisit concepts with increasing depth, independence, and complexity.

While these groups generally align with UK school year groups, age is not a limiting factor. Progression between groups is flexible and based on ability, confidence, readiness, progress, and enjoyment rather than age alone. Content is adjusted to ensure each child is appropriately challenged, supported, and engaged at every stage of their learning journey.
KEY STAGE 1

Micro

Designed for children aged 5–7 (Years 1–2), our Micro group introduces coding through ScratchJr on tablets. Children learn the foundations of sequencing, patterns, storytelling, animation, and problem solving in a highly visual and interactive environment.

Kilo

As children progress, usually during Year 2, they move into Kilo where they are introduced to Scratch. Here they begin creating more advanced games, animations, and interactive projects while developing a stronger understanding of loops, conditionals, variables, and logical thinking.
LOWER KEY STAGE 2

Mega

For children in Years 3–4 (ages 8–9), our Mega group expands on block-based coding through platforms such as Scratch, Tynker, Microsoft MakeCode, and Delightex. Students begin tackling larger projects while developing computational thinking, creativity, debugging skills, and confidence working independently.

Mega is a flexible stage and may also include learners in Year 2 who are ready for additional challenge, or older students in Year 5 who benefit from consolidating and strengthening their block-based programming foundations before progressing to text-based coding.
UPPER KEY STAGE 2

Giga

In Years 5–6 (ages 10–11), students move into our Giga group where they begin transitioning into text-based programming. Children are introduced to languages such as Python and JavaScript. They begin working in an IDE (Integrated Development Environment), learning how professional code is written while continuing to develop problem-solving and algorithmic thinking skills.

Tera

For children in Years 5–6 (typically ages 10–12), our Tera group provides an advanced pathway for learners who are ready for greater challenges. Students also work in an IDE, building on their transition to text-based coding. They tackle more complex programming concepts and larger-scale projects, creating sophisticated games and applications while deepening their understanding of real-world software development practices.

How We Design Our Curriculum

A common question we hear from parents, especially after a term or several terms in our coding clubs, is: “How is my child progressing?”

At Beta Generation Academy, we use a Spiral Curriculum to ensure children do not just learn concepts once and move on. Instead, they revisit key ideas throughout their learning journey, each time with greater depth, understanding, and challenge.

Rather than teaching a concept in isolation, we return to it across different projects and contexts, gradually building confidence, fluency, and independence.

The spiral curriculum approach was developed by educational theorist Jerome Bruner, who famously said:

“Any subject can be taught to any child at any stage of development, as long as it is presented in a way they can understand.”

This principle is especially powerful in Computer Science, where core ideas such as decomposition, algorithmic thinking, and iteration are not one-time skills. Children develop and refine these concepts over time as their thinking becomes more sophisticated.

How This Works in Practice

Let’s take a Year 1 or 2 example using ScratchJr.

First Encounter: Exploration

Children are first introduced to an idea in a simple, intuitive way. For example, they might make a character move across the screen. At this stage, repetition is experienced naturally, but no formal terminology such as “loop” is introduced yet. The focus is on exploration and recognising patterns.

Second Encounter: Introducing the Concept

In a later lesson, children revisit movement and are introduced to the idea of a loop. They compare long sequences of movement blocks with a repeat block and begin to understand the benefit of repetition. Here, the focus shifts to pattern recognition, efficiency, and understanding that code can be structured more effectively.

Third Encounter: Applying and Problem Solving

By the third encounter, loops are used intentionally to solve problems. For example, children might create a simple game where obstacles move continuously using a forever loop. At this stage, they are not just following instructions. They are making design choices, predicting behaviour, and debugging when things do not work as expected.

Why This Approach Works

This structure is supported by Cognitive Load Theory, developed by John Sweller, which explains that learning is more effective when unnecessary mental overload is reduced. By revisiting concepts over time, children are not overwhelmed with entirely new ideas every lesson. Instead, they build on prior knowledge and deepen their understanding gradually.

The spiral approach also supports a wide range of learners. Children who need more time can strengthen their understanding through repeated exposure, while those who grasp concepts quickly are challenged to apply them in new and more complex ways.

Within this spiral curriculum, children are developing far more than just coding knowledge. They are problem-solving, thinking critically, being creative, exploring new ideas, and collaborating with others to overcome challenges. These are skills that extend far beyond Computer Science and support children across many areas of learning.

This also highlights why coding remains incredibly valuable, even in 2026 and the age of AI. While technology continues to evolve rapidly, the ability to think logically, break down problems, test ideas, and create solutions is becoming even more important. AI can generate code, but children still need to understand how to think computationally, evaluate solutions, and use technology creatively and responsibly.

We believe the spiral curriculum is one of the most effective ways to teach these skills because it allows children to revisit ideas with increasing confidence and maturity. Instead of memorising isolated pieces of knowledge, they build deep understanding over time through exploration, application, and reflection.

Ultimately, coding is not just about learning syntax. It is about developing problem-solving skills and computational thinking. Our spiral curriculum helps children learn how to choose the right tools for a task, apply them creatively, and grow into confident, independent coders.