Code in motion

This interactive robotics coding session is designed to develop secondary students' digital-critical thinking and problem solving - all while having fun!

Over the course of the workshop, they will work together to build and code an automated farm tracker—a robot that detects weeds, navigates terrain, and supports more sustainable farming. It’s not just about making something that moves, but about solving a real-world problem using motors, sensors, lights, and sound.

Students will build and program LEGO Spike robots, use Scratch and/or Python to solve real-world challenges, see coding in action and understand how coding is used in everyday technology, and develop key skills such as team building, problem solving and communication.

The workshop supports key elements of the National Curriculum for computing at Key Stage 3 and 4. It’s a strong foundation for future studies in computing, engineering, or D&T (Design and Technology).

National Curriculum Links – Key Stage 3

• Computational Abstractions: Design and evaluate models of real-world problems.
• Key Algorithms: Understand key algorithms reflecting computational concepts.
• Programming Languages: Use block coding and Python.
• Boolean Logic: Learn basic Boolean logic (e.g., AND, OR, NOT) and its programming applications.
• Computer Systems: Understand hardware and software components and their communication.
• Instruction Execution: Learn how instructions are stored and executed.
• Creative Projects: Engage in projects using multiple applications.

Key Stage 4 - GCSE Specifications: AQA and OCR

• Programming: Teach core programming concepts with block-based and Python coding.
• Computational Thinking: Build robots to practice decomposition, pattern recognition, and algorithm development.
• Systematic Problem Solving: Promote systematic approaches in testing, debugging, and refining code.
• Data Representation: Illustrate binary representations through practical tasks with sensors and motors.

Location

The workshop takes place at Baylab, an onsite teaching lab in Bayer's UK headquarters in Reading.

Baylab
Bayer plc
400 South Oak Way
Reading
RG2 6AD

Important information

This is a free, 3-hour workshop.

Capacity is between 10-18 participants per workshop.

Resources and worksheets provided.

Aligned with Gatsby Benchmark 4 & 5 and the National Curriculum.

Fully supported by trained STEM facilitators with enhanced DBS.