Since 2019, boys at Bedford School have had the opportunity to enter the BEBRAS Computing Challenge as part of the school’s digital learning offering. Each time the top 10% of achievers are invited to take part in the prestigious Oxford University Computing Challenge – a nationwide competition for the top computer scientists in the country.
We were delighted, therefore when a small group of Bedford School boys were invited to take part in the elite round of the Oxford Computing Challenge this year, and thrilled to hear that Lower Sixth Former Alex Aellen was awarded a distinction for his performance. This is the second year running that Alex has taken part in the competition and the second year he has been awarded a distinction!
Alex, who is studying Computer Science, Maths, Further Maths and Physics at A-level, told us, “My focus was just to get through the questions within the time given. I have always been interested in problem solving and I hoped to do quite well, but I never thought I would get a distinction.”
Encouraging our talented computational thinkers is an integral part of the computer science programme, and opportunities such as this help boys to develop their skills and move towards providing programmed solutions to problems.
Dr Albin Wallace, Director of Digital Learning, said, “We are proud of all our pupils who engage so enthusiastically in digital learning activities, and Alex’s achievement should be an inspiration to all.”