Years 5, 6 and 7 in schools in Dorset are to have the chance to become the next Bill Gates.

Dorset’s first-ever interactive coding day for children will be held this September and schools across the county are being urged to take part.

Dorset Council has joined forces with BCP Council and Barclays Digital Eagles to host the online event on 15 September.

Cllr Jill Haynes, Dorset Council’s portfolio holder for Corporate Development and Transformation said: “We hope to see schools across the county sign up to this exciting event, which aims to inspire their pupils about coding and encourage them to explore the opportunities digital can offer.

“It’s our vision to make the county a digital place and to achieve that it’s crucial we encourage our young people to work in digital industries and to do that here in Dorset.”

The Dorset Coding Day will run two sessions, covering computer programming topics in the Key Stage 2 and 3 curriculums.

Run by Barclays Digital Eagles, the online sessions will enable schools to join in virtually from across the county.

IT specialists from local tech companies can also be part of Dorset Coding Day. They are invited to attend a school in-person to talk to the pupils and share their own experiences of using coding in their careers.

Kevin Garner, Barclays head of Code Playground, said: “Events like this can equip young people with new digital skills and gives schools the opportunity to introduce pupils to the exciting world of coding.”

Since the beginning of 2021, over 25,000 primary school pupils have joined the Barclays Digital Eagles’ monthly Code Playground sessions, building their coding confidence and preparing them for the careers and jobs that they may one day be applying for.

Schools and IT specialists that would like to sign up to the Dorset Coding Day can register their interest by emailing digitaldorset@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk

Dorset Coding Day will also feature as part of this year’s Festival of Future (10-14 October), showcasing digital innovations across Dorset.