At University Schools Trust, our mission is to provide transformational education for all by ensuring pupils experience inspiring opportunities beyond the classroom. A recent visit to the HSBC Innovation Centre by Year 5 and Year 6 pupils from St Pauls Way Primary School exemplifies this commitment in action.

Hosted on the 42nd floor, the highest floor in the building, the Imagi coding session provided an exciting and aspirational setting for pupils to explore the world of technology. Led by recent graduates, the workshop combined expert guidance with encouragement, creating a supportive environment in which every child could participate with confidence.

The session began by inviting pupils to share the most impressive technology they had encountered, sparking lively discussion and curiosity. They were introduced to different programming languages and learned that each has its own purpose.

A particularly memorable moment was discovering the origin of the term bug, tracing back to early computers where physical insects could cause faults.

Using Imagi Charm on iPads, pupils worked collaboratively to understand an 8 by 8 matrix, exploring rows, columns and how numbers identify each square. They practised writing commands such as m[1][1]=on, starting with single pixels before progressing to coding a heart shape.

As their confidence developed, they experimented with variables, colour design and functions to make their code more efficient. The opportunity to try a Meta Quest headset added further excitement to an already memorable day.

We are grateful to partner with recognised organisations such as HSBC, whose support helps us nurture aspiration, broaden horizons and equip our pupils with the skills and belief to thrive in the future.