Digital Literacy United Kingdom Project #67192

Encouraging Independent Learning & Digital Skills

by Apps for Good

Encouraging Independent Learning & Digital Skills

Project Report | Feb 10, 2026
Celebrating 15 Years of Apps for Good

By Laura Andrews | Senior Marketing Manager

Apps for Good 15 Years On: A Changing World, A Constant Vision

Education technology charity, Apps for Good, celebrated 15 years of positive impact on young people in 2025, by telling stories from the students creating technology for good.

Behind every number is a story

As CEO of Technology Education Charity Apps for Good, I’m immensely proud that over the past 15 years, our computing courses have reached almost 350,000 young people. Of course, the figure itself is remarkable - but behind every number is a human being: a student emerging with a spark of curiosity, a voice that wants to be heard, and the skills, confidence, and agency to shape their future. They may be stepping into a world full of unknowns, yet, no matter their starting point, they are equipped to solve problems, lead change, and create opportunities not just for themselves, but for the greater good of their communities. These possibilities, these outcomes - this is what drives us. This is why we exist.

Inspiring journeys: David and Mohima’s stories

In 2012, 13-year-old David, a shy and creative student, discovered his potential through one of our courses. He developed Qbook - a gamified reading app inspired by his own struggles, and won an award for his idea. Today, working in marketing at Nike, he reflects: “It sparked everything. Without it, I wouldn’t be where I am. There’s probably another me in school right now. Something like this could show them the world is bigger than they think.”

Another alum, Mohima Ahmed, first encountered Apps for Good in 2010, when her school took part in the pilot programme. She and her team developed Transit - an app inspired by their real-life experiences as second-generation Bangladeshi students. “At the time, it was just an exciting opportunity - but it stayed with me,” she says. Now Product Lead at With Intelligence and an Apps for Good Trustee, Mohima had a full-circle moment when she returned to her school as an Apps for Good ‘educator’ and reflects: “Apps for Good is one of the very few opportunities in the education system at the moment to really understand what the real world is like…to get the skills that employers actually care about.”

Re-engaging students through real-world learning

While our alumni show what’s possible, disengagement remains a pressing challenge. The Pearson School Report 2025 finds that 69% of secondary educators expect it to be a major barrier this year, affecting disadvantaged students most. Motivation often dips sharply during the transition to secondary school, risking both confidence and opportunity. At Apps for Good, we tackle this by giving students agency and connecting learning to real-world problems that matter to them. Independent learning helps them become effective problem solvers and confident decision-makers - crucial skills for thriving in any future career, especially in the digital economy.

Building digital and essential skills for life

With the Curriculum Review imminent, we are ready to support schools in delivering the skills the interim report highlights. Our project-based computing courses already model the review’s vision: equipping young people with the knowledge and confidence to navigate a rapidly changing world. The challenge lies in implementation: how will schools keep pace with AI and emerging technologies, while also embedding essential skills? Our approach is simple. Students work in teams to create app prototypes, tackling real-world problems that matter to them. This hands-on, collaborative learning helps them develop a dual skillset of digital and essential skills like teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving.

Links:

Davids Story

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Oct 20, 2025
Apps for Good Impact Report 2024/25

By Richard Shenton | Senior Fundraising and Partnerships Manager

Rising to the challenge

We have a big problem with engagement in secondary education. ImpactEd research shows over one in four pupils disengage in their first year, impacted most are girls and disadvantaged pupils. The Pearson School Report 2025 found 69% of educators see disengagement as a key barrier to learning. ImpactEd warns most pupils never fully regain lost engagement.

That’s why independent learning is essential. Learning independently about something they care about helps young people grow into effective problem solvers and confident decision makers - crucial skills for thriving in any future career, especially in the digital economy.

It also supports equity and inclusion. The Shadow Curriculum Review (sCAR) 2025 recommends: “Students’ cultural and lived experiences should be recognised as valuable and important forms of knowledge, and should be proactively brought into the classroom.”

The current tech sector highlights what’s at stake: only 20% of UK tech workers are women, and while 90% want to lead, only 25% believe they can. The Lovelace Report 2025 cites lack of clear opportunities, structured pathways, and a culture lacking opportunity.

We must work within education now to create an inclusive learning culture that embraces diversity, builds confidence and skills, so young people become tomorrow’s AI creators, climate innovators, UX designers, and cybersecurity defenders. Let’s give every young person, regardless of their background, race or gender, the freedom to learn computing in context and feel excited about using tech to shape the world around them.

Our approach

Young people are empowered and engaged by solving problems they care about. We inspire them by teaching how technology can be applied to have a positive impact and support them to design products relevant to them that will change their world for the better.

We believe that education should embrace inclusive learning approaches that empower all students, regardless of their background, to shape a better future. Our courses are designed to create a collaborative, supportive environment where every student has the opportunity to thrive and play an important role in their team.

To engage a diverse range of learners in computing, our courses are student-led. Each pair or team creates an app prototype aimed at solving a social issue they care about - something personal or local to them. This real-world connection - and the fact they can choose what they work on - fuels motivation and ensures students are not just passively learning digital and essential skills, but applying them in meaningful ways that reflect their values and experiences. Students often collaborate with peers they might not usually choose, helping them develop essential skills such as Communication, Teamwork, Leadership, and, importantly, confidence.

Computing skills don't flourish through passive learning. Instead, we encourage a dynamic, hands-on classroom environment - often lively and full of energy - that mirrors real-world workplaces.

The feedback we collected from students and teachers in 2024/25 indicates that independent learning is a strength of our courses. 66% of respondents to our student survey at the end of the course agreed that they learn independently in computing lessons, and teachers told us that the course materials help them to facilitate, as opposed to “teaching from the front”.

So, what impact does this independent learning have on students?

In our interviews and focus groups, we asked how students respond when they work independently on something that matters to them. Two particular results came through repeatedly in our data.

First, independent learning positively impacts student engagement. Zoe Maisey, a teacher at West Bromwich Collegiate Academy, told us that “it certainly makes [students] more engaged and focused on their project, because they are creating an app for a cause that means something to them.” Comments from Kamona Karim, a teacher at Putteridge High School, echoed this: “When students are passionate about a topic, their work and enthusiasm improve substantially”.

The heightened engagement that comes from independent learning isn’t just an impact noticed by teachers; lots of students this year told us they worked harder than they would have done otherwise, as a result of working on something that mattered to them:

We wanted to do it, and we're inspired by it, so we work on it harder.”

Harrison, Year 8 at Marston Vale Middle School

I'm really passionate about solving issues that matter to me...So what I liked about this course was that I finally got an opportunity to actually make something that could benefit society rather than just thinking about things.”

Lola, Year 9 student at Leventhorpe School

Making something that we know in the future could help with a big problem that is global, really inspired us to keep on going and keep on doing it, through all of the problems that we faced.”

Nye, S1 student at Dunoon Grammar School

Our 2024/25 data also indicates that, for the majority of students, Apps for Good courses achieve their aims of enabling students to apply the skills they’re developing in ways that reflect their values and experiences, empowering them to become changemakers. 63% of surveyed students said they knew more about how technology can benefit society or the planet as a result of the course, and 61% feel more confident in their own ability to use technology to shape their lives and the world around them. This confidence in their own voice, and their ability to affect social and environmental change, is reflected in our qualitative data too:

I’ve learned how to be more confident in my ideas during this project. I definitely feel proud of myself, and I’m glad I learned how to say the things that I need to say.”

Caitlin, Year 10 student at Connaught School for Girls

Students who might once have felt disconnected from computing - those who didn’t think of themselves as “techy” - are now fully engaged. They’re discovering how their ideas can make a real difference.”

Steve Hall, Deputy Director of School Improvement at LiFE Multi-Academy

Links:

Search for Apps for Good

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Jun 30, 2025
Apps for Good Impact Report 2024

By Natalie Moore | CEO of Apps for Good

Reflecting on an inspiring year

I can’t believe it’s already been a full academic year since I returned from maternity leave, and, wow, what a year it has been. As always, our Showcase was a real highlight, and, this year, I had the opportunity to interview some of our student teams straight after they had pitched their app ideas to our judges. Their energy, confidence, and insights into their skills and interest in technology are exactly what a CEO wants to hear!

Celebrating achievements and championing women in tech

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of joining an incredible panel of girls and women to celebrate Girls in ICT Day. It was inspiring to hear their stories and their commitment to promoting greater diversity in digital careers. Just this week I’m honoured to have been announced as one of ComputerWeekly.com's 50 Most Influential Women in UK Technology, which is a testament to the commitment of the entire Apps for Good family, from the team and Board to our volunteers, partners, and teachers. Also flying the flag for women in tech is our Senior Fundraising Manager, Georgie, who was awarded a much-deserved WeAreTheCity Rising Stars Award. Plus, our App for Social Action course was shortlisted for a 2024 Teach Award.

Alongside my CEO role, I’ve volunteered as a Governor for a local secondary school for the last three years. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to add value to the school, but I often leave those meetings with my eyes wide open to the daily challenges that our schools and teachers face.

Progress in education reform: a new hope?

Last year I reported on a gloomy bigger picture, however, some progress has been made with the potential for more change. In a promising development, the government has announced a review of the national curriculum, with recommendations expected to be published in 2025. This review aims to “develop a cutting-edge curriculum, equipping children and young people with the essential knowledge and skills” that will “break down barriers to opportunity, give every child the best start in life (and) support their future life and work.” This is something we’ve championed here at Apps for Good for many years. We know that, despite these positive prospects, a strong need will remain for us to continue supporting teachers by addressing ongoing challenges including the shortage of specialist teachers, teacher workload pressures, and budget constraints.

Measuring our impact

As we continue to grow, we're witnessing a remarkable impact on the young people at the heart of our work. This year we’ve collected even more qualitative and quantitative data from students, with 81% of survey respondents reporting an improvement in their computer programming skills, and 93% reporting developing more than one essential skill after taking part in an Apps for Good course.

In the 2023/24 academic year, thanks to support from the Hg Foundation, we have invested in our approach to impact management, ensuring our processes and data are robust. We’ve hired a Senior Impact Manager who is already adding huge value and we are working on an independent evaluation of the App for Social Action course with the Institute of Employment Studies to discover what impact our courses have on students' subject choices. We’re expecting to learn a lot along the way and it may result in some changes to the way we report our impact in the future. We are proud to be open and transparent about our impact journey, so stay tuned to hear how we continue to learn and evolve.

Thanking our community and looking ahead

The Apps for Good team has had a busy summer of planning and preparing for the 2024/25 academic year. I'm excited to see what we can achieve together as we put these plans into action.

As I write this, the team is preparing for our first face-to-face event in five years to celebrate the contribution of our volunteers and partners - without whom, we would not be able to offer our courses free of charge to our schools and teachers, which is fundamental to our mission. So a special thank you to, Hg Foundation, OVO Foundation, BNY, Google, Garfield Weston, Spectris Foundation, PA Foundation, Spotify, SAP, Sage, EPAM, Google DeepMind, Northern Consortium, and Balanced Impact.

And a final thank you to our volunteers and teachers who make Apps for Good course delivery possible, and continue to inspire our students every day.

Attachments:

202324_ImpactReport.pdf (PDF)

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