// KS3 Computing · curriculum guide for teachers
KS3 computing games: what each game teaches
21 free, levelled computing games for Years 7, 8 and 9, one for every unit in every year of the KS3 Computing scheme of work. This guide sets out what each game covers, the KS3 national curriculum statements it practises and the lessons it goes with, so you can choose the right game for a starter, homework or revision.
21 games, 7 units, Years 7 to 9Mapped to the KS3 national curriculumLinked to every unit of the scheme of workFree, no login
// overview
How the games support your KS3 computing curriculum
The games follow the same seven units, in the same order, as the KS3 Computing scheme of work. Each year’s game builds on the one before, so pupils meet binary in Year 7, characters and images in Year 8, and sound, shifts and compression in Year 9. That makes them useful for retrieval practice as well as for the unit you are teaching now.
Short, levelled practice
Most games have 4 levels of 8 to 10 questions. Pupils need 2 stars to unlock the next level, so getting it right first time matters more than speed.
Feedback on every answer
Every question is marked straight away and comes with a short explanation, including the working for calculations.
Five ways to answer
Multiple choice, typed answers, sorting into groups, matching pairs and putting steps or lines of code in order. Typed answers use new numbers each time.
Ready for the classroom
Free, no login, and every game has its own link. They run on school PCs, Chromebooks and tablets. Flowchart questions show each symbol with its name and meaning.
// curriculum map
KS3 computing games by unit and year
One game for every unit in every year. Select a game to read what it covers.
KS3 national curriculum coverage
The KS3 computing programme of study for England, summarised in nine statements, with the games that practise each one. The games support teaching; they do not replace the lessons. We will update this map when the new national curriculum is published.
| Code | KS3 national curriculum statement (summary) | Games that practise it |
|---|---|---|
| NC1 | Modelling and abstraction Design, use and evaluate computational abstractions that model real-world problems and systems. | Cell Detective, Model Maker, Micro:bit Mission, Flowchart Factory, Python Pro |
| NC2 | Key algorithms Understand key algorithms, such as searching and sorting, and use logical reasoning to compare them. | Flowchart Factory, Logic Lab |
| NC3 | Programming Use two or more programming languages, at least one text-based, with sequence, selection, repetition, data structures and subroutines. | Micro:bit Mission, Scratch Studio, Python Predictor, Python Pro |
| NC4 | Boolean logic and binary Understand AND, OR and NOT, binary numbers, binary addition and converting between binary and denary. | Binary Blaster, Pixel Lab, Sound and Squeeze, Logic Lab |
| NC5 | Hardware, software and networks Understand the hardware and software parts of computer systems and how they communicate with each other and with other systems. | Build-a-Computer, OS Office, CPU Commander, Network Builder, Packet Post, Cyber Defender |
| NC6 | Instructions and data Understand how instructions are stored and run, and how text, sound and images are represented and changed as binary. | OS Office, CPU Commander, Pixel Lab, Sound and Squeeze |
| NC7 | Creative projects Choose and use several applications across devices to meet goals, including collecting, analysing and presenting data. | Key Quest, Cell Detective, Model Maker, Data Dashboard |
| NC8 | Digital artefacts for an audience Create and improve digital work for a known audience, thinking about trustworthiness, design and usability. | Safe Surfer, AI Detective, Data Dashboard |
| NC9 | Safe, responsible and secure use Use technology safely, respectfully, responsibly and securely, protect online identity and privacy, and know how to report concerns. | Safe Surfer, AI Detective, Data Dashboard, Cyber Defender |
Statements are summarised from the national curriculum in England: computing programmes of study (Department for Education).
// game by game
What each KS3 computing game covers
Introduction to Computing and online safety
Keyboard fluency, staying safe online, AI in everyday life and the law. Unit 1 in the scheme of work · Online safety lessons
Key Quest
A touch-typing adventure with a colour-coded finger guide. Pupils learn the home row first, then the top and bottom rows, capitals and full sentences, and finish with the Word Rain speed challenge.
Levels
- Home Row Island: F and J, D and K, S and L, A and ;, space, G and H
- Top Row Volcano: E and I, R and U, T and Y, W O Q P
- Bottom Row Swamp: C V B N M, Z X , .
- Capitals and the Grand Quest
- Word Rain bonus game
Key words
home row, touch typing, accuracy, words per minute
National curriculum
NC7 · Creative projects
Year 7 lessons in the scheme of work · Year 7 online safety learn guide and resources
▶ Play Key QuestSafe Surfer
Pupils spot scams and AI voice clones, learn the words that describe life online, choose what to do in tricky situations and decide what is safe to share.
Levels
- Scam or legit? (sorting)
- Know the words (matching)
- What should you do? (multiple choice)
- Share or keep private? (sorting)
Key words
deepfake, algorithm, digital footprint, AI companion, phishing, echo chamber
National curriculum
NC9 · Safe, responsible and secure useNC8 · Digital artefacts for an audience
Year 8 lessons in the scheme of work · Year 8 online safety learn guide and resources
▶ Play Safe SurferAI Detective
Pupils judge whether a viral post can be trusted, explain bias in AI systems, match the laws that protect them online and practise checking before they share. Includes how to report sextortion to CEOP and Childline.
Levels
- Trust the evidence? (sorting)
- Bias in AI (multiple choice)
- Know the law (matching)
- Check before you share (put in order)
Key words
misinformation, bias, training data, hallucination, Online Safety Act, Computer Misuse Act
National curriculum
NC9 · Safe, responsible and secure useNC8 · Digital artefacts for an audience
Year 9 lessons in the scheme of work · Year 9 online safety learn guide and resources
▶ Play AI DetectiveComputing Fundamentals
The parts of a computer, the operating system and how the CPU runs a program. Unit 2 in the scheme of work · Learn guide
Build-a-Computer
Pupils drag the CPU, RAM, SSD, graphics card, power supply and cooler into the right slots on a motherboard, then choose the right parts for customers on a budget.
Levels
- Build it (with labels)
- Build it (no labels)
- What does it do?
- Customer builds
Key words
CPU, RAM, SSD, hard disk, GPU, motherboard, power supply
National curriculum
NC5 · Hardware, software and networks
Year 7 lessons in the scheme of work · Unit 2 learn guide and resources
▶ Play Build-a-ComputerOS Office
Pupils sort the jobs the operating system does, match utility software to its purpose, explain virtual memory and sort the environmental, ethical and legal impacts of technology.
Levels
- Who does that job? (sorting)
- Utility toolbox (matching)
- Virtual memory (multiple choice)
- Impacts of technology (sorting)
Key words
operating system, memory management, driver, defragmentation, virtual memory, volatile
National curriculum
NC5 · Hardware, software and networksNC6 · Instructions and data
Year 8 lessons in the scheme of work · Unit 2 learn guide and resources
▶ Play OS OfficeCPU Commander
Pupils match the parts of the CPU and its registers, put the fetch-decode-execute cycle in order, explain what makes a CPU faster and tell embedded systems from general-purpose computers.
Levels
- Inside the CPU (matching)
- Fetch, decode, execute (put in order)
- Faster CPU? (multiple choice)
- Embedded or not? (sorting)
Key words
ALU, control unit, cache, PC, MAR, MDR, CIR, clock speed, cores, Von Neumann
National curriculum
NC6 · Instructions and dataNC5 · Hardware, software and networks
Year 9 lessons in the scheme of work · Unit 2 learn guide and resources
▶ Play CPU CommanderData Representation
Binary, hexadecimal, characters, images, sound and compression. Unit 3 in the scheme of work · Learn guide
Binary Blaster
Pupils tap bits on and off to convert between binary, denary and hexadecimal, then add binary numbers. Every answer shows the working, and a Blitz mode tests speed.
Levels
- Bit Base: 4-bit and 8-bit binary to denary and back
- Hex Nebula: hex to denary, denary to hex, binary to hex and back
- Overflow Belt: binary addition, then the same with no helpers
- Blitz bonus round
Key words
bit, byte, place value, denary, hexadecimal, binary addition
National curriculum
NC4 · Boolean logic and binary
Year 7 lessons in the scheme of work · Unit 3 learn guide and resources
▶ Play Binary BlasterPixel Lab
Pupils work out ASCII codes, compare ASCII with Unicode, and calculate colour depth and image file sizes from width, height and bits per pixel.
Levels
- Character codes (typed answers)
- ASCII or Unicode? (multiple choice)
- Colour depth (typed answers)
- Image file size (typed answers)
Key words
character set, ASCII, Unicode, pixel, colour depth, resolution
National curriculum
NC6 · Instructions and dataNC4 · Boolean logic and binary
Year 8 lessons in the scheme of work · Unit 3 learn guide and resources
▶ Play Pixel LabSound and Squeeze
Pupils apply binary shifts, explain sample rate and bit depth, sort lossy from lossless compression and calculate sound and text file sizes.
Levels
- Binary shifts (typed answers)
- Sampling sound (multiple choice)
- Lossy or lossless? (sorting)
- File size calculator (typed answers)
Key words
binary shift, sample rate, bit depth, lossy, lossless, run-length encoding
National curriculum
NC4 · Boolean logic and binaryNC6 · Instructions and data
Year 9 lessons in the scheme of work · Unit 3 learn guide and resources
▶ Play Sound and SqueezeData Modelling and Big Data
Spreadsheets, formulas, models, lookups, dashboards and data ethics. Unit 4 in the scheme of work · Learn guide
Cell Detective
Pupils find cells by reference, work out what formulas show, use SUM, AVERAGE, MAX, MIN and COUNT, and choose the best chart for a set of data.
Levels
- Cell addresses (typed answers)
- Crack the formula (typed answers)
- Functions (typed answers)
- Charts and spreadsheet words (multiple choice)
Key words
cell reference, range, formula, function, line graph, bar chart, pie chart
National curriculum
NC7 · Creative projectsNC1 · Modelling and abstraction
Year 7 lessons in the scheme of work · Unit 4 learn guide and resources
▶ Play Cell DetectiveModel Maker
Pupils predict how formulas change when copied, lock cells with absolute references, work out IF results, match validation checks and use models to answer what-if questions.
Levels
- Copy it down (typed answers)
- IF decisions (typed answers)
- Validation checks (matching)
- Models, sorting and filtering (multiple choice)
Key words
relative reference, absolute reference, IF, validation, model, filter, sort
National curriculum
NC1 · Modelling and abstractionNC7 · Creative projects
Year 8 lessons in the scheme of work · Unit 4 learn guide and resources
▶ Play Model MakerData Dashboard
Pupils use VLOOKUP and XLOOKUP, make design choices for a dashboard, sort examples into the Vs of big data and decide what is fair to do with personal data.
Levels
- Look it up (typed answers)
- Design a dashboard (multiple choice)
- The Vs of big data (sorting)
- Data and ethics (multiple choice)
Key words
VLOOKUP, XLOOKUP, dashboard, KPI, volume, velocity, variety, anonymised data
National curriculum
NC8 · Digital artefacts for an audienceNC7 · Creative projectsNC9 · Safe, responsible and secure use
Year 9 lessons in the scheme of work · Unit 4 learn guide and resources
▶ Play Data DashboardNetworks and Systems Security
Network hardware, topologies, packets, protocols, cyber attacks and defences. Unit 5 in the scheme of work · Learn guide
Network Builder
Pupils cable up a star network in a classroom, see why a switch beats a hub, and route data using a switch's MAC address table.
Levels
- Cable up the classroom
- Hub or switch?
- The switch's memory
- Network know-how
Key words
LAN, switch, hub, router, MAC address, star topology
National curriculum
NC5 · Hardware, software and networks
Year 7 lessons in the scheme of work · Unit 5 learn guide and resources
▶ Play Network BuilderPacket Post
Pupils compare star and mesh topologies, follow a packet across the internet, match protocols to their jobs and explain what affects network speed.
Levels
- Star or mesh? (sorting)
- A packet's journey (put in order)
- Protocol match (matching)
- Network performance (multiple choice)
Key words
topology, packet switching, header, DNS, HTTP, HTTPS, TCP/IP, bandwidth, latency
National curriculum
NC5 · Hardware, software and networks
Year 8 lessons in the scheme of work · Unit 5 learn guide and resources
▶ Play Packet PostCyber Defender
Pupils spot the signs of phishing, name common attacks, choose the right defence for each and decide which law an action breaks.
Levels
- Phishing spotter (sorting)
- Name that attack (matching)
- Pick the defence (multiple choice)
- Which law was broken? (sorting)
Key words
malware, ransomware, brute force, DoS, SQL injection, firewall, 2FA, penetration testing
National curriculum
NC9 · Safe, responsible and secure useNC5 · Hardware, software and networks
Year 9 lessons in the scheme of work · Unit 5 learn guide and resources
▶ Play Cyber DefenderComputational Thinking
Physical computing with the micro:bit, flowcharts, algorithms and Boolean logic. Unit 6 in the scheme of work · Learn guide
Micro:bit Mission
Pupils sort the micro:bit's inputs and outputs, predict what block code does, put programs in order and trace variables as buttons are pressed.
Levels
- Input or output? (sorting)
- What will it do? (multiple choice)
- Build the program (put in order)
- Count the presses (typed answers)
Key words
input, output, sensor, event, forever loop, variable, selection
National curriculum
NC3 · ProgrammingNC1 · Modelling and abstraction
Year 7 lessons in the scheme of work · Unit 6 learn guide and resources
▶ Play Micro:bit MissionFlowchart Factory
Pupils match the flowchart symbols, sort examples of decomposition, abstraction, pattern recognition and algorithms, trace flowcharts with a symbol key, and explain how control systems work.
Levels
- Flowchart symbols (matching)
- Think like a computer scientist (sorting)
- Trace the flowchart (typed answers)
- Control systems (multiple choice)
Key words
decomposition, abstraction, pattern recognition, algorithm, decision, process, input/output
National curriculum
NC1 · Modelling and abstractionNC2 · Key algorithms
Year 8 lessons in the scheme of work · Unit 6 learn guide and resources
▶ Play Flowchart FactoryLogic Lab
Pupils compare linear and binary search, carry out a bubble sort pass, work out AND, OR and NOT gate outputs and solve logic circuits with three inputs.
Levels
- Search and sort (multiple choice)
- One bubble pass (typed answers)
- Logic gates (typed answers)
- Logic circuits (typed answers)
Key words
linear search, binary search, bubble sort, merge sort, AND, OR, NOT, truth table
National curriculum
NC2 · Key algorithmsNC4 · Boolean logic and binary
Year 9 lessons in the scheme of work · Unit 6 learn guide and resources
▶ Play Logic LabPractical Programming
Scratch in Year 7, then Python: data types, selection, loops, strings, lists and functions. Unit 7 in the scheme of work · Learn guide
Scratch Studio
Pupils sort Scratch blocks into categories, predict where a sprite ends up and what it says, build scripts in the right order and debug a game.
Levels
- Block categories (sorting)
- Predict the sprite (typed answers)
- Script builder (put in order)
- Debug and plan (multiple choice)
Key words
sequence, repetition, selection, variable, event, sprite, debugging
National curriculum
NC3 · Programming
Year 7 lessons in the scheme of work · Unit 7 learn guide and resources
▶ Play Scratch StudioPython Predictor
Pupils sort values into data types, predict the output of Python code with operators, if statements and loops, and find the bugs in short programs.
Levels
- Data types (sorting)
- Predict the output (typed answers)
- If and loops (typed answers)
- Bug hunt (multiple choice)
Key words
int, float, str, bool, concatenation, MOD, DIV, for, while, syntax error, logic error
National curriculum
NC3 · Programming
Year 8 lessons in the scheme of work · Unit 7 learn guide and resources
▶ Play Python PredictorPython Pro
Pupils index and slice strings and lists, put functions, file handling and validation code in order, and explain what makes a program robust.
Levels
- String skills (typed answers)
- List logic (typed answers)
- Line up the code (put in order)
- Robust programs (multiple choice)
Key words
index, slice, list, append, function, procedure, parameter, return, validation
National curriculum
NC3 · ProgrammingNC1 · Modelling and abstraction
Year 9 lessons in the scheme of work · Unit 7 learn guide and resources
▶ Play Python Pro// in the classroom
Ways to use the games in computing lessons
Retrieval starter
Open last year’s game for the unit you are about to teach. Ten minutes brings back what pupils already know before you build on it.
Check for understanding
After a lesson, set the matching level. Pupils who score 1 star or fewer need another look at the topic.
Homework and revision
Share the link to one game before an assessment. Pupils can play at home without an account.
Extension
Pupils who finish early carry on to the next level, or try the next year’s game for the same unit.
Related: play the games · KS3 Computing scheme of work · computing learning journey · online safety lessons · teaching AI and emerging technologies · free teacher resources · free GCSE computer science mock papers
// questions
KS3 computing games: questions from teachers
Are the KS3 computing games mapped to the national curriculum?
Yes. Each game lists the KS3 computing national curriculum statements it practises, and the table on this page shows which games cover each statement. The mapping is to the current programme of study for England, which applies until the new national curriculum comes in.
How do the games link to the Teach io scheme of work?
There is one game for every unit in every year of the KS3 Computing scheme of work, 21 in total. Each game links to the matching year and unit in the scheme of work, where you will find the lessons, slides, booklets and assessments.
Do pupils need an account to play?
No. The games are free and run in the browser with no login. Stars and best scores are saved on the device the pupil is using.
How are the games marked?
Every question is marked straight away and comes with a short explanation. Pupils earn up to 3 stars per level based on how many they get right first time, and need 2 stars to unlock the next level.
Can I send pupils straight to one game?
Yes. Each game has its own link, such as teachio.co.uk/computing-games/#u7y8 for Python Predictor. Put it in your homework platform or on the board and the game opens ready to play.
Which devices do the games work on?
They work in any modern browser on school PCs, laptops, Chromebooks and tablets. Key Quest teaches touch typing, so it needs a physical keyboard.
