Key Insights from the London Universities
Our Sixth Form students recently attended the prestigious London Universities Sixth Form Computing Conference, hosted at Imperial College London and delivered in collaboration with Imperial College London, University College London (UCL), King’s College London, Queen Mary University of London and the University of Roehampton.
Widely recognised as one of the world’s leading hubs for Computer Science education, with Imperial ranked 1st in the UK and Europe and 2nd globally for Computer Science, the conference brought together 120 students from schools across London to explore the future of computing.
Throughout the day, students gained a fascinating insight into how Computer Science is no longer a standalone discipline but one that underpins innovation across healthcare, environmental science, education, engineering, and Artificial Intelligence. A recurring theme was the importance of collaboration, creativity, and computational thinking to solve real world problems.
Students heard from university undergraduates who showcased impressive Computer Science projects. One student demonstrated an AI powered plant recommendation system that used APIs, image recognition, and confidence scores to identify plant species before recommending suitable plants based on room conditions such as sunlight and temperature. The application also provided personalised care advice, illustrating how programming, user experience design and AI can be combined to solve everyday challenges.
Another project explored personalised learning through a cognitive flashcard platform. By applying principles of active recall, gamification and adaptive algorithms, the system analysed written responses while intelligently recognising correct answers despite spelling or punctuation errors. The project highlighted how software engineering and cognitive science can work together to improve learning outcomes.
Students were particularly inspired by research demonstrating how computational thinking is transforming healthcare. A fascinating presentation explained how programming, Python and Natural Language Processing are being used to analyse complex cancer data, helping researchers better understand glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer. This powerful example reinforced how Computer Science is increasingly working alongside Biology and Medicine to support life changing research.
A keynote session by Neil Brown explored one of the most thought-provoking questions facing education today: How will Artificial Intelligence change the way we learn Computer Science? Drawing upon current academic research, he challenged students to think critically about the role of AI in education. Rather than replacing thinking, AI should support deeper understanding. Research consistently showed that students learn more effectively when they attempt problems independently before using AI, building genuine understanding rather than relying on what was described as “borrowed intelligence”.
The session also explored the growing concept of vibe coding, where programmers use detailed prompts to generate code with AI. Students learned that while prompt engineering is becoming an important skill, strong programming knowledge and computational thinking remain essential to verify, improve and understand AI generated solutions. The message was clear: successful computer scientists use AI to enhance their expertise, not replace it.
The conference concluded with practical strategies for becoming stronger learners, including encouraging students to think first before searching online, explain their reasoning before seeking solutions and develop resilient problem-solving habits. Students were also introduced to influential research and recommended reading, including The Programmer’s Brain by Felienne Hermans and Why Don’t Students Like School? by Daniel Willingham, reinforcing the importance of memory, cognition, and deep learning in Computer Science.
Both Anaya and Fatema Zahra left the programme inspired by the opportunities that university study and cutting-edge research can offer within the rapidly evolving field of Computer Science. They returned with a deeper understanding of how computing is driving innovation across a wide range of disciplines, together with renewed confidence and enthusiasm to further develop their knowledge, creativity and problem-solving skills as future women in STEM.