This Open Access book offers the first comprehensive historical account of computing as a school subject in England, spanning nearly 80 years, alongside a worldwide account of its development up to 1975. While previous literature often treated computing merely as a technological tool to support other disciplines or offered brief, fragmented snapshots of specific eras, this book establishes computing as a discrete academic subject with its own complex identity and history. Bridging the gap between archival history and modern policy, this book offers a unique 'long view' that has been missing from the discourse. It grounds today's curriculum debates in their historical roots, helping readers understand how past decisions continue to shape the present.

Peter E.J. Kemp is Senior Lecturer in Computing Education at King's College London, UK.