OBE for leader in computing education

Many congratulations to our colleague Professor Sue Sentance who has been awarded an OBE in the 2026 King’s Birthday Honours! She is recognised for her services to education.

Sue is a Research Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Technology and Director of the Raspberry Pi Computing Education Research Centre here.

The Centre, a joint initiative between the University of Cambridge and the Raspberry Pi Foundation, aims to increase our understanding of teaching and learning computing, computer science, and associated subjects, with a particular focus on young people who are from backgrounds traditionally under-represented in computing or who experience educational disadvantage.

Since being established in 2021, the Centre has rapidly become one of the largest computing education research groups in Europe. Previously Sue was Chief Learning Officer at the Raspberry Pi Foundation from 2018-2023, and in that period played a leading role in the establishment of the DfE-funded National Centre for Computing Education and led the Gender Balance in Computing (GBIC) research project. 

Sue says: "I am deeply honoured to accept this recognition, which reflects the work of many people across education who support young people learning about computing and technology. I am grateful to have worked with so many talented and passionate colleagues in schools and the research community – including the team at the Raspberry Pi Computing Education Research Centre – who share a commitment to broadening participation in computing education. More than ever, educators, policymakers, and researchers must work together to ensure that all children, everywhere, have access to a high-quality computing education."

Sue is an experienced educator, researcher and leader in computing education, committed to making computing accessible to learners and teachers globally. Over the last 15 years, she has published widely on the teaching of programming, teacher professional development, physical computing and AI education. She is Chair of the BCS Schools and Colleges Committee and was a member of the Department for Education’s Digital, AI and Technology Task and Finish Group in 2025.  

 In 2024, Sue was awarded the BCS Lovelace Medal for Computing Education, presented annually to recipients for their outstanding contributions to the advancement of computing. Sue received it in recognition of her exceptional contributions and research in computing education, particularly her PRIMM  ('Predict, Run, Investigate, Modify and Make') approach to teaching programming, which has been adopted by teachers globally.