On 10 and 11 December 2025, BISP Year 10 to 13 Computer Science students took part in a fast-paced, hands-on Web App Development with Python workshop. Over two packed days in the Innovation Hub, students worked and moved from setting up professional development tools to building a working web app, then explored what it takes to make an app accessible on the internet in a safe, sensible way.

The workshop was led by Shawn Song, with support from Jonathan Clark and Gareth Shaw from the BISP Computer Science team. Shawn brought valuable real-world perspective from his work at various large international consumer tech companies, as well as his role running Belingo World with his wife, Elsie. Belingo World is a global learning centre located on Paradise Road near BISP, supporting students through IGCSE support, IB preparation, and enrichment opportunities.

Across the two days, students built strong developer habits using GitHub, Git, and Docker, before creating and customising a Flask web app using HTML and core web development concepts. They learned how professional teams actually work, reading documentation properly, following clear setup steps, and making changes carefully so the whole project stays reliable.

Alongside the coding, the workshop had a strong focus on cybersecurity and best practices. Students explored why secure development matters, how common threats happen, and the simple habits that protect users and data. As the workshop progressed, students also gained a practical introduction to DNS and hosting, giving them a clearer picture of what changes once an app is no longer just on a laptop, but available to others online.

Just as importantly, students were left with more confidence. They had time to troubleshoot properly, ask better questions, and collaborate across year groups, which is exactly how real development teams grow their skills.

A huge thank you to Shawn for leading such an innovative and valuable experience, and for giving our students an authentic insight into modern software development.