Kirkbie Kendal Secondary School year 8 student, Oscar, recently completed and was awarded with a CS50W Certificate by America’s Harvard University.

The CS50W Certificate dives deeply into the design and implementation of web apps, covering topics such as database design, scalability, security, and user experience.

The young computer science enthusiast completed the online course over 12 weeks, committing around 80 hours to his extracurricular learning and doing everything himself, with no help from family, friends or teachers.

Oscar first developed a love of coding from his mum, Magda Pitura, who studied Maths and Computer Science herself. One day after school she showed Oscar some basic computer skills, he quickly developed an interest and started building up his knowledge day by day.

At age nine he began completing a number of Zenva Academy Courses before passing a Software Engineering Bootcamp trial provided by the HyperionDev on the University of Edinburgh at age 11.

Oscar already has many achievements in his portfolio including a website he designed at just ten years old, 'OscarLetics' is an educational game which is available via Google Play.

Oscar's mum, Magda said: “It really surprised us and is an exceptional achievement, especially due to the advanced level of the course and the complexity of its requirements. CS50's courses are the most prestigious and recognised across the whole world, Oscar might be the youngest person in the UK who has successfully completed it!”

Programming, coding and Computer Science are his true passion, Oscar really enjoyed taking part in the CS50W course, he likes challenges and always wants to be on the next level

He is very ambitious, and in the future, wants to work for “the best of the best”, with dreams of going to study at Cambridge, or even Harvard.

“I’m very proud,” Magda said, Oscar is currently enrolled in a sixth form Computer Science A level course and is “far ahead” of many fellow students, despite them being around four years older. Magda said his teachers think Oscar is ready to sit the Computer Science A Level now.