About Nichola Wilkin Ltd.
Meet Nichola Lacey
Hi, I'm Nicky and I would like to tell you a story...
One bright autumn morning, I was driving to work. The sun
was shining, but inside I felt like a scrunched-up ball of worry. I was exhausted from late nights planning lessons, guilty for not spending enough time with my children, who were just 8 and 10 at the time, and convinced I was letting everyone down, including my students. I remember approaching a roundabout and, for a split second, thinking, “What if I just kept driving and
a lorry hit me? It would all be over, I wouldn’t have to go into school and it would all just stop.”
That was the moment I realised things weren’t right. I knew I wasn’t coping, but I didn’t know what to do about it.
I’d worked hard to become a teacher and head of department at a private boys’ school. I loved parts of my job, especially introducing programming into the curriculum, but the workload was relentless. My evenings and weekends were spent hunched over my laptop, planning lessons, while feeling guilty for missing out on family time. If I did take a break, I’d feel guilty for not working. No matter what I did; writing reports, supervising discos, running stalls at school fetes - I never felt like it was enough.
I’d see other teachers bouncing into the staffroom, bursting with creative ideas and armfuls of yoghurt pots for some exciting lesson, and I’d compare myself to them, always coming up short. I took negative comments from students to heart and dismissed any positive feedback as just politeness.
I was constantly chasing my tail, trying to be everything to everyone, and it was slowly destroying me.
Who else has felt like that? Who has felt the burden of teaching is encroaching into their family life? Nobody went into teaching thinking it would drain them of their personal life, yet we give so much of ourselves for this job.
Then, over New Year in 2012, everything changed. I had a serious snowboarding accident and broke my back. Although I could walk, I was in constant pain and recovery would be slow and I knew my time in the classroom was over. I felt lost and useless, questioning who I was without teaching. But for the first time, I could step back and see the bigger picture: teachers
everywhere were drowning in impossible expectations, sacrificing their personal lives and still feeling like it was never enough.
When the curriculum shifted from ICT to Computing, my inbox filled with desperate messages from teacher friends: “How do I teach programming? Can you help?” That’s when I realised I could do something. I started creating ready-to-use lessons that would save teachers hours of planning, helping them deliver engaging, impactful lessons without burning out.
The relief and gratitude in their replies gave me hope. When my resources went viral on TES, it felt like a light had been switched on, I wasn’t just helping myself, I was helping others too.
Since then, I’ve written a best-selling book (Python by Example: Learning to Program in 150 Challenges), worked with Cambridge University Press and Assessment, Raspberry Pi Foundation, Oak National Academy and continued creating resources for teachers.
Every thank you message I receive is a lifeline. I can almost hear the sighs of relief and feel the weight lifting from teachers’ shoulders. You don’t have to do this alone. There is a kinder, smarter way to teach. My resources are here to help you deliver brilliant lessons without sacrificing your evenings, weekends or family time.
You really can be the amazing teacher you want to be and still have a life outside the classroom, you just need to set your boundaries and use the support that’s available.
Why choose my resources?
My materials are crafted with the teacher's perspective in mind, ensuring they are both comprehensive and engaging.
My experience as an Assessment Manager at Cambridge University Press and Assessment overseeing the iGCSE in ICT alongside the Singapore GCSE in Computing has honed my skills in creating curriculum-aligned resources that meet the highest educational standards.
I’ve had the honour of writing content for the BBC Bitesize website and writing books for Cambridge University Press. I’ve also had the privilege of working closely with the Raspberry Pi Foundation and Oak National Academy as their reviewer of Computing Pedagogy for the UK.
Teachers trust my resources to be reliable and effective, as evidenced by the positive feedback and recognition I've received including being shortlisted for the Teach Secondary Awards for Curriculum Impact.
Beyond the classroom
I live near Cambridge with my family and love to hone my skills on the potter’s wheel in my spare time.
Empowering computing teachers with accessible, quality computer science lessons.
© 2025 Nichola Wilkin Ltd