Foundation Phase Coding and Robotics

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This page is the Foundation Phase hub for Coding and Robotics (Grades R to 3). It points teachers to the final Department of Basic Education CAPS, not the older draft.

The DBE now publishes FP Coding and Robotics CAPS Final 2025.pdf on the official CAPS hub. That final document organises the subject into three content areas: Coding, Robotics and Digital Concepts. Foundation Phase teaching is unplugged-first: devices and software are optional enrichment, not a requirement to start.

Full Foundation Phase classroom rollout was postponed to 2026. Do not treat 2025 as the current implementation year for every school.

CAPS123 is not an official Department of Basic Education site. Verify every claim against the Final 2025 CAPS on the DBE hub.

Official Final CAPS (use this first)

For a short plain-English walk-through of the final three content areas, see Introducing the Final Coding and Robotics Curriculum for South African Foundation Phase Learners. That post still mentions a 2025 start in places; plan from the 2026 rollout timing and the Final PDF above.

What this subject is for

Coding and Robotics in the Foundation Phase helps learners practise logical thinking, problem-solving and safe digital awareness in ways that fit early childhood classrooms. It supports Languages and Mathematics; it does not replace them. It is also not Computer Applications Technology (CAT) or a generic ICT CAPS. Coding and Robotics is its own listed subject for Grades R to 9.

Keep the Final PDF open when you plan. This hub only orients you to the official document and to related CAPS123 pages.

How the final subject is organised

From Section 2 of the Final FP CAPS:

Content area What it covers (high level)
Coding Algorithms and programming practices, pattern work as part of coding, debugging and related computational thinking
Robotics What a robot is, components, design and construction, mimicking operations and following instructions
Digital Concepts Digital citizenship, digital awareness and digital skills in a Foundation Phase context

Pattern work sits under Coding in the final CAPS. Related digital ideas sit under Digital Concepts. Do not invent extra strands, week maps or outcomes beyond what the Final PDF names. Use Section 3 of the Final PDF for grade and term clarification.

Draft CAPS vs final CAPS

An older March 2021 draft CAPS (often labelled PROPOSED AMENDMENTS) organised Foundation Phase into five study areas: Pattern Recognition; Algorithms and Coding; Robotics Skills; Internet and e-Communication; Application Skills. That draft model is superseded.

If you still see a site copy of the 2021 Foundation Phase Coding and Robotics PDF, treat it as historic / superseded only. Do not use it as current policy. Always prefer the Final 2025 PDF from the DBE hub above.

Unplugged-first teaching

The Final FP CAPS is designed so Foundation Phase learners can start without a computer lab. Use body movement, cards, games, drawings and spoken instructions to practise sequencing, patterns, following steps and simple robot ideas. Add devices only where they enrich learning and where your school can support them.

This matches the practical reality of many South African Foundation Phase classrooms. Schools that already have tablets or floor robots can use them as enrichment. Schools that do not can still teach the subject from the Final CAPS.

Planning for 2026

  1. 1. Open the Final FP CAPS PDF and read Section 2 (content areas) and Section 3 (grade and term clarification).
  2. 2. Plan from the three content areas: Coding, Robotics and Digital Concepts.
  3. 3. Prefer unplugged activities first.
  4. 4. Check your province or district for 2026 LTSM and timetable guidance.
  5. 5. Use older lesson packs only as starting points, and re-check them against the Final PDF before you teach.

There is no standalone Coding and Robotics ATP listed on the national 2023 ATPs hub at the time of this refresh. Plan from Final CAPS Section 3 plus provincial or district guidance for 2026.

Lesson plan downloads on CAPS123

CAPS123 hosts historic lesson-plan packs for Foundation Phase Coding and Robotics. Many filenames still use draft/pilot strand names. They are not the Final 2025 CAPS.

Always open the Final FP CAPS before you adapt any download for your class.

Related CAPS123 pages

Disclaimer

CAPS123 shares teacher-facing links and historic lesson files for convenience. It is not the Department of Basic Education and it does not publish official CAPS policy. Always verify planning against the Final FP Coding and Robotics CAPS on the DBE CAPS hub and against current provincial or district guidance for the 2026 Foundation Phase rollout.

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