It seems as though the BBC micro:bit has suffered a hitch in its development and wont now be distributed to all year 7 pupils until after Christmas. A spokesman at the BBC said "As a result of our rigorous testing process, we've decided to make some minor revisions to the device - getting it right for children and teachers before we manufacture one million units is our priority".

It hasn’t been the only revision to the design; earlier prototypes were fitted with a coin cell battery but these were thought to pose a potential choking hazard to any younger siblings in the family. Despite its size, the circuit board is around 18 times faster than the original BBC Micro computer launched in the 1980s. It includes two programmable buttons, an LED light matrix, an accelerometer and compass.

Altogether 29 partners including Barclays, Microsoft, Samsung and Lancaster University are contributing to the product while Code Club Cisco, and Teen Tech, are helping with the educational resources.

It is hoped that delivery of the device to year 7 STEM teachers will begin before the Christmas break, so any teachers out there who thought they were just going to be opening presents and putting their feet up, think again.