Our longest-running program. One afternoon a week, a room full of younger students, and a mix of skills practice and building things that light up or move.
Every session ends with something finished, because finishing is the habit we are really teaching.
Jobs this leads towards
Real roles people do after this course and the ones that follow it.
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Confident with computers, early
Children who play with computers at 8 walk into every later course unafraid.
Is this for me?
Ninety seconds, no wrong answers, nothing recorded. It tells you how closely this course matches what you enjoy — and where to look if it does not.
Try it — two minutes
The kind of thing you would actually do in this course. Nothing is saved; it is just to see if you enjoy it.
What a week looks like
Day to day, so nobody is surprised.
- One afternoon a week after school, an hour and a half.
- Half an hour of computer club: typing, a game you build, a picture you make.
- Homework help with an adult sitting next to you.
- Snack. Always snack.
Three questions from week one
Get them wrong and you belong here. Get them right and you belong here too. Nothing is recorded.
Books worth having
None of these is required — the course lends what it needs. These are the ones worth owning.
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Hello Ruby: Adventures in Coding
Linda Liukas
A story that teaches thinking like a programmer, ages 5–10.
Find it ↗ -
Scratch (free website)
Where most of our juniors build their first game.
What to bring
Usually nothing. Where something small helps, it is here.
- ▸Nothing to buy.
- ▸A folder for the things you make.
- ▸A library card — we will help you get one.
Do this at home
Between sessions. Ten to twenty minutes; the people who do this are the ones who finish.
- Habit 1Fifteen minutes of reading aloud to somebody.
- Habit 2Build something in Scratch and show it to a grown-up.
- Habit 3Type your name and address without looking at the keys.
What you will be able to do
- Use a keyboard and mouse comfortably and correctly
- Search the web and judge whether a result is trustworthy
- Build simple programs with block-based coding
- Save, find and share their own work
What you will use
- Scratch
- Windows 11
- micro:bit
- Typing games
What the course covers
The lesson plan for this course is being written. Register and we will tell you the moment it opens.