Code Club at Montpelier Primary School

Coding is the art of telling a computer how to perform complex tasks. Code Club is run by parent volunteers and school staff. An after-school learning activity.

Sir Tim Berners-Lee

Inventor of the ‘World Wide Web’.
Learning to code gives you a completely new perspective when you look at a computer. Before, you think of it as an appliance — like a fridge — accepting what it can do. After, you know that you can code that computer to do anything you can imagine it doing. That’s a massive change… and a massive challenge!

Bill Gates

Chairman of ‘Microsoft’.
Learning to write programs stretches your mind, and helps you think better, creates a way of thinking about things that I think is helpful in all domains.

Clare Sutcliffe

Code Club founder and CEO.
There is a massive difference between consuming content and being able to create it, in the first session of Code Club the children make their own computer game and that is incredibly empowering.

Gabe Newell

Founder and President, Valve.
The programmers of tomorrow are the wizards of the future. You’re going to look like you have magic powers compared to everybody else.

What is Coding and Why a child should code?

Anyone can learn to code. In a few hours you can pick up the basic skills and in a few weeks you will be able to build useful applications and websites.

What is Coding?

Coding is the art of telling a computer how to perform complex tasks. Once you know how to code, you can create virtual worlds within the computer where the only limit on what is possible is your imagination.

Software is becoming a critical layer of all our lives. It is the language of our world. In the future, not knowing the language of computers will be as challenging as being illiterate or innumerate are today.

“Our world is increasingly run by software and we need more diversity in the people who are building it. More importantly, writing software is about expression, creativity – and practical application”.

Linda Liukas, co-founder of coding workshop programme ‘Rail Girls‘.

Why should children learn to code?

Learning to code makes kids feel empowered, creative, and confident. It’s an important skill now we’re living in a digital age. It’s not just enough for children to know how to use technology.

They should know how it works and how to build it too. Learning to code doesn’t just mean you can become a developer – it strengthens problem solving and logical thinking skills, and is useful for a range of other disciplines, careers and hobbies.

For further reading on the subject:

John Naughton at The Guardian.
Douglas Rushkoff – Teach Kids Code.
Ian Livingstone and Alex Hope – Next Gen Report.

15 Reasons why we should be teaching our children to code.

Scratch - A programming language and an online community.

Scratch - Information about this language for parents knowledge.

Khan Academy

Learn the fundamental basics of programming

Code.org

Learning core computing and programming concepts

Code Academy

Interactive courses on how to program.

What is Code Club at Montpelier Primary School?

Code Club is a nationwide network of volunteer-led after school coding clubs for children aged 9-11. Parents, teachers and volunteers use our projects to help children create games, animations and websites in weekly Code Clubs.

What Projects do we run at Code Club?

The Code Club projects are step by step guides for children to follow to create animations, games, websites and much more. Children will build up their programming skills as they move through the projects, and challenges provide opportunities to demonstrate and apply what’s been learnt.

There are enough Code Club Scratch projects to take you through 2 terms with your Code Club. If your club are ready to move on from Scratch, there are also projects for Python and HTML & CSS.

How Could You Support Code Club at Montpelier Primary School?

Code Club at Montpelier Primary School is currently run by 1 class teacher. To secure and build on the next and more advanced modules, we need extra volunteers to make it happen.

If you are interested in offering some of your time to our school’s Code Club or have any IT knowledge you can bring to the school, please contact the Admin Office.

Volunteer for Code Club

Contact the School Admin team on this number: 020 8997 5855 and ask for Code Club Volunteer information.