Coding Resources

September sparks: Four inspiring ideas for you and your Code Club!

Whether you’re a seasoned Code Club educator or just starting out on your club journey, we’ve got some great ideas that will help put some sparkle into your coding adventures and learning this September!

To help you find your spark, four of our team members have picked their favourite upcoming events to share with you:

Members of the Code Club posing for a photos in front of a wall. Some our kneeling, some are standing.
The Code Club team

Zoe’s excited about our new progress charts!

With the support of the Code Club community, I’ve developed a series of progress charts based on our ‘3…2…1…Make!’ project paths as a way to celebrate learners’ coding achievements.

Earlier this year, I introduced the ‘Introduction to Scratch’ chart, which has been widely used. Now, I am thrilled to announce the launch of two new charts: the ‘Introduction to Web’ and ‘Introduction to Python’ progress charts. These charts are available to all clubs worldwide. As learners complete projects, they can collect stickers or colour the badges to mark their achievements and track their progress.

Coding progress charts and stickers for Scratch, web and Python.
Three new progress charts

You can access the progress chart, a sticker template specifically designed for Avery round labels, or the stickers themselves on your resources dashboard. This gives you the flexibility to print in a format that suits your needs.

I hope you enjoy using these progress charts in your Code Clubs, and make sure you share your learners’ coding successes on social media using the hashtag #MyCodeClub.

Zoe Davidson, Programme Coordinator, Code Club

Ellie can’t wait for Moonhack, the online global challenge

I work with partners based all over the world, and one of the things I love to see is young people from different backgrounds coming together to have fun with coding. And in my opinion, one of the best opportunities to code together is Moonhack! 

Moonhack, Oct 10-26 2023.

Moonhack is an online global challenge run by our partner, Code Club Australia, and you can submit an entry to this space-themed event from wherever you are in the world. This year, six new projects have been developed to showcase inventions created for space that we now use in everyday life. The projects use Scratch, Python, and micro:bit to inspire learners’ creativity and critical thinking for digital solutions. 

I’d encourage everyone to have a go and submit a project. It’s a really fun way to learn new coding skills, and there are step-by-step guides if you need some help. 

Moonhack runs from 10 to 26 October and I hope you get a chance to explore the projects with your Code Club — don’t forget to share what you’re up to using the hashtag #moonhack.

Ellie Proffitt, Code Club Global Partnerships Manager

Darren invites you to join him at a Code Club online event!

Starting a Code Club can sometimes feel overwhelming, but don’t worry; I’ve got you covered! My primary goal is to support you, regardless of where you are in your Code Club journey, and I understand that, when it comes to support, nothing beats the value of interacting with a member of the Code Club team. That’s why this September, I encourage you to join me at one of our online workshops.

We’re running workshops for Scratch, HTML & CSS, and Python that cater to both beginners taking their first steps into coding and experienced club leaders transitioning from block-based to text-based programming. And that’s not all: I’m currently curating two NEW workshops on artificial intelligence (AI) and micro:bit! More info on these soon!

A young girl sat at a desk looking at a laptop. A educator is next to her, looking at the screen and smiling.

I’ve designed all these workshops based on your feedback and needs, as well as drawing from my own experience of running a Code Club for the past decade in Ireland. They are literally made for you!

So, come and join me at one of our online workshops to take advantage of our team’s knowledge. You’ll find it easier than ever to kickstart your Code Club with confidence!

Darren Bayliss, Code Club Community Coordinator (Ireland)

Sarah’s counting down to the European Astro Pi Challenge launch 

I’ve found that nothing sparks curiosity and wonder in a child’s eyes like the subject of Space. But one of the struggles of teaching this subject is its intangibility: there are limited ways children can get hands-on with such distant subject matter. This is why I’m so excited about the launch of the European Astro Pi Challenge!

The International Space Station in orbit.
The International Space Station (photo credit: NASA)

Astro Pi brings space into the classroom, giving children access to actual instruments on board the International Space Station (ISS). You don’t need to be an astrophysicist or a coding whizz to get involved as Astro Pi has two programmes aimed at different ability levels.

Learn how your Code Club can get involved.

Sarah Eve Roberts, Code Club Community Coordinator (Wales)

Keep in touch and let us know what you will be working on with your Code Club! We are excited to hear about the projects you’ll be trying and the coding adventures you’ll be going on.

Micro-interview with Code Club educator Sue Gray

We are excited to introduce our micro-interview blog series, where we chat to educators and young coding enthusiasts and hear about their Code Club experience.

Meet Sue, a retired secondary school teacher with expertise in key stage 3, key stage 4 BTEC, and GCSE computing (learners aged 11–16). Now leading a Code Club at Fakenham Library in Norfolk, England, Sue describes her experience as fun, evolving, and fulfilling.

Sue told us about her experiences of using the Code Club resources and projects in her club.

Enjoy this micro-interview with Code Club educator Sue Gray

Let’s get started…

Are there any specific Code Club projects that you particularly like? If so, what makes them special to you?

I really like Space talk. You can do so much with this little project. I love showing children how to say thank you in sign language — it always gets a “Wow!” from them. I would love to have more time to be able to investigate further sign language animations.

How have Code Club projects and resources supported the young people’s learning experience in your club?

The project paths and certificates are very popular. The children enjoy the continuity and the building up of their skills. Being able to say, “Remember last week we learned…” helps a lot to remind them that we are on a journey. Seeing them able to quickly recall and use skills learned in previous sessions is a great reward, and then seeing some of them really expand on their skills and experiment is just super. Plus, everyone loves stickers and certificates!

Share a moment when you have seen a young club member grow in confidence.

I had a girl attend some of the very early Scratch sessions that we did in January 2022, and she came back for a set of three ‘Intro to Scratch’ sessions in July 2022 that we ran. She was very shy, but she blossomed during the Code Club sessions. She understood far more than I think she believed she would be able to and then just quietly grew in confidence, and her smiles were joyful to see.

What feedback have you received from learners or parents?

All the children seem to enjoy the Code Club. Everyone leaves with a smile and, very often, having had a “Wow!” moment when they have learned some new skills or experimented and found out something new.

Thank you, Sue!

Could you give one hour a week to inspire the next generation to code? Then sign up and become a Code Club volunteer today.

What I learned running my first Code Club

Join us as we dive into an inspiring journey! This summer, Sarah, our Community Coordinator for Wales, launched a Code Club in South Wales at LIwynypia Primary School. Discover what Sarah learned during this coding adventure. Over to you, Sarah!

Head shot of Sarah standing in front of an old wooden door.
Meet Sarah!

Helo, I’m Sarah, Community Coordinator for Wales. In this role, I am here to support you, our community, and help you run your Code Club with ease, confidence, and as little preparation time as possible, so you can concentrate on providing an environment that is fun, relaxed, and nurturing.

The support we provide is guided by community feedback — comments, requests, and suggestions from educators and young coders. But it’s important that we have on-the-ground experience to fully understand the challenges, and joys, of running a Code Club. This is one of the reasons I decided to start a Code Club this summer.

What I discovered while running my first Code Club

These are the eight things that I learned by running a Code Club.

1. Do the projects you find fun! Code Club is not about ticking boxes or monitoring progression, it’s about fun and creativity. There’s no correct project to start with, so just choose a project you’re comfortable with, and that you think will get the children excited.

2. Set the scene. I started each session with a fun, 5-minute activity to get the children laughing and demonstrate that this isn’t a formal class. I can’t recommend this enough!

3. Don’t worry about finishing the projects — there’s always next week! Some of the projects took much longer than anticipated; Paint box, I’m looking at you! We would have happily continued that project for three sessions if we had more time.

4. There are many different ways to run a club. We ran the club as a codealong for the first three sessions, before moving on to independent working. I sat at the front of the class demonstrating each step using a projector, and the children followed along. Run the club however it works for you and your coders.

Sarah on a GoogleMeet call.
Sarah hosting a codelaong

5. Be flexible. Disrupted travel kept me away from the school for two sessions. Instead of cancelling, we moved the club sessions online those weeks. Although it was much easier to facilitate the club in person, we changed the format to suit us and ran the sessions as a codealong. The children still had fun, and we didn’t have to cancel.

6. Offer choices. Letting the young coders lead the session can be scary, but by offering choices, we can share ownership of the club with the children without giving up all control. Here are some things you could try:

  • Ask what type of project they want to create: a chatbot, an animation, a game, or a storybook.
  • If they enjoyed an activity, bring it back the following weeks. We did a KAHOOT! quiz at the start of every session — there is a huge number of pre-made quizzes to choose from.
  • Let them work with a friend. Collaboration is an important part of coding.

7. Use a Scratch Teacher Account. It makes hosting a show-and-tell much easier if you can access the club members’ work through the linked Teacher Account — and boy, do the children enjoy sharing their work! I recommend selecting a maximum of two projects to showcase each week, or turning the final session into a showcase that parents and guardians can attend.

8. Certificates make a great reward. Rewards are a great way to motivate, engage, recognise achievement, and build confidence in your coders. Check out the huge selection of certificates on your dashboard, including our four new skills-based certificates!

Four certificates, in Welsh on a green background.
These certificates are available in English and Welsh

Explore the support available 

To help you get Code Club–ready, I’d encourage you to download our Club Organiser Pack.  The club organisers’ guide is full of tips to help you feel confident running your club sessions. Have fun with the Code Club bingo card, and celebrate your #MyCodeClub success stories with our educator social cards and GIFs. You can find the pack on your dashboard under ‘Resources’.

Five resources from the Club Organiser Pack.

If you have any tips that could benefit the rest of the community, I’d love to hear them. Get in touch at hello@codeclub.org.