community

Our survey says…A look at the results 

The summer is an exciting time for us at Code Club as we receive the results from our Annual Survey and we learn about your club and your opinion of Code Club. 

Thank you to everyone who filled in the survey; your responses were insightful. Read on for a closer look at the highlights and most significant findings that we’ve uncovered.

Children sat at desks in a classroom looking at laptops.
Melbourn Code Club

Where and who: getting to know clubs and their leaders

We’re interested in building a picture of what clubs look like, where in the world they run, and who participates in them. 

First, we found that there’s a real global mix: 69% of responses were from clubs in the UK, but we also heard from clubs from 31 other countries, from Afghanistan to Canada!  

You told us that being part of our global community is important to you: 77% of you reported that you find being part of the community motivating, and 81% of you have found that community beneficial for answering questions and solving problems.

Next, we found that just over 50% of responses were from school educators and the rest were from volunteers who go into their local school or library to run their club. Over half (53%) of club leaders identify as female and we were pleased to discover that, again, the proportion of Code Club members who identify as female has increased, to 42%. This is fantastic and we’re very proud of this achievement.

If you’re interested in engaging with fellow club leaders from around the world, consider joining our community on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and LinkedIn. Share your questions and success stories to connect and interact with like-minded individuals.

The impact of Code Club

We were overjoyed to hear about the positive impacts that coming to Code Club has on your young learners: 94% of you told us that you saw positive changes in club members’ personal confidence. You also reported that attending Code Club helps your learners: 

  • Increase independence in their learning (91%) 
  • Develop their creative thinking (90%)
  • See the usefulness of computing (90%)
  • Increase their feeling of belonging (81%) 

We also discovered that, when thinking about digital technologies:

  • 94% of you agreed that club members’ skills in computing and programming had increased
  • 93% agreed that your club members’ confidence in learning about computing and programming had increased
  • 92% agreed that your club members’ interest in computing had increased
  • 87% agreed that club members’ ability to solve problems with computers had increased

Why do schools run a Code Club?

We asked educators about how their school benefits from running a Code Club and discovered that 84% valued the increase in visibility of computer science in their school and 61% valued the contribution to a broad extra curricular programme.

What happens at Code Club sessions?

We were not surprised to find out that the majority of clubs (95%) use Scratch in their sessions, but we were pleased to hear that you have been also working with Micro:bits (58%), Python (47%), and HTML/CSS (30%).

We heard a lot of love for our projects, with 81% of clubs using them mostly or exclusively. You told us that you found them easy to follow, and liked the layout:

“[We find the]..clear coloured blocks and guidance tips useful. The use of expandable information windows is good as it saves scrolling back and forth.”

How can we support you?

This is one of the most important questions that we asked you. We want to help you run fun, successful clubs, and are keen to hear your ideas for how we can support you further. 

We found that 75% of you have participated in training offered by the Raspberry Pi Foundation. This includes our Code Club online workshops, the ‘Prepare to run a Code Club‘ course, and any of the courses provided by the Raspberry Pi Foundation on the global online learning platform edX.

We’ve had some excellent feedback and ideas about how we could do more to help, and we’re going to work on a few of these suggestions in the next couple of months. Watch this space!

We always enjoy hearing your ideas on how we can assist you in running your Code Club. If you missed the survey but have an idea about how we can support you, please reach out to the team by emailing us at support@codeclub.org.

Digital literacy and computing in India

In today’s world, digital literacy and computing skills are essential, and serve as a gateway to coding and computational thinking. In India, there is a pressing need to bridge the gap in ICT skills among youth.

According to the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) report for 2020-21, only a small percentage of young people possess the ability to write computer programs using specialised programming languages.

Recognising this challenge, the third National Education Policy of India, launched in 2020, emphasised the integration of digital literacy, coding, and computational thinking into the curriculum starting from grade 6. There is now a growing acceptance of computing programs for children, like extracurricular or after-school activities in the form of Code Clubs, in the school as well as community.

Four girls looking at two computer screens working on Scratch projects.

History of Code Clubs in India

The Raspberry Pi Foundation had also recognised the need for young people to access ways to learn computing skills, so work in India started in 2018 with one team member, Divya Joseph running the show. By the end of that year, there were 150+ Code Clubs across the country through partnerships and volunteers. In 2019, our team expanded when Vasu joined — and from then, we have never looked back! We partnered with Pratham Foundation and the number of Code Clubs went up to 350+.

The pandemic was a difficult time for most of our clubs — learners and supporters alike. The engagement then was continued through online hackathons and community calls.

In 2022, our team grew to six people, and we started teacher training and registering Code Clubs based in government high schools of Odisha — one of the eastern states. We presently have over 1,100 active Code Clubs.

Learning through the years

While Code Clubs typically run in schools, we realised that the model in India was going to be a unique one. Organisations like Pratham Education Foundation work with out-of-school children and facilitate learning in community centres based in remote villages. Their needs are completely different from what we have experienced before. 

A rural building in India, painted blue with Code Club posters hanging outside.

Fostering a warm and supportive environment for both teachers and students is at the heart of Code Club’s mission. We reached out to the community to understand their situation better because we knew we had to adapt quickly to cater to our community’s needs. 

One such community-focused initiative is “Coding Pe Charcha,” a voluntary session conducted every Friday. The phrase “Coding Pe Charcha” translates to “Discussions over Coding.” Conducted entirely in the local language, Odia, this session is specifically designed for teachers who have been trained and assisted in setting up Code Clubs in government high schools.

To have teachers voluntarily join these sessions week after week, despite their non-computing background and other ground level challenges, points to genuine interest in the area of computing. Interacting with these teachers also enlightens us to their specific support needs — from very basic digital literacy skills, like changing passwords and getting over infrastructural challenges, to using resources which come in English and are prepared for a global audience.

Another community-driven initiative is the “Come together to Learn together” (CTLT) calls. Code Club has always prioritised community engagement, regularly organising quarterly meetups and workshops for community members, some of which are led by the community itself. These gatherings feature panel discussions centred around a chosen theme relevant to their current needs.

Topics have ranged from “Computational Thinking through Offline Activities” to “Introduction to Raspberry Pi Pico.” These calls have consistently attracted approximately 120+ participants, actively involving community members and placing them at the heart of Code Club’s work.

A screenshot of some code being shown as part of a webinar.

Impact of Code Clubs

The impact of Code Clubs in India has been substantial and transformative. Through partnerships with organisations like Mo School Abhiyan (Odisha government) at the school level and Pratham Foundation at the community level, Code Clubs have reached over 32,000 students in high schools across Odisha, with an impressive 54% of them being girls. These Code Clubs serve as a crucial first step for many students in their digital learning journey. 

Suchitra Bhuyan, a Code Club teacher from Brundavan Govt. High School in Jagatsinghpur, Odisha, shares her experience saying, “When I work on coding with my students, I myself feel like a student. Sometimes I learn from them, and sometimes they learn from me. So we, the teachers and students, learn together and create together. When we succeed in creating something, the happiness on their faces is truly heart-touching.”

Five women standing in a row with their thumbs up. Behind them is a screen showing Scratch.

What next?

Looking ahead, Code Club’s focus remains on engaging and supporting existing clubs, partners, volunteers, and teachers. While coding education in India is still in its early stages, particularly among disadvantaged groups, Code Club is determined to expand its reach and empower more children with digital literacy and computing skills. By fostering a warm, community-centric approach and placing the people behind the impact at the forefront, Code Club continues to make a difference in the lives of countless young learners across India.

Through some inspiring people on the ground running these Code Clubs, we are trying to build a community of coding learners and supporters. Do you wish to support us in any of the already running Code Clubs? Do you wish to start a Code Club in your community? Reach out to us at: india@raspberrypi.org

Opening new Code Club doors in England

On a lovely autumn day, before the start of the academic year, the Code Club team met to discuss a dream: helping schools in areas without many Code Clubs to get started. Find out what happened next!

Rujeko, Kat and Tamasin from the Code Club team

Connecting with our community

Our Code Club community is strong because of the many different organisations who work together to support computing education, both inside and outside the classroom. We have been developing our understanding of the communities we have focused on, by partnering with Computing at School (CAS) community leaders, Computing Hub leads, STEM Ambassador Hubs, and local councils. We have also met with head teachers, co-hosted workshops for teachers and volunteers, and presented at partner conferences.

Our first in-person workshop was held in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire at Acklam Grange, well supported by partners from CAS Middlesbrough and Durham and Tees Valley Computing Hub. Another workshop, co-hosted by CAS Hartlepool, was facilitated online for Hartlepool schools. A teacher that attended had this to share:

“The training was very informative and interesting and a good range of activities.”

A few weeks later, we hosted an in-person workshop for Sandwell, West Midlands schools. Like the others, it was a fantastic networking opportunity between schools that were already registered with Code Club and schools that were looking to start their Code Club journey and we loved the buzz of conversation as ideas were shared.

Rujeko, guiding teachers through our Scratch projects

We’ve really valued the support of local councils, especially Haringey, London and Bradford, West Yorkshire, who helped us reach new schools who would benefit from discovering Code Club. Kathryn Loftus, Director of the Education Alliance for Life Chances, shared the value of Code Club to young people in Bradford:

“Code Clubs are a fantastic extracurricular opportunity for Bradford pupils, particularly because they encourage digital literacy skills from an early age and support our district’s ambition to develop computer science skills. Code Clubs also offer pupils a safe space to enjoy and learn a new skill outside of the school day.”

Next we look forward to co-hosting an online workshop for Lincolnshire schools on 29 June 2023, together with STEM Ambassadors East Midlands.

Session planning tips from Hartlepool Code Club

Our quest to grow and know Code Clubs in these areas led us to the doorstep of Fablab Code Club in Hartlepool, County Durham. Michael Storey and Kayleigh Anderson have been running a Code Club at the Fablab Library since early 2021. Reflecting upon their earlier days of running the club, Michael shared:

“…the biggest hurdle we had while we were starting out was planning and getting a structure put in place for how the flow for a lesson would go. Once we got that sorted it took a week for the kids to get used to it and then it worked like clockwork.”

The improvements to their session planning and structuring included:

  • Starting with a free time period where club members can complete prior week’s projects or try to make their own projects
  • Adding a show-and-tell time at the end to give learners time to express themselves

Michael further elaborated on the value of show-and-tell:

“…it boosts the young person’s confidence, giving them the opportunity to show their parents and ourselves what they have learnt and also inspire other young people…”

Building skills at Great Bridge Primary Code Club

Meeting with young coders was a highlight of visiting clubs, including learners at Great Bridge Primary Code Club, in Tipton, West Midlands, led by club leader Judith Bedford. Since her first club session in 2021, Judith’s club has grown to include a high number of girls who are enthusiastic about coding. The children have developed a range of important skills, from learning to work between tabs of different browser windows, to finding the independence to continue working on their projects at home.

Judith’s own confidence has grown since she began the club, allowing her to feel empowered to let young coders choose their own projects to work on, and enabling her to support them with debugging whenever they “hit a snag”. For Judith, resources such as our certificates, name badges, and door signs have been useful and helped to make her club fun and exciting.

Great Bridge Primary Code Club using our resources

Showcasing new Code Clubs: Worth Valley and Joseph Turner

It has been a real joy to watch the journey of our new clubs in these areas. Worth Valley Primary School, one of the five new Code Clubs in Bradford, are currently working through Scratch. Club leader, Julie Batey, has enjoyed getting “stuck in to the club” as a new coder:

“I am a novice at computing, and I’ve really enjoyed learning how to use Scratch alongside the children. We work through the projects together and I go back to reread how to do things when we get stuck. It is a great little club, and all the children help each other and enjoy coming along every Tuesday.”

Joseph Turner Primary in Sandwell, West Midlands had only been running for seven weeks when we visited. The club leader, Scott Sefton, had a lovely way of guiding his learners through a project while accommodating the joyful expression of their individuality and creativity. There was lots of laughing and “tinkering” with variables as his learners followed along, helping each other whenever anyone got stuck. 

Joseph Turner Code Club showcasing their Scratch projects

Celebrating progress: Join our Code Club summer codealong!

To celebrate the 57 new Code Clubs who have started in our areas of interest, we’re hosting a summer codealong on Tuesday 23 May 2023 at 10:00am BST, and you’re invited too!

Using the block-based language Scratch, children will code a summer garden animation, learning about variables and how to use forever loops within their code.

No experience with Scratch is required as the Code Club team will guide you, step-by-step.

Take a look at our website and see how your school can get involved with Code Club or if your school is based in England, contact Kat and Rujeko at england@codeclub.org!