Online coding classes for kids: how they work and what to check
Online coding classes for children come in three forms: live group classes at a set time, one-to-one lessons with a tutor, and self-paced courses a child works through alone. Many families combine them. Before you pay, check that the level suits your child's age, that they will make real things, how a live class keeps children safe, that the time works, and exactly how the trial and cancelling work.
Both are free with no account, so your child can see whether they enjoy it before you choose anything.
Live group classes
A teacher leads a class of children on a video call at a set time each week.
Suits
Children who like company, questions answered live, a routine in the week.
Check
How the teacher controls cameras, microphones and chat, the class time in your time zone, and what happens if your child misses one.
One-to-one tutoring
A tutor works with your child alone, usually booked by the hour.
Suits
A child who needs a particular pace, or is preparing for something specific.
Check
Who the tutor is and how sessions are supervised, the cost per hour, and how progress is recorded between sessions.
Self-paced courses
Step-by-step lessons your child works through on their own, whenever suits.
Suits
Busy weeks, children who like to go at their own speed, and practising between classes.
Check
Whether the lessons teach or only test, whether work is saved, and whether you can see what your child has done.
What to check before you pay
- 1
The right level for their age
A 6-year-old should be giving instructions to a character, not typing code; a 10-year-old can write real JavaScript or Python. Look for courses set by school year.
- 2
Linked to what school teaches
In England, computing follows the National Curriculum. A course that covers the same ideas reinforces school instead of competing with it.
- 3
Real making, not just watching
Children should build, test and fix things themselves: games, animations, websites. Check what they will have made after a month.
- 4
Safety in live sessions
Ask who controls the cameras and microphones, whether chat is filtered, and whether children can contact each other privately.
- 5
A time that works
A weekly class only helps if your child can attend. Check the time in your own time zone and the length of the session.
- 6
Equipment
Most courses need a laptop or desktop and a browser. Check whether a tablet works and whether anything must be installed.
- 7
Seeing progress
A parent view of what your child has done means you know whether it is working, without standing over them.
- 8
Trial and cancelling
Look for a free trial, the exact price after it, whether a card is needed, and how to cancel. If a second child costs extra, check how much.
What coding should look like at each age
Ages 5–7
Giving step-by-step instructions to a character, spotting the wrong step, repeat loops, animations and a first web page. Pressing, dragging and predicting, not typing code.
Ages 7–9
First real code with lots of support: shapes, colours and movement, if/else decisions, variables for a score, functions, and a first website in HTML and CSS.
Ages 9–11
Python and JavaScript projects, a 3D game changed with real code, data and charts, how search engines and the web work, and a finished portfolio.
How U Teach Mi does it
We combine the first and third kinds: one live online lesson with a teacher every Wednesday from 5 to 6pm UK time, and 36 self-paced coding courses, six for each year from Year 1 to Year 6, for the rest of the week.
The live lesson suits families in the UK and Ireland. Elsewhere, the courses work at any hour.
Our answers to the safety questions
Cameras and microphones
The teacher can switch any child's microphone or camera off, and a child cannot switch back on what the teacher turned off.
Home stays private
The room behind each child is blurred, so the class sees the child and not their home.
Chat
Messages go through a filter, and only the teacher's links can be tapped, so children cannot send each other links.
Equipment
A laptop or desktop with Chrome works best; a tablet works for watching and talking. Nothing to install.
One price for the live lesson and every course
No per-class fees. The membership covers the weekly live lesson and all 36 courses for each child, with a separate login for each.
- 36 coding courses, six for each year from Year 1 to Year 6
- A live online lesson with a teacher, Wednesdays 5–6pm UK time
- Daily Maths & English practice
- A parent dashboard showing what your child has done
£15 a month, up to two children
7 days free, then £15 a month for up to two children (£7.50 a month for each extra child). Card needed; cancel any time.
Questions parents ask about online coding classes
What age can children start online coding classes?
From about 5. The National Curriculum in England starts computing in Year 1, with algorithms and simple programs. At 5 to 7 the best activities are short, visual and hands-on; typing real code usually starts around 7 or 8.
Is a group class or one-to-one better?
It depends on the child. A group class gives routine and company at a lower cost; one-to-one gives a tailored pace at a higher cost. Many children do well with a weekly class plus self-paced lessons on other days.
Can my child do online coding on a tablet?
Partly. On U Teach Mi, a tablet works for watching and talking in the live lesson and for many of the free games, but a laptop or desktop with a keyboard is better for writing code, and Chrome works best.
Does U Teach Mi have a live online class?
Yes. Every Wednesday from 5 to 6pm UK time there is a live online lesson with a teacher, included in the membership. On the other days children work through coding courses for their school year at their own pace.
How much does U Teach Mi cost?
£15 a month covers up to two children. Each extra child is £7.50 a month, so three children are £22.50 and four are £30. The free games and the free typing lessons stay free without an account.
How do I cancel?
From your parent account: Account, then Subscription & Billing. You can also email uteachmi@gmail.com. Cancel before day 8 and you pay nothing. After that, cancelling stops future payments and access runs to the end of the month you have paid for.