Frequently Asked Questions

General

What is Code Club?
Code Club’s purpose is to give every child the skills, confidence and opportunity to shape their world. We do this by helping volunteers start after school coding clubs and training teachers in computing so they can pass on their skills.

• We are creating a community of volunteers who share their passion for digital making with children and teachers across Bangladesh.
• We support our volunteers, who inspire the next generation by running weekly Code Clubs in their local area.
• We provide creative resources aimed at children of all ages. Parents, teachers and volunteers use our projects to help children create games, animations and websites in weekly Code Clubs.
• We offer training for primary teachers delivered by volunteer computer science experts. Our aim is for all teachers to feel confident, excited and prepared to teach the computing curriculum.

How does it work?
Code Club’s model is very flexible, and can be adapted to suit you and the children in the club:

• If you’re a school and you want to find a volunteer to come in and run Code Club, you can register on our site as a club host and search for a volunteer in your area.
• If you’re a school and you have a teacher in the school who is ready to run a club, that’s easy – you just need to register as a host and tick the box to let us know a teacher at the school will be running the club.
• If you’re keen to volunteer at a school, register on our site and you’ll be able to search for schools in your area who need your help as part of the registration process.

Once your club is up and running, you’ll have access to our resources to help the children in your club create games, animations and websites.

How do I know how to run a Code Club?
We provide training for our volunteers which covers all you need to know, including the practicalities of running a club, programming concepts and safeguarding the children you work with.

You can complete the training online as part of the registration process, or if you prefer, you can attend one of our face to face training sessions.

In the Code Club sessions themselves, we recommend that you work through our projects with the children. The projects are a step by step guide that the children can follow to create something awesome. Each project should take the children about an hour to complete- the length of a Code Club session!

How long does it take to run a Code Club?
Code Clubs are an hour long and happen each week during school term time. To be a volunteer you will need to have time to go to the venue each week for the club and to make sure things are prepared beforehand.

We think a sensible minimum commitment would be to run a club for 12 weeks, to give the children a chance to really get stuck in with coding, but we hope that you will love Code Club and run your club for ages and ages 🙂

Can I see the materials you teach?
You’ll need to be registered as running or hosting a Code Club to login and access the full range of Code Club’s projects. However, if you’re not running a club and want to see our projects, there are two sample projects for each coding language available online for anyone to view.

Our materials are developed by our wonderful Director of Education and each project teaches a different programming concept and builds on the skills learned in previous projects.

Can I visit a club before I start?
Yes, our network of Star Clubs are committed to being the best they clubs they can be, and that includes welcoming visitors. Visiting a Star Club is a great way to see what a Code Club in action is like, but if there isn’t one near you, you can also chat to other volunteers in our Google groups.

Can I charge for Code Club?
No, we make all of our materials and resources available for free and our volunteers give their time for free so you may not charge for children to attend your club.

Where can I get support?
Check out your local Google Groups forum to get in touch with volunteers in your area. It might be that there’s already an answer to your question there. It’s also a good way to get in touch and talk to other volunteers about their experiences.
For any other questions you can email us and we’ll be happy to answer your questions.

I’m a home educator, how can I access your resources?
If you are a home educator, there are several ways you could get involved with Code Club. If you would like your children to attend a Code Club, you could search on our site for a public club that has some spaces for children to join. Many Code Clubs are run in schools, but increasingly they are being set up in libraries and other community spaces and are open for children to join.
You could even set up a public club yourself in a local venue for the children you teach and others to come along.
If you would prefer to start a ‘teacher-led’ club in your home school environment, drop us a line at info@codeclubbangladesh.org and we can set this up for you.

Can I donate to Code Club?
Yes! We rely heavily on donations to continue growing and being able to teach as many children to code. You can donate to us online here

Are you a charity?
We are a not-for-profit organisation. This means that although we are not a charity, any money that Code Club Bangladesh makes goes straight back into our work and operations.

Who founded Code Club?
Code Club Bangladesh was founded by Shajahan Miah in August 2016. Shajahan has a background as a digital broadcast, radio and online journalist.

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For Volunteers

Full information for volunteers can be found here

What do I need to know to be able to run a Code Club?
The main thing a good Code Club volunteer should have is enthusiasm. We don’t ask for any formal qualification or evidence of your coding ability.

You’ll need to complete some training before you start your club on the practicalities of running a club and keeping children safe. You can do this online, or if you prefer you can come to a training session and meet the team in person.
Most of our clubs start off using Scratch, which is a drag and drop coding language which was developed with children in mind by the brilliant people at MIT.

In your club, the children will work through our projects, which are step by step guides with instructions and screenshots, developed for 9-11 year olds. You don’t have to plan content for your sessions, but we recommend that you work through the projects yourself so you can stay one step ahead of the children in your club.

We also have projects/CSS and Python.

You also do not need any experience of teaching. You’ll be working alongside a club host from the venue (a teacher, teaching assistant, librarian or youth worker); they are there to support you and are required to be present at the sessions to help you.

How do I volunteer?

• Register as a volunteer on our site.
• Complete the Code Club training, online or face to face.
• Once your club is active, you will be able to access your club ID and PIN to access the full range of the projects for the children to use in the club.
• Enjoy running your Code Club and remember if you need any help you con contact Code Club at info@codeclubbangladesh.org, chat to other volunteers in our forums and head along to our meet ups to meet other volunteers.

Why isn’t my club activated?
To activate your club, both the club host and the volunteer need to be registered on our site and have contacted each other.
If you need some extra help, you can email us

What is a Club ID and PIN?
Each Code Club has its own unique Club ID and PIN. This is to be used by the volunteer, club host and the children in the club to access the projects site.

Where is my Club ID and PIN?
When your club has been set up, you will be able to log-in and see your Club Hub page. You will find your PIN and ID from there. For more information check out our blog.

Why do I need a Club ID and PIN when I am already signed up on your site?
The Club ID and PIN allows us to get a better sense of how clubs use our projects and which ones are most popular. It will help us to identify where we can make even more improvements to the projects in the future.

It will also enable us to measure our impact as an organisation, which is key for securing funding to continue our work, provide our resources and support volunteers in the UK and around the world. Want to know more? Read our blog.

I’m a teacher and want to volunteer at my own school. What do I do?
Begin the registration process as a club host and there will be an option for you to select to let us know that you are a teacher at the school and running the club yourself. For safeguarding reasons, we’ll do a quick check on this, so please do sign up using your school email address if you can.

Can I see the materials before signing up?
You’ll need to have a fully active Code Club to login and access the full range of Code Club’s projects. However, there are two sample projects for each coding language available online for anyone to view. Read more about our projects here.

Can you put me in touch with a club venue?
Club venues who are interested in hosting a Code Club and need a volunteer will register on the Code Club website; as part of the process of you signing up as a volunteer you will be able to see any venues that have signed up in your area. We give you an email template to send through to them, so the process is very easy.

I can’t find a club venue that needs a volunteer nearby. What should I do?
It could be that venues near you haven’t heard about Code Club yet. Email us and we will put you in touch with your local Regional Coordinator. They will be able to help you to approach a venue in your area to tell them about Code Club.

The school I want to volunteer at is registered as a venue but they’re not showing up in the search!
Their status may be set to “Not looking for a volunteer”. Get in touch with the venue representative and ask them to sign in and switch their status.

Do I need a criminal record check?
Yes. When setting up a club you must show your criminal record certificate to the club host at your venue. Find more information about criminal record checks here.

Do I need insurance?
As a volunteer, you will be covered by the venue’s Public Liability Insurance. The club venue will be asked to confirm this when they register on our site, so you don’t need to worry.

How long are lessons?
Code Club sessions are intended to last about an hour and happen once a week. Clubs can start at any point during the year. Each club works at its own speed, depending on the children’s progress. If you’d rather run a club for half an hour at lunchtime, then go for it! If you’re running a Code Club in a library or community centre, you can also run your club during school holidays and at weekends.

Can I run a club at more than one school?
Absolutely! You’ll need to make sure your status is set to “Looking to Volunteer” in your account so that other club venues can still find you.

Can I adapt or alter the Code Club logo for my club?
We sometimes get requests from volunteers who would like to adapt the Code Club logo to make it specific to their Code Club.

Code Club has now grown larger and there are clubs in countries and cities all over the world, so we have had to make some choices about how to manage the use of the Code Club logo. We therefore kindly request that our volunteers do not adapt or alter the Code Club logo by adding background images or text or anything else to customise it.

We very much want our volunteers and clubs to celebrate being part of the Code Club network, and we’re very happy for volunteers to use the logo in its current format when advertising their club. We also have lots of branded resources like certificates and door signs that can be freely used by any registered volunteers. These resources can be accessed by logging in to your Code Club account and clicking on your Club Hub page.

If you have any questions about using the Code Club logo, please do get in touch

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Criminal Record Check/Insurance

Why do I need a DBS check?
As part of our commitment to keeping children in our clubs safe, Code Club request that all our volunteers obtain an criminal record check certificate.

How do I get a criminal record check statement?
There are a few different ways that you can get a criminal record check and please contact us for more details.

What insurance cover do I need?
If you are a venue wishing to host a club, you will need to check that your Public Liability Insurance covers the volunteer visiting your venue. This is part of the T&Cs you agree to when you sign up to be a club host.

As a volunteer, you will be covered by the venue’s Public Liability Insurance. The venue will be asked to confirm this when they register on our site, so you don’t need to worry.

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For Venues

Full information for venues can be found here

How do I get Code Club in my school, library or community venue?

First of all, register yourself as a club host here, so you can appear on our searches as a venue looking for a volunteer.

Volunteers in your area will be able to find you on our website and hopefully get in contact with you too.

• As a club host, you will need to make sure that you:
• have Public Liability Insurance in place that covers a volunteer
• ensure that the volunteer shows you their criminal record check certificate
• collaborate with the volunteer to make sure equipment and resources are organised for the club each week
• organise children to attend the club and make sure they have parental permission

It is important that there is always a member of staff present at every club. Our volunteers should never be left alone with the children- most volunteers are not qualified teachers so they need your support to run the club.

Do you screen volunteers?
When registering a club, we ask that all volunteers obtain a valid criminal record check and insurance. However, we don’t interview or screen volunteers ourselves. Part of the club registration process is for the volunteer to come and meet you at the school. It’s your responsibility to check their criminal record certificate and to decide whether you are happy to work with this person, and if not then you will be able to decline their offer to volunteer via your Club Hub page. Meeting face to face also provides an opportunity for the volunteer to see whether they are comfortable at your venue too!

Can you put me in touch with a volunteer?
We’ve built a volunteer finder into our website. When you sign up on our site as a club host, you will be shown a list of registered volunteers in your area so you can get in touch with them.

I’ve already got a volunteer, do they need to register on your site?
If you’ve already found a volunteer for your club, that’s great! Please ask them to register on our site so we know what’s happening with your club. Registering also means they can get access to our projects and other cool stuff, so it’s good all round 🙂

How do I add a second volunteer to our club?
Contact us and we will be able to add a second volunteer. If you need some extra help, you can drop us an email.

My volunteer is leaving. What shall I do?
First of all, head to your Club Hub and update your club settings to indicate you are looking for a volunteer so people in your area can get in touch. You could also post a message in our Google Groups to see if someone in your local area is free to help.
If you need extra help, drop us a line at info@codeclubbangladesh.org and we can link you up with your local Regional Coordinator who will also be able to help.

I’m a teacher at a school. Can I set up a club myself?
If you want to set up a club at your own school, that’s great! You don’t need to search for a volunteer from elsewhere, all you need to do is register yourself as a club host in order to gain access to our projects online.

Registering a venue other than a school
If you want to set up a Code Club in a venue that is not a school such as a library or a youth centre, then simply select the most relevant option in the drop-down menu.

Registering as a venue other than a school will automatically list your club as ‘public’, which means that your club will appear when people search for clubs open to the public and can email you to ask if their children can attend. If you would prefer your club to be private, you can change the settings of your club by visiting your Club Hub page.

Finding a volunteer and setting up the club works in exactly the same way. You’ll need to make sure that you get permission from parents/guardians of the children attending the club.

I work in a library, can I run a club myself, without a volunteer?
Sure! Drop us a line at info@codeclubbangladesh.org and we’ll get you set up. We’ll just need to see proof that you are an employee at the library and a copy of your criminal record check.

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For Teachers

Can I run a Code Club in my own school?
Of course! Register as a club host using your school email address and let us know you will be running the club yourself. Then, you’re ready to go!

How can I find a volunteer?
If you would like to find a volunteer to help you run your Code Club, you must first register yourself as a club host here, so you can appear on our searches as a venue looking for a volunteer. Volunteers in your area will be able to find you on our website and hopefully get in contact with you too.

As a club host, you will need to make sure that you:

• have Public Liability Insurance in place that covers a volunteer
• ensure that the volunteer shows you their criminal record check certificate
• collaborate with the volunteer to make sure equipment and resources are organised for the club each week
• organise children to attend the club and make sure they have parental permission

It is important that there is always a member of staff present at every club. Our volunteers should never be left alone with the children – most volunteers are not qualified teachers so they need your support to run the club.

What is Code Club Teacher Training?
We offer training for primary teachers delivered by volunteer computer science experts. If you’re interested in finding out more, visit our Teacher Training website.

For Parents

Full information for parents can be found here.

Is Code Club safe?
All Code Club volunteers are required to have a criminal record check statement, which club hosts are responsible for checking. As part of their training with Code Club, all volunteers complete a section on safeguarding.
You can also take a look at our Child Protection Policy.

Is there a Club near me?
There’s a map on our homepage where you can see all Code Clubs that are currently running. Most school clubs only accept their own students, but there might be a public club running nearby that anyone can join. We also have growing numbers of clubs being held in local community venues and libraries, which are open to all children.

How can I persuade my child’s school to start a Code Club?
Why not have a chat to the headteacher and see if they are keen to set up a Code Club in your school? We’ve made a handy letter that you can give to the school. Many schools also find volunteers amongst the parent community so we’ve written a letter to help with that too.

Can I use Code Club’s materials to teach my children at home?
You’ll need to be registered as running or hosting a Code Club to login and access the full range of Code Club’s projects. However, if you’re not running a club and want to see our projects, there are two sample projects for each coding language available online for anyone to view.

I’m a home educator. Can I use your materials?
If you are a home educator, there are several ways you could get involved with Code Club. If you would like your children to attend a Code Club, you could search on our site for a public club that has some spaces for children to join. Many Code Clubs are run in schools, but increasingly they are being set up in libraries and other community spaces and are open for children to join.
You could even set up a public club yourself in a local venue for the children you teach and others to come along.
If you would prefer to start a ‘teacher-led’ club in your home school environment, drop us a line at info@codeclubbangladesh.org and we can set this up for you.

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About our Projects

Who can use our projects?
Our projects are available to all registered Code Clubs in Bangladesh.

A word on the age group for our projects
Code Club’s materials were designed for children aged 5-16. However, younger and older children have successfully taken part in Code Clubs, so treat this age limit as a guideline only. It’s worth bearing in mind that if you decide to teach younger children they may need extra assistance in reading and working through the projects. You might also find our materials are suitable for older children, especially if they have no previous experience of programming.

Where can I access Code Club’s projects?
You’ll need to be registered as running or hosting a Code Club to login and access the full range of Code Club’s projects. However, if you’re not running a club and want to see our projects, there are two sample projects for each coding language available online for anyone to view.

What do you teach?
We currently have five ‘terms’ worth of projects. Terms 1 & 2 use Scratch to teach the basics of programming. Term 3 teaches the basics of web development and CSS. Terms 4 and 5 teach Python, and so on.

Although we design and release our projects to match the school year, this doesn’t mean that you have to run your club in this way. For example, you might want to start your club midway through the term, or you might decide you don’t want to teach Scratch and jump straight ahead to Python. Feel free to use our projects and run your club as you see fit.

Scratch 1… or Scratch 2?
All of our projects are now updated for Scratch 2 and these are available via our new projects page.

If you’re still using Scratch 1.4, don’t worry, the first 6 of our Scratch projects are compatible, although the names of the blocks are sometimes a little different.

The new projects look different! What’s going on?
These are the new up-to-date versions of our materials. This new implementation means you can easily view and download the latest versions.

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Useful links

Download Scratch 1.4

Scratch 2 online editor / offline editor download

Download Sublime Text 3

Download Python

Become a STEM Ambassador

Code Club on Twitter

Code Club on Facebook

Code Club on Google Groups

Code Club on National STEM Centre

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