frequently Asked Questions_

How do you ensure quality teaching and students' online safety?

We have taught thousands of students in our safe and secure online classrooms. All our teachers are vetted, background checked, Coco-trained and certified.

Coco makes recordings of all classes for safeguarding and quality assurance. We use recordings to provide coaching to teachers, for customer support, and for compliance purposes. We take learners' and teachers' privacy seriously and never share class recordings (or any of our community members' personally-identifying information) outside Coco for marketing purposes or for any other reason without your explicit consent. Coco retains videos for 90 days, after which they are automatically and permanently deleted.

What happens if we are going to miss a lesson?

If your child misses a lesson due to illness or for any other reason, we will automatically send you a recorded version of their missed lesson, so they can catch up in their own time. But their teacher will always make sure they're not left behind in their next lesson.

What will my child be doing?

Coco lessons are designed around creative themes which get all kids excited to learn to code - our themes include, art, music, fashion, entrepreneurship, gaming, magic and sport! Our fun approach to learning to code means students are able to build worlds, program games and design digital art using key coding concepts such as loops, if statements, algorithms and lists. Our virtual classroom is a space for students to not only excel in coding but to be creative, curious and imaginative.

Typically, younger students will start with block-based coding platforms, like Scratch, while older kids will code with text-based platforms, such as Javascript or Python. However, we monitor your child's abilities and will adjust the content to suit their level, or move them between groups to ensure they remain challenged and motivated.

My child has never coded before, is this OK?

Yes, we welcome children of all abilities to join our weekly classes. After your first lesson we can make sure to place your child in a group that matches their age and ability. Our teachers are highly trained to be able support and encourage complete beginners as they begin their coding journey.

What ages are your classes designed for?

Our weekly lessons are imaginatively designed to appeal to children 6-12 years old. As students progress the content becomes more sophisticated. Younger students will learn block-based coding languages such as Scratch and older students will be exploring text-based coding languages such as JavaScript.

How often are lessons?

Once a week. Your child will enjoy a 60-minute coding lesson on the same day/time each week.

How long are the lessons?

Weekly lessons are 60 minutes of coding fun and challenges. At the start of each session, all students are welcomed by the teacher, there's an outline of the day's learning objectives and an introduction to the day's theme. At the end of the lesson, the teacher will go over all the coding concepts covered and how they were incorporated into the students' projects.

How many children are in each class?

For the younger children, class sizes are typically around 3-4 kids, with up to 5 or 6 in the older groups. We adjust this for different groups of kids, though, as some children work better in small groups, while others thrive in larger groups.

Will there be any homework?

We prefer not to assign mandatory homework, but we do like to give students optional challenges or bonus activities that they can complete on their own between lessons. We also encourage kids to share any projects they've been working on outside of class.

How much are coding lessons with Coco Coders?

Our coding classes are {{price}} every 4 weeks, which gives your child an hour of coding every week. We offer a 4-week trial at 50% off! Sign up for only {{priceTrial}} and see what our lessons are like.

What is your cancellation policy?

There's no minimum term, so you can cancel your subscription at any time before your next payment goes out. You can also pause your subscription for up to 2 months if you wish, which will reserve your child's place in their group for when they return.

Can I pause my child's subscription?

You can pause your child's lesson for up to 2 months, during which time we will reserve their place in the class, and we'll also send you a recorded version of the lessons in the meantime, so they can keep up with the group if they wish to.

Are there any hidden charges?

None at all

Can siblings sign up together?

Yes, they can - but they will each need their own computer and be enrolled separately. If they are in different age groups it's best if they are in separate classes. To help each child concentrate and fully engage in the lesson we ask that they be put in separate rooms to avoid audio feedback.

How do I access the video call?

All of our lessons run in our Coco Classroom. You will receive an email prior to the lesson with all the details and helpful hints to get online smoothly. It's important to have an adult around at the start of each session, to help kids feel ready to learn.

Will my child need have their camera on?

This is not essential, but students get the most out of the session if the camera is on and it helps to create a sense of being 'in' the classroom. It also helps teachers give individual students the support they need at the right time.

What equipment will we need?

You'll need a laptop or desktop computer running a modern web browser, such as Edge, Chrome, Firefox or Safari. We don't support phones, tablets or Chromebooks in our lessons, unfortunately.

You'll also need a webcam and a microphone, and a mouse is highly recommended for younger students, especially if they struggle to use a trackpad

Can my child join on a tablet or phone?

Unfortunately, not. Many of our coding platforms aren't supported on tablets. It also takes away from the learning experience as students are not able to screen share or give remote access to their teacher.

Can we use two separate screens?

We understand that students might want an additional screen to separate their coding program and the video call. We recommend plugging in a secondary monitor to the main laptop or computer. It's better not to use two separate devices as the student will not be able to screen share their projects with their teacher.

Does an adult need to be present?

You are responsible for your child throughout each lesson. At the start of each session children will need some help to get started - full support and guidelines will be sent out beforehand - and a great troubleshooting guide for parents and carers. Once the lesson starts, kids are happy on their own in a safe space.