Coding isn’t just about computers. It’s about teaching pupils how to think, create and solve problems, and that element of coding is here to stay.

We’re taking National Coding Week as the perfect opportunity to shine a light on a skill that is increasingly important in education and in the world beyond the classroom: Coding.

Recently, AI has been carrying a lot of the workload when it comes to coding, but AI won’t ever truly replace the human value behind coding, such as the creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving needed to know what to build, why to build it and how to make it work.

But what exactly is coding?

Simply put, coding is the process of giving instructions to a computer to make something happen. From websites and games to apps, animations and artificial intelligence, code sits behind much of the technology we use every day.

Why is coding important?

Learning to code helps pupils develop much more than technical skills. As touched upon earlier, coding encourages problem-solving, logical thinking, creativity and resilience. When something doesn’t work, pupils learn to test, adapt and try again, building skills that can benefit them across the curriculum and beyond.

Furthermore, coding also gives pupils the opportunity to move from simply using technology to creating with it. Rather than being passive consumers of digital technology and adhering to the stereotype of being ‘iPad kids’, they can become confident creators, designers and innovators.

And with technology continuing to shape almost every industry, developing digital skills early can help prepare young people for a future where understanding technology will be increasingly valuable. Within the Skolon platform, here are some excellent digital tools available to help make coding engaging, accessible and fun for learners of all ages.

Coding made accessible with Skolon

Getting started with coding doesn’t have to mean complicated software or specialist knowledge. There are plenty of engaging digital resources that can help pupils (and teachers!) develop coding and computational thinking skills at their own pace.

Through the Skolon Store, schools and trusts can discover, try and buy digital resources to support computing and coding education, all in one place.
J2E offers a suite of tools designed to help pupils develop their digital skills, including J2Code, which makes coding accessible and fun from the very beginning.

We caught up with Danny Young, Managing Director of Just2Easy, who expanded on how J2E helps pupils build their coding skills, develop computational thinking and become confident creators of digital content”

“With JIT Turtle, children as young as four can start exploring the foundations of programming by giving simple commands to an on-screen turtle, building their understanding of direction, sequencing and problem-solving as they play.”

“As they grow in confidence, they can progress from Turtle to block-based Visual programming and text-based Logo, developing their coding skills step by step while creating their own animations, games and programmes. It’s fantastic to see how even our youngest learners can become creators, not just consumers, of technology.”

Also accessible through the Skolon platform is 2Simple‘s tool, Purple Mash, which also provides a wealth of computing and coding activities, helping pupils explore programming, algorithms and computational thinking through engaging, curriculum-focused resources.

For younger learners, KUBO Play provides a hands-on introduction to coding. Its screen-free approach uses coding tiles and a programmable robot to help children understand sequencing, problem-solving and computational thinking in a fun and accessible way.

From early-years exploration to more advanced programming, having the right tools can turn coding from something abstract into something pupils can see, experiment with, create and enjoy.

Ready to get coding?

National Coding Week is the perfect time to give coding a bigger place in your digital learning strategy.

Explore coding and computing resources in the Skolon Store here, and give your pupils the tools to become the creators of tomorrow.