Back to school: Coding for kids (Interview with Lady Wimbledon)

LadyWimbledon is #Wimbledon's most influential #blogger, columnist, #socialmedia, and event curator. Here is what she had to say about our club. You can read the full interview here.

This is the time when kids are super-charged and ready for school after a good dose of sun and sea. Some of them look forward to meeting their new teacher, some the new books or meeting friends etc. Nicholas Camilleri tells us why coding is such a great extracurricular activity for children. 

Why choose coding as an extracurricular activity? 

Nicholas Camilleri: When it comes to classes and clubs, your sky is the limit. Gymnastics, art, drama, music, taekwondo, football, swimming … the possibilities are endless, especially around South West London. So what do you choose and how? We believe coding is still overlooked, so here are a few reasons why we think you should consider coding for your child at an early age.

Coding may not sound like your typical after-school activity, but think again! First off, variety is always a positive thing and having an exciting set of varied activities after school is important. Also, it’s important to remember that some children are stimulated more by mental activities rather than physical ones. Catering to each individual child’s needs is important.

How would coding benefit a child’s future? 

Nicholas Camilleri: Good programmers are in high demand, now more than ever before! There are far too many software engineering jobs and not enough programmers. Computing is pushing the limits in every industry, be it robotics, biotechnology, aerospace, cars, banking, and oil exploration, to name a few. Companies are willing to do and pay anything to attract the right talent. If coding or programming is something your child is considering for the future, help them stand out by starting them off early with us.

Why choose Geeky Kids over any other coding club?

Nicholas Camilleri: Here at Geeky Kids, we value the children we work with and dedicate time and attention to them individually. Monitoring the children and ensuring they are taking the right course is key. Especially given the vast selection of courses available, it is easy for a child to end up in the wrong course if not attentive. Teachers observe the progress of each student as an individual and record attendance. As the end of the term approaches, we use this information to recommend the right course for the next term as well as keep parents informed of their child’s progress.

Children learn about team work through our programme. We make sure that groups of children work together, and we foster a collaborative environment where children share ideas with one other. We have numerous introductory courses in different programming languages, specifically designed for children. We have game development, web design, and Python, and now we are starting to introduce the more experienced groups to advanced topics such as machine learning and data science. We do not stop creating new content ... ever!

Some schools are starting to incorporate coding into their curriculum, but this is still very limited, especially in primary schools. This means your child will have the opportunity to get ahead by joining our coding club, if their school does not provide the resources for them. This programme is not just helpful for children! Different locations and times provide numerous options for parents and children in the area. We want to make sure it is as convenient as possible for all.

Geeky Kids has been around since early 2016. Founder Nicholas Camilleri has been working in technology for 20 years and has two kids, so he knows quite a bit about kids and coding. Here is what he had to say about the rest of the team…

Nicholas Camilleri: Our lead teacher is a PhD graduate, and we have various other experienced computer science teachers, mainly coming from independent schools based in central London. We also employ a number of second- and third-year computer science students from universities around the area. This ensures we have the right mix of teachers. Kids typically identify more with young people, so it is a great opportunity for them to meet these students, allowing them to get a picture of what their future could be like. We are constantly looking out for teachers, so if you love coding and children, please reach out to us!