Why We Recommend Learning to Code with a Mentor!
When learning how to code there are loads of different options out there, but here at The Code Zone we think the best way to learn is with mentor support!
Keep reading to find out why...
A question we often get is “with the plethora of youtube tutorials and AIs to ask questions to, what’s the benefit of a coding mentor?” So we thought that it might be a good time to sit down and tell you why we think learning to code with a mentor is the best option!
Consistency
First off, one thing you get is consistency, you could be sat waiting for months for “How To Make A Game Part 367” on youtube, or you can chat to and work weekly with our STEM certified, DBS checked mentors.
No more sitting around twiddling your thumbs, especially when you can message your mentor whenever you want and get a response even on our self led academy memberships!
Personalised support
Having a mentor also means that any help is completely customised to you!
While an AI might spit out a solution, a mentor will help you find the solution that matches your skill level, all while helping you and providing the tools to help you solve future problems by yourself! Our mentors are also more than happy to spend time explaining what specific bits of code do!
Have fun by being social
The final thing is we offer a chance to just have a chat about you and your interests, our mentors often have similar passions and hobbies as our members. Most of us could talk about Pokémon or animals or tv or anything you’re interested in for HOURS on end.
We believe that having a great rapport with our members enhances their ability to retain information in a fun and meaningful way!
If you think having a Mentor is a perfect fit for you, then sign up now for a free taster session and see if we can find the right one for you!
Who wrote this
We run coding clubs for children aged 6 to 16, so the guides here are written by the mentors who teach them rather than by a marketing team. Live online clubs are open to children anywhere in the UK, and our in-person clubs run across Essex, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk.
A live club is one hour a week, in a group of no more than six, with the same DBS-checked, STEM-certified mentor.
Children build their own games rather than working through a set course, starting in Scratch or MakeCode and moving to Python and TypeScript when they are ready. More than a third of our members are autistic or have ADHD, based on what parents tell us when they join.
Mentors write a note on every child after every session, which is how we know when somebody is ready to move up a level or would rather stay where they are. Levels move down as readily as up. Nothing is forced, and staying put is a perfectly good outcome.
In 2026 we were ranked second in the UK in Club Hub UK’s Top 100 Children’s Activity Providers, scored by five independent judges on safeguarding, inclusivity and community impact, and in 2025 we received the Autism Inclusion Award from the National Autistic Society. Over 1,000 children are enrolled.
More like this
The blog is in two halves. Guides are the evergreen explainers written by the mentors who teach the clubs, covering the questions parents actually ask: what comes after Scratch, how to support a coding-mad child when you cannot code yourself, and what works for autistic and ADHD children.
Club news is the other half, and it is where posts like this one live: game jams, Minecraft builds and weekly roundups, written up by whoever ran the session. Neither is marketing. If you want to know what an hour actually looks like before you book anything, club news is the more honest read of the two.
The first session is a free taster and we do not ask for card details. Book a free taster session, see what it costs, or read about support for neurodivergent children.
