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Merlijn - Game Dev Club Mentor
- Merlijn is a Game Dev Mentor, big gamer and secretly a wizard!
When I am not stuck behind my computer playing games or building websites, you can find me trail running, swimming or surfing down the waves at a nice beach :)
Happy coding!
You can find Merlijn in these clubs:
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ROOKIE CODER
Our mentors
Every Code Zone mentor is DBS-checked and STEM-certified, and is trained to adapt to how a child learns rather than expecting the child to adapt to the session. 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.
Live clubs run for one hour a week, in groups of no more than six, with the same mentor each week. Children build their own games instead of following a set course, starting in Scratch or MakeCode and moving to Python and TypeScript when they are ready. Levels move down as readily as up, and staying put is a perfectly good outcome.
More than a third of our members are autistic or have ADHD, based on what parents tell us when they join. In 2025 we received the Autism Inclusion Award from the National Autistic Society, and in 2026 we were ranked second in the UK in Club Hub UK’s Top 100 Children’s Activity Providers, judged by five independent judges on safeguarding, inclusivity and community impact.
Questions parents ask about our mentors
- Are Code Zone mentors DBS-checked?
- Yes. Every mentor holds an enhanced DBS check and is STEM-certified. Lobby chat and anything children share with each other is moderated by mentors, and we have a designated safeguarding lead.
- How many children does a mentor work with at once?
- A maximum of six in a live club. That is a deliberate cap rather than a target, and it is what makes it possible for a mentor to notice when one child has gone quiet or is ready to move up.
- Will my child have the same mentor every week?
- Yes. Live clubs run at the same time each week with the same mentor, so the relationship builds up rather than restarting. Mentors also stay reachable by message between sessions.
- Can we meet a mentor before we join?
- Yes. The first session is a free taster with the mentor your child would actually have, and we do not ask for card details to book it.
- What does a mentor actually do during the hour?
- They move between six children who are all building different things, which is less like teaching a class and more like six short conversations. The useful part is rarely showing a child the answer: it is asking the question that gets them to find it, then leaving them to it. Mentors write a note on every child afterwards.
- Are mentors trained in supporting neurodivergent children?
- Yes. Mentors are trained to adapt to how each child learns rather than expecting the child to adapt to the session, and more than a third of our members are autistic or have ADHD based on what parents tell us when they join. In 2025 we received the Autism Inclusion Award from the National Autistic Society.
- What if the mentor is not the right fit for my child?
- Tell us and we will move your child to a different mentor or club. Groups develop their own character and it is not a failure if the first one is not right.
More of the mentor team
Meet the rest of the mentor team, or book a free taster session to meet one properly. We do not ask for card details.
