UK · Ages 9 to 13 · Physical computing

After the micro:bit: the next step to Python

If your child is in primary school in the UK, there is a good chance they have held a BBC micro:bit. In 2023 the BBC, the Micro:bit Educational Foundation and Nominet offered a free class set of 30 to every primary school, almost 700,000 devices, and nearly 20,000 schools signed up. Most children meet it through Microsoft MakeCode, whose colour-coded blocks, the Foundation notes, "are familiar to anyone who's previously used Scratch". What fewer families know is that the same little board also runs Python. The Foundation's own Python editor had over a million uses in its first year, and the Foundation calls Python "a great way to deepen your programming skills through text-based coding". So the step from blocks to real, typed code can start on a device your child already understands. This page explains that step, and the one after it.

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Live teaching since 2020 · 10,000+ students · Built on the Micro:bit Educational Foundation's published material

In short

The BBC micro:bit is a pocket-sized programmable board from the Micro:bit Educational Foundation, a non-profit. In 2023 the BBC micro:bit the next gen campaign offered every UK primary school a free class set of 30, almost 700,000 devices funded by Nominet, and nearly 20,000 schools signed up. Children usually program it with Microsoft MakeCode blocks, which feel like Scratch and can switch to show JavaScript. The board also runs Python through the Foundation's own Python editor, which had over a million uses in its first year. That makes the micro:bit a gentle bridge from blocks to typed code: the same sensors, buttons and display, driven by text instead of blocks. After that, Python on a computer opens up bigger programs, data and games. Modern Age Coders teaches that next step in live Python lessons. We do not run a micro:bit course or sell boards. The first lesson is free, then USD 100 a month in a group or USD 150 one to one.

Start here

Three courses for micro:bit graduates

Python first, blocks for the younger, and data for the curious. Each card opens its syllabus.

Python and AI for Kids course thumbnail

MB / 01

Python for Kids

Typed Python for ages 10 to 13, the language the micro:bit can already run.

Open the syllabus →
Coding for Kids course thumbnail

MB / 02

Coding for Kids

For younger children: Scratch, MakeCode arcade and inventions on a simulated micro:bit, before typing.

Open the syllabus →
Data Science for Teens course thumbnail

MB / 03

Data Science with Python

For teenagers who enjoyed logging sensor data and want to analyse real datasets.

Open the syllabus →

The board at school

The board most UK primary children have met

From the Micro:bit Educational Foundation's announcements and its review of 2023.

The micro:bit in UK schools, as published
FactDetail
The campaignBBC micro:bit the next gen, announced 15 May 2023 by BBC Education, the Foundation and Nominet
The offerA free class set of 30 micro:bits and teaching resources for every UK primary school
DevicesAlmost 700,000, funded by Nominet
Take-upNearly 20,000 UK primary schools signed up for kits
DeliveryBetween September 2023 and March 2024
Worldwide73.5 million children have learnt with micro:bit, in more than 85 countries

The micro:bit has buttons, a small grid of lights, and sensors that detect movement, temperature, light and sound, plus a radio that lets boards talk to each other. That is why children love it: code does something visible and physical straight away. The Foundation reports that in the UK, "88% of students taught with micro:bit say computing and technology is more fun than other subjects", a survey finding worth reading as enthusiasm rather than proof of learning.

How children usually code it

Microsoft MakeCode, with blocks that snap together much like Scratch. It is a very good start.

MakeCode can also switch to JavaScript to show the text behind the blocks, a first glimpse of typed code.

What the board can also do

Run Python, written in the Foundation's own Python editor, using the same buttons, lights and sensors.

That means the move to typed code does not need new equipment, just a new way of instructing a familiar device.

Source: the Micro:bit Educational Foundation About page and Code page, its news post of 15 May 2023 announcing the campaign, and its review of 2023 published on 11 January 2024. We have no connection with the Foundation, the BBC or Nominet.

Blocks to Python

The board already speaks Python

Why the micro:bit makes the jump to typed code smaller than it looks.

The Foundation describes Python as easy to start because of its "natural English-like structure", and says its Python editor "is designed to help teachers and learners get the most out of text-based programming on the micro:bit". The important thing for a child is continuity. A program that shows a heart when button A is pressed, or counts steps using the accelerometer, can be rebuilt in Python line by line. The idea is already understood; only the way of expressing it changes.

The same ideas, in blocks and in Python
Idea met in MakeCodeWhat changes in Python
On button A pressedAn if-statement checking the button, inside a loop that runs forever
Show icon, show numberCalling functions by name, with brackets and exact spelling
Variables for a score or countNamed variables, typed and updated in text
Forever loopA while loop, with indentation that matters
Radio send and receiveMessages sent and read in code, as text or numbers

Rebuild a favourite

Start by rewriting a project the child already made in blocks. Familiar behaviour makes the new syntax far less frightening.

Read the errors

Typed code produces error messages. Learning to read them calmly is the single biggest new skill, and the board gives quick feedback.

Peek at JavaScript

MakeCode's JavaScript view shows text behind blocks. Some children like seeing it before switching; it is not required for Python.

Beyond the board

Then Python on a computer

The micro:bit is a bridge, not a destination. Bigger programs need a full computer.

On the board and beyond it
On the micro:bitOn a computer
Small programs that react to buttons and sensorsPrograms that grow over weeks, split into functions and files
A five-by-five light displayFull screens: games, drawings and windows
Sensor readings logged on the boardReal datasets analysed and charted
Messages between boards by radioPrograms that talk to websites and files

The Foundation notes that Python is "powerful enough to be used in areas like data science and machine learning", and that is exactly where Python on a computer leads. A child who logged temperature readings on a micro:bit is one step from analysing a real dataset; one who made a reaction game is one step from a full game with graphics. Our lessons take that step on the computer, where programs can grow.

What we offer

Live Python lessons in small groups, starting from what children built on the micro:bit and moving to programs on the computer.

Projects the children choose, with a teacher who reads their code and suggests what to try next.

What we are not

A micro:bit course. We do not teach MicroPython on the board as a course, and we do not sell or ship micro:bits.

Connected with the BBC, the Foundation or Nominet. We describe the micro:bit from their published material.

At home

If your family has a micro:bit at home

Many families buy one after a child enjoys it at school. Here is how to use it well alongside lessons.

Using a home micro:bit well
IdeaWhy it helps
Try each new Python idea on the boardA button or light reacting to the child's own code makes an abstract idea concrete
Use the official editorsThe Foundation's MakeCode and Python editors are free and designed for learners
Build something for the houseA doorbell, a plant-watering reminder or a step counter gives a real reason to finish
Keep it playfulThe board works well as a toy that teaches, not as homework

None of this requires lessons. The Foundation's free resources are excellent for home use. Lessons help when a child wants to go further than the resources lead, gets stuck on their own idea, or is ready to move from the board to bigger programs on a computer.

For children who love community clubs, see the page on life after Code Club; for Raspberry Pi computers, Raspberry Pi coding projects; and for the curriculum, Key Stage 2 coding and Key Stage 3 computing.

Progression

Four rungs after the micro:bit

Placement follows what a child can build, which a first lesson shows quickly.

From blocks on a board to programs on a computer
RungUsuallyWhat should be true
1. Confident in blocksAges 8 to 10MakeCode projects with buttons, sensors, variables and loops, designed by the child
2. First PythonAges 10 to 12Familiar projects rebuilt in typed Python, errors read and fixed
3. Python on the computerAges 11 to 13Programs with functions, lists and files that grow over several weeks
4. A real projectAges 12 and upA game, data project or tool planned and finished, reviewed by a teacher

Rung two is the bridge

Rebuilding a known project in Python is the gentlest way across. It works on the board or on screen.

The wider sequence of topics is on the coding roadmap.

Rung four is ownership

A child who plans and finishes their own project has become a maker, not a follower.

From there, GCSE computing and beyond are a natural path.

The catalogue

Nine courses for young makers

Grouped by stage. The free lesson places each child.

I

From blocks to Python

Ages 8 to 13

UK / MB1 / 01

Coding for kids

Blocks, MakeCode and a simulated micro:bit.

Open the syllabus

UK / MB1 / 02

Python for kids

The first typed language, step by step.

Open the syllabus

UK / MB1 / 03

Scratch, complete

For younger makers still in blocks.

Open the syllabus
II

Making with code

Games and data

UK / MB2 / 01

Game development for kids

Reaction games grown into real ones.

Open the syllabus

UK / MB2 / 02

Maths through coding

Number patterns and measurement, explored in programs.

Open the syllabus

UK / MB2 / 03

Hackathon prep for kids

Inventing, building and presenting a project.

Open the syllabus
III

Teenage makers

Ages 13 and up

UK / MB3 / 01

Python for teens

Programs, files and apps in Python.

Open the syllabus

UK / MB3 / 02

Data science with Python

Real data, analysed and charted.

Open the syllabus

UK / MB3 / 03

AI and machine learning

Where Python meets machine learning.

Open the syllabus

How lessons work

From a familiar board to bigger programs

Teaching happens from India, which does not change its clocks, leaving the UK four and a half hours behind in summer and five and a half in winter. Every lesson is booked in UK time.

After school

Short, practical sessions for this age.

Early evening

Time to try code on a home board afterwards.

Weekend

Longer project sessions for keen makers.

Start from their projects

Lessons begin from what a child built on the micro:bit at school or home.

Rebuild, then extend

Familiar projects rewritten in Python, then pushed further.

Errors as clues

Error messages read together until they stop being scary.

Code reviewed

A teacher reads every child's program and gives specific next steps.

Their own ideas

Children choose projects; the teacher picks the skills each one needs.

Small groups

Five to ten children at one level.

Student work

Projects built by our young students

Four projects from lessons, each made by the children. More in student labs.

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Fees

Fees for Python lessons

Lessons are paid monthly in US dollars, one rate wherever you live outside India. Nothing is due for the first lesson, and no invoice follows until you pick a course and a regular weekly time. Hardware is never part of the fee; we do not sell boards.

Free first class

USD 0

no card required

  • A lesson starting from your child's micro:bit projects
  • A clear view of whether they are ready for Python
  • Only a phone number to book
Book it

Group batch

USD 100

a month, billed in US dollars

  • Five to ten children at one level
  • The same teacher each week
  • Code read and reviewed every lesson
  • Projects the children choose
Start here

One to one

USD 150

a month, billed in US dollars

  • A teacher for one child
  • Paced to a fast-moving maker
  • Suits a child with a big idea
Enquire

What families say

Rated 4.9 across 547 Google reviews

Parents' reviews on Google, reproduced as written.

★★★★★

"The one step solution for my son. Modern Age Coders make learning coding so simple that kids love it. The teachers explain complex concepts clearly with practical exercises and interactive content."

Ria Mukherjee

Parent

★★★★★

"Modern Age Coders has been a game-changer for me. I struggled to grasp IT concepts and coding before joining, but their classes transformed everything. I can now confidently write complex programs with ease."

Samriddha Mondal

Student

★★★★★

"One of the most wonderful education centres out there. Education is not limited to school syllabus but focuses on skill development."

Vansh Agarwal

Student

★★★★★

"My child Dhairya is really enjoying the Modern Age Coders classes. This is his first online class and he eagerly looks forward to it. I can already see his improvement, and the teachers are very cooperative."

Sonam Oswal

Parent of Dhairya

★★★★★

"Modern Age Coders have wonderful teachers who teach in a clear, easy and practical way. The teacher boosts students' confidence and inspires them to learn without hesitation."

Sonu Goyal

Parent

★★★★★

"I highly recommend this computer coding class! The teachers are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about coding."

Ritu Kedia

Parent

Questions about life after the micro:bit

What parents ask

What is the BBC micro:bit?

A pocket-sized programmable board with buttons, lights, sensors and a radio, from the Micro:bit Educational Foundation, a non-profit. Children usually program it with MakeCode blocks.

Did my child's school get micro:bits?

Very likely. In 2023 every UK primary school was offered a free class set of 30 through BBC micro:bit the next gen, and nearly 20,000 schools signed up.

Can the micro:bit run Python?

Yes. The Foundation has its own Python editor for the micro:bit, which had over a million uses in its first year.

Why move from blocks to Python?

Python is text-based and used far beyond school, in data science and machine learning. Moving to it lets children build bigger programs, and the micro:bit makes the first step gentle.

Does my child need a micro:bit at home?

No. Our lessons use Python on the computer. A home micro:bit is a nice extra for trying ideas, but not required.

Do you teach micro:bit lessons?

Not as a course. Our blocks course uses a simulated micro:bit, and our Python teaching happens on the computer. We do not sell or ship boards.

What age is right for Python?

Often around 10 to 12, once a child is confident in blocks and can plan a project. Some benefit from more time in blocks first.

Are you connected with the BBC or the Foundation?

No. We are independent and describe the micro:bit from the Foundation's published material.

Are lessons online?

Yes, live and online, in small groups or one to one, at UK times.

What does it cost?

A first lesson is free of charge. Continuing lessons are billed once a month in US dollars, cheaper in a group than one to one, as the fees section shows, and never paid ahead.

Elsewhere on this site

More for young makers

Clubs, computers and the curriculum.

After Code Club

The next step for children who outgrow the club guides.

Raspberry Pi coding projects

What children can build with a Raspberry Pi computer.

Key Stage 2 coding

The primary computing curriculum in England.

Key Stage 3 computing

What secondary school computing asks next.

Student hackathons

Where young makers build to a deadline.

Coding classes in the UK

All our UK pages in one place.

Start here

Book a free first lesson

Leave a number and we will call at a UK time that suits. Tell us what your child made on the micro:bit; the lesson starts there and ends with a plan.

Want to look before you book? Browse the courses and their syllabuses, read about our method and who it suits, or see children's finished work in student labs.

WhatsApp us · +91 91233 66161 · contact@modernagecoders.com

For a fast answer, message us on WhatsApp, free from any UK phone. We are based in India, so our number has the +91 prefix.

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