In September 2027 school programmers from around the world will meet in Potsdam for the International Olympiad in Informatics. Most Potsdam children will not have had a single compulsory computing lesson by then, because Brandenburg keeps them in Grundschule for six years and treats Informatik as an option afterwards. Our live classes in English fill those years for children aged 6 to 12: games first, then real code, then real data, like the city's own register of more than a quarter of a million trees.
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In a sentence or three
Modern Age Coders runs coding classes for Potsdam children aged 6 to 12 as live online lessons held in English. Children start with Scratch games, switch to typed Python or C++ at around 9 and can try contest puzzles. Each child keeps one mentor who suits their pace and accent, learning either with fifteen to twenty others or alone, after school or at weekends.
Where to start
Which course should a Potsdam child start with?
A long all-round course from six, a contest course for puzzle lovers, and typed Python for children ready for a keyboard.
Not as a compulsory subject. Brandenburg has six years of Grundschule and offers Informatik only as an option after that.
A six-year Grundschule
In most Länder, secondary school starts after grade 4. The KMK describes the exception in its overview of lower secondary education: the shared Grundschule lasts four years, "in Berlin und Brandenburg sechsjährigen", six years in Berlin and Brandenburg.
So a Potsdam child is a Grundschule pupil from about 6 to about 12, the entire age range of this page, and no Brandenburg rule asks for a computing lesson in those six years.
Informatik as an option
After Grundschule, Informatik in Brandenburg stays optional, according to the 2026/27 edition of the GI's Informatik-Monitor. Gesamt- and Oberschulen may use a five-hour focus block in grades 9 and 10 for it, or offer it as a Wahlpflicht subject from grade 7; Gymnasien may use up to seven hours in grades 9 and 10.
The GI names Brandenburg among six Länder without Informatik for every pupil and among three where no binding plan to change that is known.
Computing in a Potsdam school career, school year 2026/27
Grades
School
Informatik
1 to 6
Grundschule
No compulsory computing
7 and 8
Gesamtschule or Oberschule
Possible as a Wahlpflicht subject
9 and 10
Gesamtschule or Oberschule
Wahlpflicht, or a focus block of up to five hours
9 and 10
Gymnasium
A focus block of up to seven hours, if offered
10 (Gymnasium)
Einführungsphase
A two-hour Wahlpflichtkurs, if offered
11 and 12 (Gymnasium)
Qualifikationsphase
Grundkurs three hours, Leistungskurs five hours
Sources: the KMK overview of lower secondary schooling, and the Informatik-Monitor 2026/27 by the Gesellschaft für Informatik (Brandenburg and Germany-wide pages), consulted 2 November 2026.
The result is a long wait. A curious six year old in Potsdam could reach grade 9 before a school offers Informatik at all, and even then only if the school runs it and the child chooses it. Children who start at home or with us at 7 or 8 have years of practice by then. The Brandenburg page covers the Land in detail; we teach beside school and award no grades.
A real Potsdam project
How many of Potsdam's trees are conifers?
The city maps every tree on its city map and publishes the list. It is so long that it comes in three parts, and that is exactly where the lesson is.
The data
The Landeshauptstadt Potsdam publishes its trees from the Stadtkarte as open data on opendata.potsdam.de under the Datenlizenz Deutschland Zero 2.0, free for any use. The register comes as "Teil 1 von 3", "Teil 2 von 3" and "Teil 3 von 3". We downloaded all three on 3 November 2026, keeping four columns: an id, the kind of tree (ggartbez), a point number and a survey date.
The kinds are Laubbaum (broadleaf tree), Nadelbaum (conifer), Obstbaum (fruit tree), Baumstumpf (stump) and Einzelgebüsch, Strauch (a single bush).
The question
What share of Potsdam's mapped trees are conifers? A child with only the first file could answer quickly. Version 1 does exactly that.
Before reading the answer, look at the first number it prints, and ask whether anything about it looks odd.
Version 1: count one filePython
import csv
from collections import Counter
with open("baeume_teil1.csv", encoding="utf-8-sig") as f:
kinds = Counter(line["ggartbez"] for line in csv.DictReader(f, delimiter=";"))
total = sum(kinds.values())
print("Rows in part 1:", total)
print("Conifers in part 1:", kinds["Nadelbaum"], "=", round(100 * kinds["Nadelbaum"] / total, 1), "%")
It prints: Rows in part 1: 100000 and Conifers in part 1: 11272 = 11.3 %.
Exactly 100,000 rows. Real cities do not happen to have a round number of trees. A list that stops at exactly 100,000 has almost certainly been cut, the way a long book is split into volumes, and here the title says so: Teil 1 von 3. Any answer from part 1 alone is an answer about part 1, not about Potsdam.
Version 2 reads all three parts into one count. It also keeps a set of every id it has seen, because when data is split, a row can sometimes land in two parts; if that happened, the number of different ids would be smaller than the number of rows.
Version 2: append to Version 1 and read all three filesPython
kinds = Counter()
seen = set()
for part in ["baeume_teil1.csv", "baeume_teil2.csv", "baeume_teil3.csv"]:
with open(part, encoding="utf-8-sig") as f:
for line in csv.DictReader(f, delimiter=";"):
seen.add(line["objectid"])
kinds[line["ggartbez"]] += 1
total = sum(kinds.values())
print("Rows in all parts:", total, " different ids:", len(seen))
print("Conifers in all parts:", kinds["Nadelbaum"], "=", round(100 * kinds["Nadelbaum"] / total, 1), "%")
It prints: Rows in all parts: 283772 different ids: 283772 and Conifers in all parts: 39196 = 13.8 %.
All 283,772 rows have different ids, so nothing was counted twice, and the conifer share rises from 11.3 to 13.8 percent. The reason is that the parts are not alike: in our count, part 2 is 12.6 percent conifers and part 3 is 18.3 percent. Had a child been handed only part 3, they would have reported nearly one tree in five. Same city, same question, three different answers, until every part is in.
Conifers in each part of Potsdam's tree register (our count)
File
Rows
Conifers
Share
Teil 1
100,000
11,272
11.3 %
Teil 2
100,000
12,572
12.6 %
Teil 3
83,772
15,352
18.3 %
All three
283,772
39,196
13.8 %
Data: Landeshauptstadt Potsdam, Bäume Teil 1, 2 and 3 von 3, Stadtkarte Potsdam, opendata.potsdam.de, Datenlizenz Deutschland Zero 2.0, downloaded 3 November 2026. Counts and code are ours. The rows also include 2,144 stumps and 247 single bushes; whether to call those trees is a question for the children. We are not connected with the city.
Ages 6 to 8, no screen. Tip a bag of mixed sweets into three bowls without looking. Count the red ones in the first bowl only. Then count all three. Did the first bowl tell the truth?
Ages 8 to 10, Scratch. Make three lists and a sprite that counts the word "tree" in one list, then in all three. Make one list end at exactly 100 items.
Ages 10 to 12, Python. Run Version 1 on part 3 instead of part 1, then run Version 2. Explain to someone at home why the answers differ.
Going further. Remove the stumps and bushes from the total and work out the conifer share again. Does a stump count as a tree?
Contests
Is there a coding contest a Potsdam child can try?
Yes, and a big one is coming to the city. Start small, though.
The Informatik-Biber, this month
The Bundesweite Informatikwettbewerbe run the Informatik-Biber. It costs nothing, is open to pupils from grade 3 up to grade 13, and asks for no programming at all. In 2026 it runs from 9 to 20 November. Primary pupils get nine tasks in 30 minutes.
Schools register their pupils, so the class teacher is the person to ask. We never use or copy the real Biber tasks; in class we write our own puzzles in the same spirit.
The IOI, in 2027
BWINF announces that the 39th International Olympiad in Informatics takes place from 12 to 19 September 2027 at the Hasso-Plattner-Institut in Potsdam. It is for secondary school students far beyond the level of this page.
For families who want to know how it works and how Germany's team is chosen, our IOI 2027 Potsdam guide explains it. We are not connected with BWINF, the HPI or the IOI.
For a child of 6 to 12, the honest path is puzzles first, then Scratch, then a typed language. BWINF notes that its IOI training is programmed in C++, which is one reason some of our older children choose C++ for Kids after Scratch. None of that needs to be decided at seven. Enjoying puzzles at seven is the whole plan.
In English
How does a Potsdam child manage a class in English?
Better than most parents expect. Three reasons.
No surprises
Every lesson is live and in English, taught by mentors in India. We have no German-language classes and tell families so before the free trial, not after it.
Seeing first
A coding class is mostly showing: a block is dragged, a sprite jumps, a number changes. The English word arrives at the same moment as the thing it means, which is how young children learn words anyway.
Patient mentors
Our mentors keep a gentle pace and learn quickly how your child pronounces things. Mixing in a German word is fine; the child just hears the English one in reply.
Your child keeps one mentor from week to week, and that steadiness matters for young children: the mentor learns which kinds of puzzle delight your child and which need a gentler start.
Class times
When are classes for Potsdam children?
Weekdays or weekends, flexible: choose your batch, or for a very personalised plan choose 1-on-1 at your convenience, weekend mornings or weekdays.
Example Potsdam times beside the mentor's time in India
Potsdam
India now (MEZ months)
India from 28 March 2027 (MESZ)
15:20
19:50
18:50
16:40
21:10
20:10
Saturday 09:45
14:15
13:15
Sunday 10:00
14:30
13:30
MEZ (UTC+1) and MESZ (UTC+2) are German legal time under the Einheitenzeitgesetz; MEZ began again on 25 October 2026. India keeps UTC+5:30 all year, so the mentor's clock is 4 hours 30 minutes ahead of Potsdam until 28 March 2027 and 3 hours 30 minutes ahead after it. The rows are examples only.
Brandenburg school holidays, 2026/27, with weekdays (KMK dates; weekdays ours)
Break
First day
Last day
Herbstferien
Monday 19.10.2026
Friday 30.10.2026
Weihnachtsferien
Wednesday 23.12.2026
Saturday 02.01.2027
Winterferien
Monday 01.02.2027
Saturday 06.02.2027
Osterferien
Monday 22.03.2027
Saturday 03.04.2027
Pfingsten
Tuesday 18.05.2027
Tuesday 18.05.2027
Sommerferien
Thursday 01.07.2027
Saturday 14.08.2027
Dates from the Brandenburg line of the KMK holiday overview 2026/2027, dated 9 October 2025.
Holidays do not stop classes. Potsdam is Brandenburg's capital, with 184,754 inhabitants according to Destatis for 31 December 2024, in a Land of 2,556,747. Children from Werder, Michendorf or Kleinmachnow share the Brandenburg calendar. Berlin, with 3,685,265 people right next door, also has a six-year Grundschule, but its holiday dates differ in places, so a Berlin child's plan follows Berlin's list.
Milestones
What will my child be able to do, step by step?
Our milestones for ages 6 to 12, each shown in your child's own project.
From first blocks to real data (our milestones)
Step
Typical age
Shown when your child
Order
6 to 7
Makes a sprite do five things in the right order
Repeat
7 to 8
Uses a loop instead of copying blocks
Remember
8 to 9
Keeps a score in a variable
Type
9 to 10
Writes and fixes a short Python program
Combine
10 to 12
Counts across several files and checks for repeats
For parents
The combine step is the Potsdam tree project. A child who asks "is this all of it?" before trusting a number has learned something many adults still miss.
Every few weeks a brief message tells you what your child made.
For children
If a file ends on a round number, look for the next part.
Count the ids as well as the rows. If they differ, something was counted twice.
More for children
Nine more courses for Potsdam children
All nine follow the same pattern: taught live, in English, by a mentor who stays.
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Fees
What do coding classes for a Potsdam child cost?
A monthly fee pays for eight live classes. We display it in euro at the European Central Bank reference rate, while the card is charged in US dollars; the conversion is your bank's, so the euro amount on your statement may be slightly off ours.
"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
Potsdam parents ask
Coding classes for kids in Potsdam: frequent questions
Are the classes taught in German?
No, we only teach in English. The mentor, who works from India, slows down, repeats and quickly gets used to your child's accent, and nearly everything happens visibly on the screen, so limited English is rarely a problem.
From which age do you take children?
From 6, starting with Scratch, whose coloured blocks need no typing. Most children move to Python, or for some C++, at about 9, when reading and typing are comfortable.
Do Potsdam schools teach coding?
Not as a compulsory subject. Brandenburg has a six-year Grundschule, and after it the Gesellschaft für Informatik reports Informatik only as an option: a Wahlpflicht subject or a focus block in grades 9 and 10, depending on the school.
Can my child take part in the IOI 2027 in Potsdam?
The IOI is for secondary school students selected through the Bundeswettbewerb Informatik, far beyond the level of a child of 6 to 12. Our IOI 2027 Potsdam guide explains the selection. For young children, the Informatik-Biber is the right first contest.
When are classes in Potsdam time?
Weekdays or weekends, flexible: choose your batch, or for a very personalised plan choose 1-on-1 at your convenience, weekend mornings or weekdays. Potsdam families mostly pick mid-afternoons or weekend mornings.
What is the tree project on this page?
Our own lesson on the Landeshauptstadt Potsdam tree register, which is published in three parts. Children count conifers in one part, then in all three, and learn why a file that ends at exactly 100,000 rows is only part of the story.
Will my child use ChatGPT?
No. OpenAI's own terms set 13 as the minimum and ask for parental permission below 18. Our young learners make tiny AI programs of their own instead, which shows them what is going on inside.
Where are the mentors?
They teach from India over a live video call. This winter, a class at 16:40 in Potsdam starts at 21:10 on the mentor's clock. Your child does not change mentors partway through.
How many children are in a group?
Between fifteen and twenty, all close in age. One-to-one is the private alternative: two weekly classes for your child alone.
How are fees paid?
By the month. You see the fee in euro, calculated with the reference rate of the European Central Bank; the charge itself is in US dollars and your bank converts it, so expect a small difference. Booking the trial asks for no card.
During the trial hour your child and a mentor solve a puzzle and build a tiny Scratch program. Afterwards you hear which course and age band the mentor recommends.
Lessons are live online, in English only, with mentors in India. For quick questions, WhatsApp us in English.
Want a class sooner? Book a priority demo
A priority demo is a full class of about 45 to 60 minutes. After the class the mentor sends a written skill report and a personal learning roadmap on WhatsApp. If you enrol, the demo fee is adjusted against your first month's fee. Share your demo Order ID with us on WhatsApp and we take it off.
