--- title: "Coding Classes in Devon | Live Online, Ages 6 to 67" description: "Live online coding, Python, game making and maths classes across Devon, from Plymouth, Exeter and Torquay to Exmouth, Barnstaple, Newton Abbot and Tiverton." canonical: https://learn.modernagecoders.com/coding-classes-in-devon source: src/pages/coding-classes-in-devon.html --- > Live online coding, Python, game making and maths classes across Devon, from Plymouth, Exeter and Torquay to Exmouth, Barnstaple, Newton Abbot and Tiverton. Skip to contentCourses for Devon ## Devon learners often start here A nine-year-old in Brixham who wants to make an underwater game, a Year 7 in Tiverton who has just discovered Python, a Year 11 in Exmouth who likes hard problems, and a retired engineer in Sidmouth who always meant to learn to program. Each starts with a free lesson. [![Game Development for Kids course thumbnail](/images/game-dev-kids.webp)Ages 8 to 12Game Development for KidsGames in Scratch, then Roblox and Minecraft, including characters that move by their own rules.See the syllabus](/courses/game-development-masterclass-for-kids)[![Python and AI for Kids course thumbnail](/images/python-kids.webp)Ages 10 to 13Python and AI for KidsFirst typed Python, with lists of creatures, loops that move them and simple drawing.See the syllabus](/courses/python-ai-kids-masterclass)[![Problem Solving for Teens course thumbnail](/images/problem-solving-teens.webp)Ages 13 to 18Problem Solving for TeensLogic, data structures, algorithms and dynamic programming, taught so the ideas stick.See the syllabus](/courses/problem-solving-dsa-masterclass-teens)[![Python Masterclass course thumbnail](/images/python-college.webp)AdultsPython MasterclassPython from scratch for grown-ups, on to classes, files and exceptions, with nothing assumed.See the syllabus](/courses/python-programming-masterclass-zero-to-advanced-college) Browse the [course atlas](/course-atlas) for more than one hundred options and use the [coding roadmap](/coding-roadmap) to check prerequisites. The four we are known for ### Python, AI, vibe coding and agentic coding These run underneath everything above. Every one is live and online, placed by ability rather than by age, and the first class is free. [![Vibe Coding for Teens course thumbnail](/images/vibe-coding-teens.webp)Vibe codingAges 13 to 17Vibe Coding for TeensPython, web and AI projects where the learner still owns the thinking.See the syllabus](/courses/vibe-coding-for-teens-python-web-ai-projects-course)[![Python Automation Course course thumbnail](/images/python-college.webp)Python and AICollege and adultPython Automation CourseAutomate the work you already do, then let AI carry part of it.See the syllabus](/courses/python-ai-automation-masterclass-college)[![AI and Machine Learning for Teens course thumbnail](/images/ai-ml-teens.webp)AI and MLAges 14 to 18AI and Machine Learning for TeensTrain a model, read what it learned, and be able to say why it is wrong.See the syllabus](/courses/ai-ml-masterclass-teens)[![Codex & Claude Code course thumbnail](/images/codex-claude-code-adults.webp)Agentic codingProfessionalsCodex & Claude CodeRun AI coding agents on real work without losing control of the codebase.See the syllabus](/courses/codex-and-claude-code-ai-coding-agents-masterclass-for-adults-professionals)Devon in numbers ## Ten councils, 1,215,659 people and two coasts Council populations come from the 2021 Census on Nomis. For towns we give the ONS built-up areas and confirmed each against census output areas added up by us. | Council | Usual residents | Main towns | | --- | --- | --- | | Plymouth | 264,695 | Plymouth | | East Devon | 150,828 | Exmouth, Sidmouth, Honiton, Seaton, Axminster | | Torbay | 139,324 | Paignton, Torquay, Brixham | | Teignbridge | 134,803 | Newton Abbot, Teignmouth, Dawlish, Kingsteignton | | Exeter | 130,709 | Exeter | | North Devon | 98,611 | Barnstaple, Ilfracombe, Braunton, South Molton | | South Hams | 88,627 | Ivybridge, Totnes, Kingsbridge, Dartmouth | | Mid Devon | 82,852 | Tiverton, Cullompton, Crediton | | Torridge | 68,114 | Bideford, Great Torrington, Northam | | West Devon | 57,096 | Tavistock, Okehampton | Plymouth is a city of over a quarter of a million, and its built-up area edges into South Hams. Exeter is the other city, and between them sit the three Torbay towns. Beyond those, Devon is small towns separated by moors and long coastal roads, with Ilfracombe on the north coast and Dartmouth on the south. That spread is why a weekly club in one town rarely serves the rest. | Town | Residents | Town | Residents | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Plymouth | 266,955 | Ilfracombe | 9,200 | | Exeter | 126,175 | Okehampton | 9,110 | | Paignton | 67,520 | Cullompton | 8,895 | | Torquay | 52,035 | Crediton | 7,975 | | Exmouth | 35,500 | Seaton | 7,435 | | Barnstaple | 31,275 | Braunton | 6,610 | | Newton Abbot | 29,650 | Bovey Tracey | 6,240 | | Tiverton | 19,710 | South Molton | 6,225 | | Bideford | 19,490 | Axminster | 6,095 | | Brixham | 17,840 | Ottery St Mary | 6,045 | | Teignmouth | 15,315 | Great Torrington | 5,955 | | Sidmouth | 13,265 | Kingsbridge | 5,680 | | Tavistock | 12,670 | Dartmouth | 5,260 | | Ivybridge | 12,490 | Budleigh Salterton | 5,235 | | Honiton | 12,155 | Fremington | 5,230 | | Kingsteignton | 11,940 | Northam | 5,190 | | Dawlish | 11,800 | Totnes | 9,215 | All thirty-four agree with our own output-area count to within rounding and every one lies inside the county. School calendars are set by Devon County Council, Plymouth, Torbay and individual academies; we did not read them, so we agree lesson breaks with each family. The selective schools in Plymouth and Torbay have separate maths pages for [Plymouth](/11-plus-maths-tuition-plymouth) and [Torbay](/11-plus-maths-tuition-torbay); nothing here is school advice. The Devon project ## Three rules, 150 fish, and a shoal nobody designed Reynolds' boids, built in Python, then measured with a single number that says how organised the shoal is. Each simulated fish knows only its neighbours within a short distance. Every step it applies Reynolds' three rules, in his words: separation, "steer to avoid crowding local flockmates"; alignment, "steer towards the average heading of local flockmates"; and cohesion, "steer to move toward the average position of local flockmates". Then it swims on at a constant speed. The learner starts 150 fish in random places, facing random directions, in a 100 by 100 tank whose edges wrap round, and runs 600 steps. Watching the screen, a shoal forms. But how do you prove it? The answer is an order parameter, a single number that measures how organised the whole group is. Turn every fish's heading into an arrow of length one and average the arrows. If the fish point every which way, the arrows cancel and the average is short; if they all point the same way, it has length one. For 150 random headings the expected length is about one over the square root of 150, which is 0.082. That gives the learner a baseline, and a way to test each rule by turning it up or down. | Setting | Order (0 random, 1 all aligned) | What the shoal does | | --- | --- | --- | | Alignment switched off | 0.081 | No better than random, even though fish cluster | | Alignment at a quarter strength | 0.637 | Partly organised: groups swimming several ways | | Alignment at half strength | 0.995 | One shoal, all heading the same way | | Separation switched off | 0.944 order, 90.0 per cent crowded | Fish pile onto each other: median gap 0.20 units | | All three rules on | 0.990 order, 0 per cent crowded | An organised shoal with a median gap of 2.58 units | Two lessons come out of the table. The first is the sudden switch: between a quarter and a half strength of one small rule, the group goes from half-organised to almost perfectly aligned, a tipping point that no single fish decides. The second is what each rule is for. Without alignment there is clustering but no shared direction. Without separation the order stays high, but 90 per cent of fish end up within one unit of another, crammed together. Only all three together give a shoal that looks and behaves like the real thing. ### Ages 10 to 13 Make a few sprites follow a leader in Scratch, then try following the average of nearby sprites instead and describe the difference. ### Ages 13 to 16 Write the three rules in Python, draw the shoal, and add the order parameter so the computer can tell you when it has formed. ### Ages 16 and up Sweep the alignment strength finely, plot the order against it, find the tipping point, and test whether it moves with the number of fish. ### What the model is and is not The rules are Craig Reynolds'; the weights, tank, numbers of fish and steps are values we chose, and the results come from our own code with a fixed seed. Boids is a model of how coordinated movement can arise, not a description of how any particular species of fish behaves. Why Plymouth ## Britain's largest aquarium and a marine laboratory on Citadel Hill The Devon link, from the organisations' own pages, and the model's origin in its inventor's words. | Source | What it says | | --- | --- | | National Marine Aquarium | Located in Plymouth; the largest aquarium in the UK and home to over 4,000 animals. | | Marine Biological Association | Based at The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth. | | Craig Reynolds | "In 1986 I made a computer model of coordinated animal motion such as bird flocks and fish schools." | | Craig Reynolds | The model rests on three steering behaviours: separation, alignment and cohesion. | | Craig Reynolds | The 1992 film Batman Returns was the first of many films to use the model, for bat swarms and penguin flocks. | Plymouth has made marine science a local specialism, and a coding lesson built on shoaling gives a Devon learner a direct line from the tanks on the waterfront to one of the most elegant ideas in computing: that complicated group behaviour can come from simple individual rules. The same idea sits behind traffic models, crowd simulations, swarm robotics and the animated crowds in films. Modern Age Coders has no connection with the National Marine Aquarium, the Marine Biological Association, Craig Reynolds or any Devon council, and nothing on this page implies one. Their facts and rules are theirs; the simulation and any mistake in it are ours. Nearby pages [Plymouth](/best-coding-class-in-plymouth) and [Exeter](/best-coding-class-in-exeter) have their own pages, and [Cornwall](/coding-classes-in-cornwall) is across the Tamar. How learners grow ## From one moving sprite to a system that organises itself The free lesson places each learner by ability. Year group helps, but does not decide. Ages 6 to 10 ### Sprites with rules Scratch creatures that move, turn and react, the first taste of giving a character its own behaviour. [Scratch Coding for Kids](/courses/scratch-programming-complete-course)[Game Development for Kids](/courses/game-development-masterclass-for-kids)Ages 10 to 13 ### Many things at once Python lists of creatures updated in a loop, and simple drawing so the result can be watched. [Python and AI for Kids](/courses/python-ai-kids-masterclass)[Maths Through Coding](/courses/maths-through-coding)Ages 13 to 18 ### Simulation and measurement Agent models, vectors and averages, and the habit of measuring what a simulation does rather than just watching it. [Problem Solving for Teens](/courses/problem-solving-dsa-masterclass-teens)[Python for Teens](/courses/python-complete-masterclass-teens)Ages 18 to 67 ### Models for real questions Adults build simulations and data models in Python for work, with clear statements of what each model assumes. [Python Masterclass](/courses/python-programming-masterclass-zero-to-advanced-college)[Data Science Course](/courses/data-science-complete-masterclass-college)AI and emergence ## An AI can write a flocking simulation. Can it tell you which rule matters? Only if someone asks it to switch the rules off one at a time and measure. Ask a chatbot for a boids program and you will probably get a working one, with a pleasing animation. What you will not get, unless you ask, is evidence: which rule produces the alignment, what happens without separation, where the tipping point is. A simulation that looks right is not the same as one that is understood, and the difference only shows when you measure it. A Devon student who has computed 0.081, 0.637 and 0.995 for three settings of one rule knows how to interrogate any model, human-written or machine-written: find a number that captures the behaviour, establish what random looks like, and change one thing at a time. That is how scientists test ideas, and it is exactly the discipline needed to trust or distrust what an AI tool produces. So a Devon teenager should learn to code in 2026 not to watch simulations, but to measure them. The longer argument is in [why teenagers should still learn to code in 2026](/blog/is-coding-worth-learning-2026). How lessons run ## Ilfracombe to Dartmouth, with no bus at all Devon is wide and its roads are slow in summer. Online, every town is equally close. ### At your kitchen table A kitchen in Braunton, a bedroom in Crediton, a desk in Kingsbridge. The teacher shares the screen and the learner writes the code. ### Words from your school Year groups, GCSE options and A levels are named just as Devon schools name them, and teaching is in English. ### First lesson on the house A proper lesson of real work, then an honest recommendation. You will not be asked for card details. ### A group at your pace Five to ten learners who are at the same point, from many towns and countries, meeting at a sensible hour. ### Breaks by arrangement Two lessons a week is normal, pausing when your own school breaks up, whichever council or trust set the dates. ### UK times only Teachers work on India time, 4.5 hours ahead of UK summer time and 5.5 ahead of winter time, but you only ever see UK times. Why groups are formed by level Thirty-four towns spread across moors and coasts mean few places have enough learners at the same stage on the same evening. Level-based groups let an Okehampton learner and a Paignton learner share a class. Fees ## Fees for Devon Every Devon town pays the same, as does every country outside India. First class**USD 0** One full lesson of real work, with a recommended level and course at the end. Group tuition**USD 100** Roughly eight lessons a month in a group of five to ten at the same level. Private tuition**USD 150** Roughly eight lessons a month, one teacher with one learner. We bill every family outside India in US dollars; there is no price list in pounds. The first bill comes only after the free lesson has settled a course and weekly slot, and the pricing page explains pausing, missed lessons and switching between group and private teaching. Request placement[Check availability](https://wa.me/919123366161?text=Hello%20Modern%20Age%20Coders%2C%20please%20could%20I%20book%20a%20free%20lesson%20for%20a%20learner%20in%20Devon%3F)Reviews ## Reviews families posted on Google Rated 4.9 across 547 Google reviews. These are real reviews, 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 Free placement class ## Book a free first lesson Tell us an age or school year and one thing the learner loves. The first lesson might be a Scratch game, a first Python loop, or the shoal simulation on this page. ### Contact the team directly WhatsApp or call [+91 91233 66161](tel:+919123366161), or email [contact@modernagecoders.com](mailto:contact@modernagecoders.com). This is Modern Age Coders' actual contact, an Indian number, and not an invented Devon one. [WhatsApp Modern Age Coders](https://wa.me/919123366161?text=Hello%20Modern%20Age%20Coders%2C%20please%20could%20I%20book%20a%20free%20lesson%20for%20a%20learner%20in%20Devon%3F) Submitted details are used for placement and follow-up. FAQ ## Devon questions The county, the shoal project and how lessons work. ### How many people live in Devon? Plymouth, Torbay and the eight Devon districts had 1,215,659 usual residents at the 2021 Census, according to ONS figures on Nomis. Plymouth was the largest council at 264,695. ### What are the largest towns in Devon? By ONS built-up area: Plymouth 266,955, Exeter 126,175, Paignton 67,520, Torquay 52,035 and Exmouth 35,500. All thirty-four Devon towns above five thousand are listed on this page. ### What is the shoal project? Learners code Craig Reynolds' boids model, 150 simulated fish following three rules, and measure how organised the shoal is. Switching the alignment rule from off to half strength takes the order from 0.081, no better than random, to 0.995. ### What are boids? Simulated creatures from a model Craig Reynolds made in 1986. Each follows three rules about its neighbours: separation, alignment and cohesion. Together they produce flocking and shoaling without any leader. ### Why is Plymouth linked to this? Plymouth is home to the National Marine Aquarium, which calls itself the largest aquarium in the UK with over 4,000 animals, and to the Marine Biological Association's laboratory on Citadel Hill. ### Is there a classroom in Plymouth or Exeter? No. Every lesson is live online, so a learner in Bideford and one in Teignmouth can be in the same class without travelling. ### What ages do you teach? Six to sixty-seven. Games and Scratch for young children, typed Python from around ten, algorithms and simulation for teenagers, and Python or data for adults. The free lesson finds the right level. ### Can my child learn to make games? Yes. The game development course for ages 8 to 12 builds real games in Scratch, then Roblox and Minecraft worlds. ### How much are lessons? Your first lesson costs nothing. After that, a place in a group is USD 100 per month and one-to-one lessons are USD 150 per month; there is no sign-up fee and you are not tied in. ### When are Devon school holidays? Devon County Council, Plymouth, Torbay and academies each set dates. We fit lesson breaks around your own school's calendar. Beyond Devon ## More pages in the South West and beyond The [Plymouth](/best-coding-class-in-plymouth) and [Exeter](/best-coding-class-in-exeter) pages cover the two cities, [Cornwall](/coding-classes-in-cornwall) is next door, and the [UK hub](/coding-classes-in-united-kingdom) lists every county and city. Book the free class[Message us on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/919123366161?text=Hello%20Modern%20Age%20Coders%2C%20please%20could%20I%20book%20a%20free%20lesson%20for%20a%20learner%20in%20Devon%3F)Free Devon class[Call +91 91233 66161](tel:+919123366161) ## Keep exploring Modern Age Coders ### Coding classes in nearby places - [Coding & Maths Classes at Diamond City North](/coding-classes-in-diamond-city-north) - [Coding Classes in Deventer](/coding-classes-in-deventer) - [Coding & Maths Classes near Diamond City South](/coding-classes-in-diamond-city-south) - [Coding Classes in Derbyshire](/coding-classes-in-derbyshire) - [Coding Classes in Diemen](/coding-classes-in-diemen) - [Coding Classes in Denbighshire](/coding-classes-in-denbighshire) - [Coding Classes in Feijenoord, Rotterdam](/coding-classes-in-feijenoord) - [Coding Classes in Falkirk](/coding-classes-in-falkirk) - [Coding Classes in Essex](/coding-classes-in-essex) - [Coding Classes in Lincolnshire](/coding-classes-in-lincolnshire) ### Free resources - [Python Tutorial for Beginners: Complete Guide](/resources/python) - [Lists in Python](/resources/python/lists-in-python) - [JavaScript in the Browser](/resources/javascript/javascript-in-the-browser) - [Sets in Python](/resources/python/sets-in-python) ### From the blog - [Python Dictionary: The Complete Guide With 20 Examples](/blog/python-dictionary-complete-guide) - [30+ Scratch Project Ideas for Kids: Starter Projects to Advanced Games](/blog/30-plus-scratch-project-ideas-kids-fun-coding-beginner-advanced) - [How to Read and Write Files in Python (The Complete Guide)](/blog/how-to-read-and-write-files-in-python) ### Start here - [How Modern Age Coders teaches, small batches and real projects](/how-we-teach) - [What Modern Age Coders families say](/love) --- *Canonical: https://learn.modernagecoders.com/coding-classes-in-devon*