Python Workshop
Another creative workshop, back by popular demand is our Python course. This too will be hosted online via Zoom and if you would like to book a place on this course then please email hello@firstcoding.co.uk. Why not play a game that came out of one of these workshops here.
Python School Groups
We continue this week with our popular Python school groups, looking at clever ways to code text-based Choose Your Own Adventure games. Already there are some great ideas forming and we look forward to seeing the results in a few weeks time. In the meantime, you can play one of First Coding’s adventure games where you must navigate a secret underground bunker, solving puzzles and looking for the source of the mysterious radio transmissions.
The game is called Number Station and you can play it online here: http://numberstation.co.uk/

Python Weather Recorder
Here at First Coding we love to see the projects that people work on after attending our workshops. Take this Year 9 python project for example. It’s a weather monitoring program that first lets you specify the location and the number of weather samples you wish to take, before logging the results in a spreadsheet. When all the samples have been taken and recorded, the spreadsheet then gets emailed to you automatically.
This is such a great idea and one that can be put to good use in so many helpful ways. Well done!

New Coding Clubs
Three new coding clubs kick off this week. The pupils will be learning how to code their own text adventure games in Python. These games were a huge part of most people’s childhood and if you would like to learn more about them then I would recommend books by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone. Here are my only surviving copies from the 80s and 90s.
Python Programming Course
Python Introductory Course
First Coding is running another Python introductory course for 11 – 14 year olds who are confident around computers and would like to start developing their coding skills through this programming language.
Over the four weekly sessions, students will learn the important concepts of programming whilst working towards their own text-based adventure games. We will also cover how to host and distribute the games you make.
The course starts on Saturday 15th February between 2.30pm and 3.30pm and will run for four weeks. The cost is £80 per student and sessions are held at the First Coding offices here in Salisbury: http://www.firstcoding.co.uk/contact/
Introductory Course – Final Project
Another series of courses come to an end at Bishop Wordsworth School today. The introductory coding courses walked the pupils through developing their own games in Scratch before making the leap to Python. For their final project, they had to code in Python their very own fruit machine, calculating odds and probability to work out their winnings. I’ve been really impressed by the different ways in which the task was tackled.
They also leave with a number of guides to help them develop their skills further whilst also offering tips on how to publicise their creations.