Rodocodo

What Rodocodo is

Rodocodo is a coding game for primary school children aged 4 to 11, built so that a class teacher with no coding background can teach the subject. The home page opens with the promise "Teach your class to code. No coding knowledge required!" and describes the product as "a coding game designed to make teaching primary children to code fun and easy. It takes you all the way from Reception to Year 6, removing all the complexity and frustration along the way." The company behind it is Rodocodo Ltd, with a Nottingham address in the footer.

It sits between a children's game and a school curriculum. Pupils play; teachers get the plans, the training and the tracking. The company states two aims: to "Demystify coding for primary school teachers so you can confidently teach the subject," and to "Ensure all children leave primary school great at coding, regardless of gender, background, or current attainment level." The site's own summary is that "Pupils build problem-solving skills step by step, while teachers get support with lessons, resources and progress tracking."

What pupils get

For children, Rodocodo is a game in which they learn to solve problems the way a programmer does. The company says it "teaches children the science of solving problems (Computational Thinking) without them realising," and that it "develops their skills and confidence to solve problems on their own. This means they ask for help less often when stuck."

The design choices are aimed at the whole class rather than the keenest few. The home page lists them: "Girls should develop these skills so we've made a conscious effort to be gender neutral." The game is "purposely designed for children at any attainment level. Even those who can't read, or aren't confident at Maths." And "Each child works at their own pace with no frustrating difficulty spikes." The company says it built the game with "no boring tutorials or steep learning curves," and explains its focus on fun with an observation from classrooms: "We've found pupils persevere longer when they're stuck if the levels are fun. So we made fun our main focus." Its claim about engagement is blunt: pupils "won't realise they're learning because to them it feels like they're playing a game. They'll be asking you for homework!"

As pupils play, "Rodocodo gives your class instant feedback," which the company says frees the teacher "to focus on those that need your help most."

What teachers get

The teacher's side is the core of the product for schools. Four pieces of support are described on the home page.

Lesson plans. "We've created all the lesson plans that you'll need to take you from Reception to Year 6! You'll never have to plan another coding lesson." The planning is matched to curriculum objectives: "All the planning to hit the key curriculum objectives for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 is done for you."

Staff training. The CPD "is designed to explain things in a way that even your most technophobic colleagues can understand." This is the piece aimed at class teachers who have never coded.

Posters. The posters "introduce the core coding concepts using real-life everyday examples. Like brushing teeth, or putting on your clothes."

Progress tracking. "We automatically keep track of each child's progress. Making assessment easy for you."

Help is available beyond the materials. The footer links a Help Centre and a contact page, and Kim Melvill-Smith's testimonial below mentions "constant support from the team."

Free resources and Code Hour

Rodocodo gives away several things that a teacher can use before buying anything. The free coding posters are described as "9 posters" that "explain all the core coding concepts for KS1 and KS2," using "real-life examples you and your pupils will recognise." Alongside them comes a "free mini-course delivered as a series of 9 emails" with "cross-curricular and real-life examples to use with your class." A guide, "Demystifying Coding for Primary School Teachers in 4 Easy Steps," argues that "Code looks intimidating. Yet, coding isn't hard."

Code Hour is the free game, and the site menu has an Hour of Code section. The company describes it as "a free coding game for kids (aged 4-11) that makes learning to code fun and easy." It needs no account: a teacher can download it or play online, with "No need to sign up or log in." Children choose a difficulty, complete the levels, and the teacher can "Download and print your certificate," which the page calls "A great way to reward your pupils' hard work!" It "Can be played on any computer or device."

Buying it

The site's main button reads "Get Started Free," and there is also a "Request Trial" button for schools. The menu has a Pricing page and separate sections for Schools and for Parents.

What schools say

The testimonials come from named staff at named schools. Ruby George of Harris Primary Academy Mayflower writes: "Coding was that one lesson our staff had the least confidence teaching until we introduced Rodocodo. The impact the programme has had on the pupils' programming skills is outstanding." Kim Melvill-Smith of St Joseph's School calls it "A child-led initiative which is paced according to each individual's ability," with "detailed lesson plans which provides teachers with all the subject knowledge required." Tim Astin of Bradford Academy Primary says "I am regularly asked by pupils if they can play," and that pupils carry what they learn into other tools, making "links to the skills and understanding they gained in Rodocodo." Adam Bevan of Carrington Primary School describes "A fun and engaging way to teach programming, debugging and logical reasoning, without the children even realising they are learning."

Who it suits

Rodocodo suits a primary school, especially one that follows Reception to Year 6 and Key Stage 1 and 2 objectives, whose staff lack confidence in teaching coding. It gives that school a full sequence of lessons, training written for non-specialists and automatic tracking, so a class teacher can run coding without building anything. The design for children who cannot yet read, and for every attainment level, makes it practical for a whole class, including the youngest pupils. The free Code Hour game, posters and email course let a teacher try the approach first.

The scope is the limit. Rodocodo is built for ages 4 to 11, so it ends where primary school ends, and a school will need something else once pupils move on to secondary computing.