Mentor voices: Bootham School Code Club’s success story, with mentor Tom Lund

Ever wondered what makes a Code Club successful and inspiring? We spoke with Tom Lund, a mentor from Bootham School Code Club in York, to learn about their journey and what makes their club thrive.

How did you get started with Code Club?

For two years, I’ve had the privilege of being a mentor and trustee at my local coding club. The atmosphere there is infectious; the passion the creators bring to each session is amazing. The leader encouraged me to set up a Code Club in the school where I teach, which I did! Since then, I’ve seen so many different creators learn by making, allowing them to celebrate their impressive achievements.

What does a typical Code Club session look like at Bootham School?

My Code Club runs weekly, every Monday and Friday during term time, and we tackle a variety of projects. As the mentor, I set a weekly theme, which could be something I’ve prepared or an idea suggested by the creators themselves.

Depending on the project ideas I develop, there might be templates, instructions, or starter code. Sometimes, my themes align perfectly with Code Club projects, and sometimes we will use other projects. I always make sure creators know that if they don’t want to participate in the week’s theme, they’re free to work on any project they choose, allowing their curiosity and creativity to flourish.

During each session, I provide guidance as needed but strongly encourage problem-solving by the creators themselves or their peers. I also fully embrace the motto: “If you make it, then you can play it.” 

In the last 10 minutes of each session — each one runs for an hour — we celebrate each other’s achievements, and creators can show off their projects if they wish. I also hand out certificates from the Code Club resources page, and we applaud our creators. Finally, I ask them if they have any particular themes they’d like to explore the following week.

What makes your club thrive?

Our Code Club fosters a very relaxed environment where creators can explore whatever they wish, however they wish. This could mean following a tutorial, a Code Club project path, or even starting from scratch with their ideas.

Sometimes, if I feel a certain programming language, like Scratch, is being overused, and creators need a nudge to try something new, I’ll suggest we take a break from it for a bit. This encourages them to discover new technologies they might love, removing any fear or anxiety around trying different tools and keeping them curious and invested.

Because my Code Club is within a school and operates as an extracurricular activity, it’s built into students’ timetables. They pick an activity each term and stick with it. This has helped maintain continuity in creator skills and has even fostered young mentors who guide new students transitioning into Code Club.

Describe your club in three words

This is a tough one, but my three words would be: creative, ambitious, encouraging.

What advice would you give to someone starting a Code Club?

My biggest piece of advice is to use the resources that are available. The Code Club website has so many helpful tips, documents, and project ideas to get you started. You can also look for other nearby clubs and see if you can speak to their leaders or champions for advice. It’s always best to try, because if you don’t, you’ll never know what could be!

If Tom has inspired you to set up a Code Club in your community, explore our ‘Run a club’ page to learn how to get started.