Coding for students aged 16–17: diagrams like the grown-ups’

At sixteen it’s time to do what grown-ups do — only with the right to make mistakes. In the 16–17 lab a student reads and draws engineering diagrams — piping, electrics, logic — and writes the code that drives them.

if tank.pressure > LIMIT:
    valve.close()
    log("pressure above threshold")

What the student does

Builds a night-light circuit: source, switch, lamp, light sensor. Reads a P&ID — a piping diagram with valves and pumps, as in a real plant — and writes the logic: if pressure is above the threshold, close the valve. Connects diagram and code: a courier route becomes a diagram, and the diagram becomes a program. By the end — a portfolio: not a certificate, but things they made, with version history.

What they learn

To think in systems: what depends on what and what happens if you remove an element. To read standard engineering notation. To write code that checks conditions and keeps a system within limits. To document work so another person understands it. To verify — including the answers of the AI assistant, which teaches here rather than solves.

What a session looks like

Ages 16–17 belong to a later stage after the first launch. This is an outline of the programme we want to build.

What parents see

The future parent dashboard is planned to show projects and skills. It is not open yet. Standalone exercises on this site need no registration and offer a first look at our approach.

Frequently asked questions

Does this prepare for engineering school?

It helps to understand what engineers do and to try it. It isn’t official admissions prep.

Is Python experience required?

Helpful but not required: the first 16–17 lab revisits the basics on engineering material.

What’s left afterwards?

Projects and diagrams with version history — a portfolio you can show.

Opening on 1 January 2027. Routes for ages 7–9, 10–12 and 13–15 are in development. Try a first exercise without registering.