Enrolling in Skill Samurai is much different than a typical, adult-style computer science education or an online course. Kids don’t like lectures and the idea of going to another school after school can sound boring. 
Instead, our students learn computer science through play. We give them real projects to tackle, such as building the same games they’ve played before while learning coding principles along the way. Students develop games, play them, and then share their masterpieces with each other. Additional topics, such as virtual reality contribute to a more diverse skill set. The result is a fun, collaborative learning environment unique to a traditional coding school.
We also firmly believe that children should learn more than just coding or Maths while at a Skill Samurai lesson. Our belief is that children need to learn to do at least one of three things while learning with us: solve a real-world problem, make a profit or benefit mankind.  

Our prices aren't based per class, but rather on an all-inclusive membership option. This allows for unlimited weekly classes, and depending on the membership option chosen, could also include Holiday Club and Parent Night options.
For parents and students who have limited time due to their extracurricular schedules, we also have a specialist option. This is the simplest option and allows for 1 class per week (either coding or MathCode).

Most people don't know, but coding helps kids improve across almost all subject areas (the research proves it). We also know that some kids struggle with Maths and English, so coding classes can be a great way to bridge the gap and help students improve exam grades and build a love of learning. 

For students on the Specialist membership option, a missed class can be made up within the same month.

Definitely! Like many subjects, school introduces students to the basic concepts. If your child has shown an interest in coding (computer programming), our classes will build on that knowledge and take students to advanced levels, which schools can't always provide. Our curriculum builds into long-term career skills and certifications. 

No problem, we can switch them to another program, and work with them to find a program that they will enjoy.
We're parents too, which is why we believe in keeping things simple and flexible! 

We get it, family schedules can be hectic. We've designed a world-class curriculum that is project based and self-paced. 
What does that mean? It means that your child can attend any scheduled class, any day. If you need to cancel at short notice, no problem, our booking system allows you to easily cancel, book and rebook. We've designed it especially for busy families.  

Our coding classes are one hour in duration, the perfect length to hold a student's attention and achieve learning outcomes. Each class is divided into bite sized lessons and focused on a project that is aligned with their interests (i.e. Minecraft, websites Roblox, apps, etc.). Perfect for kids with short attention spans!
Our MathCode classes are 2 hours in length due to the combination of Maths and Coding. While the class is longer than our coding classes, switching up the maths and coding activities allows for student's to remain engaged during the entire session.

Learning to code can be one of the best ways to change their focus and reduce their addiction. Instead of passively consuming videos and games, students learn how their favourite websites and games are created. 
Students crave knowledge and learning, and they find themselves wanting to create their own technology rather than being controlled by it! 

Put simply, coding is a great way to bring like-minded kids together. Some of our curriculum and holiday clubs are team oriented, so it's a great way to build social skills. You never know, they might meet (or become) the next tech innovator!

You don't need to know how to play Beethoven's Piano Sonata No.14 in order to teach your child the piano. That's our job. Not teaching piano, but teaching kids to code. 
Seriously though, you don't need to be tech savvy, our coaches will guide your child so that they thrive. Not just as programmers, but as tech creators, innovators and students. The students also share ideas and problem solve together while attending classes, which is a great way to knowledge share!

We understand needs and priorities change, and you may need to cancel your membership. We do ask that you give us a 30-day notice of intent to cancel. You may do that by sending us an email with the date that you would like to stop. However, we are not able to refund you for any classes that you have missed in the months before cancellation.
Our Holiday Club cancellation policy is as follows:
● 7 days prior to the start of holiday club: 50% refund.● Less than 7 days prior to the start of camp: no refund. 
Our refund policy is strong because many of our holiday clubs sell out, and the closer that we get to the start of holiday clubs, the harder it is to find a replacement. In many cases, our owners have paid for staff, equipment, and software, and those funds are not refundable. 

A holiday club is a coding activity that takes place during the school holidays.  
Holiday clubs typically run for 2-4 hours depending on location, and will cover activities such as modding in Roblox or Minecraft, or creating games in Scratch. In some locations, students may also participate in non-digital activities such as board games.
School holidays will differ in each location, therefore please check your location for holiday club dates.

A typical day of holiday club looks like this:● Check-in between 7:45 and 8● 8:00-8:15: Introduction of students and coach● 8:15-9:00: Let's have fun! (Since our classes are based on the abilities of the students, not every student will work on the same programs. We will do our best to make sure your child is learning and having a great time. We will often try different learning platforms with the students until we find the one that connects with them.)● 9:00-9:15: SNACK BREAK! (Please make sure snacks are healthy and don't contain any nuts!)● 9:15-10:00 Back on the computers● 10:00: Pick up, or play on own devices until students are picked up.● Parents are encouraged to pick up their child/ren between 10:00 and 10:15. Our coaches are unable to stay for longer than 15 minutes with students whose parents arrive late. We reserve the right to charge a rate of R150 per hour or part thereof for students whose parents are late to collect them.

A Parent Night is a dedicated evening class during a month where Skill Samurai will run a 2 hour coding class (similar to a Holiday Club) to allow parents to have dinner or spend time together uninterrupted.
Parent nights are typically held on either a Friday or Saturday night on specified dates during the month, and are booked in advance by parents.
Please note that Parent Nights are not a babysitting service. Students must be between 6 and 18 years old and willing and able to participate in a coding or other STEM related activity for 2 hours.

At Skill Samurai, every person has the right to enjoy their activities in a safe and healthy environment. As parents ourselves, we understand that sometimes children may act out in an inappropriate manner, and our approach to dealing with such situations is outlined below.
Level 1Arguing, swearing, refusing to listen, being inappropriate, personal space issues.
1st incident:● Time out, removal from activity, or loss of privileges, followed by debriefing.2nd incident:● Time out, removal from activity, or loss of privileges, followed by debriefing. Meeting with Centre Director and/or Coach. Brainstorm possible solutions. Phone call home to update parents to work on solutions together.3rd incident:● Time out, removal from activity, or loss of privileges, followed by debriefing● Phone call home by Centre Director and/or Coach and likely removal from Skill Samurai.
Level 2Violence (i.e. hurting others, self, or property); stealing or threatening violence.
1st incident:● Meeting with Centre Director and learning coach to brainstorm possible solutions.● Phone call home to parents/guardians and to work on solutions. Consequence and behaviour contract or removal from class.2nd incident:● Any student removed from class will need to be picked up from centre immediately by their parent. They will not be permitted to finish out the day. They will be removed from all activities and wait with the Centre Director or Coach for your arrival. If you are unable to pick them up, a ride will be arranged with one of your emergency contacts.

School computer education is a good start, but even though they also offer classes such as maths and PE, parents still use the help of tutors to have their children learn maths and enrol in team sports. 
School offers the basic foundations while developing a solid skill such as coding takes time, practice, consistency and effort outside of class. We offer the opportunity to make that happen in a fun and engaging way, and in line with an individual student's talent, skills and interest levels.

All students need to bring headphones, as the classes include videos to help them through the lesson.
Minecraft students are required to have their own license for the Java version of Minecraft, which can be purchased at minecraft.net. Please note that Minecraft for consoles, and portable devices, or the free version, are not compatible with modding in Minecraft.
Roblox students should bring their Roblox account information. 
Students attending holiday clubs should bring a healthy snack and a bottle of water (no fizzy drinks please!)