Terms & Conditions

1. Who we are

The Kids Are Coding ("we", "us", "our") is an online coding education service operated by William Du Plooy, based in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. You can reach us on WhatsApp at 069 009 6569 or by email at williamduplooy@inkman.co.za.

These terms form an agreement between us and the parent or legal guardian ("you") who enrols a child, or an adult student who enrols themselves. Where a student is under 18, a parent or legal guardian must be the one to enrol and accept these terms.

2. What the programme is

We provide structured weekly coding lessons delivered as PDF documents over WhatsApp, together with personal written feedback on submitted work.

We currently offer three programmes:

• Little Coders Track (ages 5–9) — early coding concepts, patterns and logical thinking. Works on a tablet or phone.
• Theory Track (ages 10–17 and adults) — computer science fundamentals, the internet, cybersecurity and AI. Works on a phone.
• Full Coding Programme (ages 10–17 and adults) — three progressive 12-week levels: Scratch, then Python, then web development. A laptop or computer is required.

Important — this is a self-study programme. We provide the lesson content, structure and personal written feedback. We do not run live classes or scheduled tutoring sessions. Students work through each lesson in their own time. Additional support is available via WhatsApp, and a short call can be arranged by mutual agreement when a student is stuck.

Each level runs for 12 weeks. Students on the Full Coding Programme ordinarily begin at Level 1 regardless of age, so that every student builds the same foundation. Where a student clearly has prior experience, we may agree with you in writing to place them at a later level.

3. How lessons work

• Monday: the week's lesson is sent to your WhatsApp number.
• During the week: the student works through the lesson at their own pace. For younger children, parent involvement is encouraged.
• Friday: you or the student sends photos or screenshots of the completed work back via WhatsApp.
• Before the next Monday: we send personal written feedback on that work.

If work is not submitted in a given week, the following lesson is still sent on schedule. We cannot provide feedback on work that has not been submitted, and unsubmitted weeks do not extend the enrolment or carry over as credit.

Lessons are ordinarily sent on Monday mornings. Occasionally a lesson may be delayed by a short period for practical reasons; where that happens we will let you know on WhatsApp.

4. Fees & payment

Current monthly fees per student:

• Little Coders Track — R750 per month
• Theory Track — R500 per month
• Full Coding Programme — R1,000 per month

Fees are payable monthly in advance, on or before the 1st of each month. Lessons for a given month are sent once payment has been received and confirmed.

Payment is currently made by EFT to: Capitec Bank, account name William JE Du Plooy, account number 2541056199, branch code 470010. Please use the student's name as the payment reference so we can match your payment. Full details are on our payment page.

Family discounts are available where more than one child from the same family is enrolled — ask us on WhatsApp.

We may change our fees from time to time. If we do, we will give you at least one calendar month's notice in writing, and the new fee will only apply from the following month. If you do not wish to continue at the new fee, you may cancel under section 5 with no penalty.

Additional payment methods (such as instalment options or card payments) may be introduced in future. Where a new method is used, any associated terms of that payment provider will also apply.

5. Cancelling or pausing

This is a month-to-month arrangement. There is no minimum term and no lock-in contract.

Either you or we may cancel or pause the enrolment by giving two weeks' written notice. A WhatsApp message to 069 009 6569 counts as written notice. No further fees are charged beyond lessons already delivered within that notice period.

If a payment has not been received by the 7th of a month and we have not heard from you, we may treat the enrolment as paused and stop sending lessons until payment is arranged. We will always try to contact you on WhatsApp first.

6. Refunds

Because lessons are delivered as digital content at the start of each month, we do not issue refunds for a month once its lessons have been delivered.

If you have paid for a month and no lessons have yet been sent, tell us before the first lesson goes out and we will refund that payment in full.

If we are unable to deliver lessons for an extended period for reasons within our control, we will either credit the affected weeks against your next month or refund them, at your choice.

Nothing in these terms limits any rights you may have under the South African Consumer Protection Act.

7. What you need

• A WhatsApp account to receive lessons and submit work.
• A reliable internet connection.
• Full Coding Programme: a laptop or computer is required. Smartphones are not suitable, as students write real code.
• Little Coders Track: a tablet or phone is sufficient.
• Theory Track: a phone is sufficient.

You are responsible for providing and maintaining the device and internet connection. We cannot be responsible for lessons that cannot be completed because a suitable device or connection was not available.

8. Your responsibilities

• Giving us accurate enrolment details, and telling us if your WhatsApp number changes.
• Making sure the student has access to a suitable device and time to work through each lesson.
• Encouraging and, for younger children, helping with weekly submissions.
• Paying fees on time as set out in section 4.
• Supervising your child's use of the internet and any software used in the lessons.

9. Our responsibilities

• Sending a complete, age-appropriate lesson each week of an active enrolment.
• Providing genuine, personal written feedback on every piece of work submitted on time.
• Being reachable on WhatsApp during reasonable hours for questions and support.
• Keeping your personal information private and secure, as set out in section 11.
• Giving you clear notice of any change to fees or these terms.

10. Certificates

Students who complete all three levels of the Full Coding Programme receive a Certificate of Achievement from The Kids Are Coding.

Please note: this certificate recognises completion of our programme. It is not accredited by SAQA, Umalusi, the Department of Basic Education, or any other South African government body or education authority, and it is not a formal qualification.

11. Privacy & your data

We collect only what we need to run the programme: parent and student names, the student's age, your WhatsApp number, your email address if you give one, and the work submitted for feedback.

We use this information solely to deliver lessons, provide feedback, arrange payment and communicate with you about the programme.

We do not sell your information, and we do not share it with third parties for marketing or any other purpose, except where we are required to by law.

We process personal information in line with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). Because students are often minors, the parent or guardian gives this consent on the child's behalf when enrolling.

You may ask us at any time to see what information we hold about you, to correct it, or to delete it — just message us on WhatsApp or email us. We keep enrolment and payment records for as long as we are legally required to, and delete the rest on request.

12. Student work & photos

We are proud of what our students build, and we sometimes like to show examples of student projects on our website or social media.

We will never publish your child's full name, face, contact details or any identifying information without asking you first and getting your clear permission.

Where we show a student project (for example a screenshot of a game or program), we may credit it with a first name only, or anonymously, and only if you have agreed. You can withdraw that permission at any time by messaging us, and we will remove the item.

13. Our lesson content

All lesson PDFs, worksheets, examples and other materials we provide remain our intellectual property. They are licensed to you for the personal, non-commercial use of the enrolled student.

Please don't share, resell, republish or distribute our lesson materials to other families, schools or organisations without our written permission. If you'd like to use our material in a school or centre, we offer partnerships — just ask.

Work created by the student belongs to the student.

14. Respectful conduct

We expect respectful communication from everyone — us, you and the student. We reserve the right to end an enrolment immediately, with a refund of any unused portion of that month, if there is abusive, threatening or discriminatory behaviour toward us.

15. Limits of liability

We provide our educational content in good faith and take real care over its quality.

To the extent permitted by law, we are not liable for: technical problems with your device or internet connection; issues arising from third-party software used in lessons (for example Scratch, Python or a web browser); or outcomes from applying skills learned outside the programme.

Where we are found liable for any claim relating to this agreement, our total liability is limited to the fees you paid us in the three months before the claim arose.

Nothing in these terms excludes liability that cannot lawfully be excluded, including for gross negligence.

16. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time — for example when we add new programmes or payment methods. The current version is always on this page, with the date it was last updated at the top.

If we make a change that materially affects you, we'll tell you on WhatsApp at least one calendar month before it takes effect. Continuing with the programme after that means you accept the updated terms; if you'd rather not, you can cancel under section 5.

17. Governing law

This agreement is governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa, and the South African courts have jurisdiction over any dispute arising from it.

If any part of these terms is found to be unenforceable, the rest continues to apply.

Before any formal dispute, we ask that you contact us directly on WhatsApp so we can try to resolve it — in practice almost everything is sorted out with a conversation.

18. Contact us

Questions about anything on this page? Please ask — we'd rather explain it than have you guess.

The Kids Are Coding
William Du Plooy
WhatsApp: 069 009 6569
Email: williamduplooy@inkman.co.za
Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa