TechyTots will help kids unwind and de-stress after taking their SATs

South Tyneside business TechyTots is offering free workshops to schools whose Year 6 children have just completed their Key Stage 2 exams, as a way of rewarding and celebrating the achievement of pupils.

The company, which was launched by 33-year-old Gemma Murray, 33, from South Shields, brings together technology and play to introduce children to coding - the system which makes it possible to create everything from websites to computers.

Now teachers can apply for two one-hour taster sessions, which will see Gemma and her team visit the lucky schools with their collection of robots and gadgets.

The mum-of-two said: “We are the very first class of this kind and our aim is to work on the first steps of coding with children at a young age. We believe this is instrumental for helping them to prepare for the technical world we now live in whilst making it fun.

“We decided to run the SATs initiative to celebrate the children’s success and offer schools a rewarding, fun activity to de-stress the children after all of their hard work.

“In our sessions, we encourage children to code by using robots and the most advanced toys available on the market. We also use unplugged play and activities which engage problem solving skills, early maths, confidence, critical thinking and creativity.”

After launching in May 2017, TechyTots, which runs in a number of the region’s schools, already has nine franchises throughout the UK and Ireland - with aims to expand even further.

Recently the business partnered with the British multinational enterprise software company Sage, to deliver STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) days in its UK and Ireland offices.

It was also nominated for ‘Best New Children’s Activity’ in the What’s on 4 Kids Awards 2018.

Gemma added: “It’s very exciting at the moment for TechyTots, we have lots of plans in the pipeline and are ever expanding. We are always keen to hear from prospective franchisees too, to help spread the love of coding even further.

Anyone wanting to apply for the free sessions should email [email protected] by the close of business tomorrow, including the school’s name, address and year group.