CoderFile Lab for schools

A virtual coding lab your whole school can use

Hands-on programming practice aligned to TVET Levels 3–5 for the Software Development trade — with the teacher tools to run real classes.

<div><div><h2>Code in the browser</h2> <p>Python, JavaScript, HTML/CSS, SQL and more — no installs, works on school lab PCs and Chromebooks.</p></div></div><div><div><h2>Auto-graded practice</h2> <p>Every exercise runs against hidden tests and gives instant feedback, plus an AI mentor that hints instead of giving answers.</p></div></div><div><div><h2>Many schools, one platform</h2> <p>Each school gets its own space. School admins invite teachers with a code and see school-wide numbers.</p></div></div><div><div><h2>Classes with join codes</h2> <p>Teachers open a class, pick courses and share a 6-letter code. Students join in seconds.</p></div></div><div><div><h2>Assignments & deadlines</h2> <p>Pick lessons, set a due date, and students see what's due and overdue.</p></div></div><div><div><h2>Progress & gradebook</h2> <p>Per-student progress, scores, attempts, stuck-student flags and a CSV gradebook export.</p></div></div><div><div><h2>Private by design</h2> <p>Teachers only see students in their own classes. Students' code isn't shown on dashboards.</p></div></div><div><div><h2>Light on bandwidth</h2> <p>Lessons open fast; the full editor loads only when a student starts coding.</p></div></div>
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What a first term looks like

A school does not need to change its timetable to start. Most schools run one Lab lesson a week inside an existing computing period, with students finishing the rest as homework on a shared device or at home. The pattern below works for a first class of beginners.

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What your school needs

Lab runs entirely in the browser. There is nothing to install on school computers, and students can use lab PCs, Chromebooks, or a phone browser. Each student needs a free account so progress, assignments, and saved snippets follow them between devices.

  • A browser and an internet connection. On slow connections, learners can switch on slow-connection mode on any Lab page: the lesson text stays readable and the code editor loads only when they ask for it.
  • One honest limit to plan around: the first time a student runs Python code, the browser downloads Pyodide, the Python engine. That download happens once per browser and cannot be skipped, so run the first Python lesson while the class is online and let that download finish before the lesson starts.
  • No student data is shared between classes. Teachers only see students in their own classes, and student code is not shown on dashboards.

Questions schools ask

  • Does Lab match the TVET curriculum?

    Courses are tagged by TVET level (3, 4, or 5) and competency area for the Software Development trade, and the curriculum map shows that coverage. Lab does not claim official TVET approval or certification — check with your programme coordinator how Lab work maps to your assessed outcomes.

  • What does it cost to start?

    Creating a school and a class is free, and students join with a code at no cost. If your school later needs something beyond the free tier, talk to us through the education page before committing any budget.

  • What if a student has no device at home?

    Progress is saved to the account, not the device, so a student can start on a school PC and continue on any other device later. Lessons are short by design so a single lab period is enough to finish one.

See what's covered

Browse courses by TVET level and competency, or read the step-by-step guides.