iO Academy

I really enjoyed my time at iO Academy. I chose this bootcamp mostly because it seemed to me that they proposed the most complete curriculum and they did not disappoint! It was a very intense learning experience, but it is delivered in the best conditions: 

• small cohorts (up to 8 students) so it is always possible to ask questions and interact with the trainers
• amazing trainers, always available and supportive 
• carefully crafted curriculum, it really felt like they refined it year after year to find the best way and timing to go through the curriculum, so I never felt overwhelmed

I also want to point out that they put a really big emphasis on how to work as a software engineer (e.g. working in an Agile team) and not just how to code. I found this extremely valuable (maybe more than the coding?) as it is a huge part of the job and I arrived in my 1st software engineer position really well prepared and knowing what to expect. On the coding side, they were dedicated to teaching us best coding practices. I am currently working in my 1st position as a software developer and so far my line manager has been pleasantly surprised by how much I've learned at iO Academy! 

It took me a 4/5 months to land a job but the job market is a bit tough at the moment. I got some valuable advice from their career consultant which helped me land my current position. I would not necessarily expect to just walk into a job straight after the bootcamp (some of the students of my cohort did though!). iO Academy was definitely worth the time and the investment, and I would totally do it again!
  

One year out from completing iO Academy’s Full Stack Track, and 10 months into a job, I feel like I'm now in a good position to reflect on how the course helped shaped the start of my career in Software Development.
I applied to join iO Academy with very little programming experience—mostly from my spare time and a bit from university—looking to gain enough skills to break into the industry. The interview process was friendly but thorough, which meant I joined feeling confident that I had met the mark that the trainers set to ensure success on the course.
The course itself takes you from basic HTML/CSS sites and programming essentials to modern frontend frameworks and backend development, including constructing RESTful APIs and managing SQL databases for a comprehensive full-stack experience. Most importantly, the course teaches you to think like a Software Developer, which has made adapting to new technologies in my current job significantly easier.
The course operates like a real-world software team; you work in teams of 5-8 on two-week sprints throughout the entire course. In these sprints, you spend one week learning, then one week applying that learning in a project, which you will present to other trainees, alumni, and staff. This, combined with the Agile training at the start of the course, has meant that I have already been able to contribute to improving how we work as a team in my first job, only a few months in.
After the 16 weeks are up, it's time to get a job, although the interview and job searching support from iO comes much sooner. Like all job hunts, it was difficult and deflating at times; however, after some persistence and finding the right company, I got an offer as a Full-Stack Developer, building APIs and user experiences for various e-commerce clients.

This was undoubtedly the hardest thing I have done, but I am so glad I took the plunge, as I couldn't be happier in my new job.
I'd recommend this course to anyone interested in building software for a living but needs an injection of practical skills and real-world development practices to aid them on that journey.

It took me about 2 years of planning to finally commit to making my career change into development, and after considerable research I desided to choose iO Academy. I have to say, it is without doubt the best educational experience I have ever had. The quality of teaching I recieved from my award winning trainer Rayna was incredible - she took real care with us as a class, and created a safe environment where I felt able to ask questions. We were a very eclectic mix of students, and she helped us all in the way that we needed individually.  The curriculum was incredibly interesting, and also completely relevent for the world of work. The job support offered by Rayna, Mike, and actually all of the trainers on site was absolutely fantastic - I was able to secure a job very quickly by following all of their advice. If you are thinking about going for it, just do it! Life changing, you won't regret it!

I came in to the Academy with practically no experience and unsure if I was going to have the aptitude to be able to pursue software development as a career. I chose Io due to the syllabus, the stats for previous graduates attaining a career and the length. I was not disappointed at all. 
Throughout the course, I felt supported by the trainer in the parts I found difficult and encouraged with those that I found simple. We were encouraged to work together as much as we were to work on our own. This approach has really helped me acclimatise to my new working environment. 
The syllabus itself has a broad range of topics that gradually introduce you to many of the topics that you might run into as a junior. The focus on theory, practical and then projects helped to ingrain the knowledge and best practices.
Near the end of the course there was a particular focus upon getting us ready for entering the professional sphere. On top of this the Academy has many industry partners that know the curriculum and are more than happy to take on the right graduate when they have places. 
I cannot recommend iO Academy highly enough and the team there has helped to make my career and life better. 

I had already been trying to learn programming in my spare time for about 6 months prior to starting the Bootcamp with iOAcademy. About halfway through I realised that I really enjoyed it and wanted to become a professional software developer. I spoke with a few colleagues at work who were developers and some of them were iOAcademy graduates. They highly recommended the Fullstack Track. I applied, got accepted on one of the in-person bootcamps and haven't regretted that decision for a single moment since graduating. Here are the reasons why:

• Well designed curriculum: They build you up from scratch. (some pre-course material is required to be completed beforehand but a lot of it is quickly recapped in the first few weeks). The curriculum is constantly being refined based on feedback from previous cohorts and trends in the industry so you are learning the most relevant skills. There are loads of really interesting Guest talks spread across the 16 weeks that cover a broad range of topics from career advice to Cyber Security.
• Focus on Industry Skills: You get one week of theory followed by a project week to apply that knowledge. This works really well and the projects are fun. The first 2 projects are individual but the remaining are all group projects. The group projects really prepare you for the real world. We are taught how to use version control (Git) and how to work in an Agile way (they teach us SCRUM). One of the projects got us working in an existing codebase which really emulates what it will be like working out in industry. The cohort sizes are limited to a maximum size of 8. This is to mimic the size of typical software development teams and it means you get to know your trainees well and get to make significant contributions during the project weeks. As a side note during the interview process they look for people who can work in a team as it's such an important skill to be able to succeed in the bootcamp and out in industry.
• Excellent Trainers: They are passionate about teaching and have many years of experience both as professional software developers and trainers. They are able to explain advanced programming concepts in simple terms and instil coding best practices. They are also patient and generous with their time. They are happy to stay on and go through material again if you feel you need it or look into something slightly outside the curriculum if you have a burning desire to learn it.

Overall, I would recommend anyone who is serious about becoming a Software developer and has the time and financial support to cover the expenses of the course to apply. It will fast track your career!

I would definitely recommend iO academy as a way to transition into a career in development. The small class sizes means you get lots of personalised support and the curriculum exposes you to a good range of front-end and back-end development. Doing projects as part of the course allows you to build up a portfolio that you can then show to potential employers. The job support at iO is really good. I got a lot of individual advise on my CV, cover letters and applying in general which helped me to feel more confident when going for jobs. I got my first junior developer role within the first month of graduating. 

The course involves a lot of team work, so it's good to have that as an expectation going in. iO teaches you to code, and it also teaches you about Agile methodologies, which is how many software development projects in the real world are structured. It's a hard course, because you learn a lot very quickly, but for me it was 100% worth it. The teacher's really care about your progress and building projects with the other students was also a lot of fun. 

When I quit my job to attend iO Academy, it felt like a huge, scary gamble. On reflection, I had nothing to worry about! By the end of the first week, not only had I learned a lot, I was confident that I was completing a well thought out and comprehensive syllabus.

Before starting the Full Stack Track, I presumed that if I wanted to graduate and get a job, I would have to learn everything there was to know about coding. The reality is that software development is an ever-expanding field, and no single developer knows everything there is to know. The important thing is that you leave iO Academy with strong fundamental knowledge in the areas that matter, and have the confidence to tackle new languages/frameworks/methodologies.

Further than just a great syllabus, I made some wonderful friends along the way, and enjoyed commuting to Bath to such a relaxed, positive, and supportive environment every day. 

On my final day at iO Academy, I accepted a job offer as a Graduate Software Developer at a local Healthcare tech company. I will be writing in C# and using the .NET framework, neither of which I know anything about yet (at the time of writing, I start my role in 2 weeks' time). Thanks to the trainers at iO Academy, I feel confident that I will pick up these technologies; many coding skills are transferable between languages, not to mention the ongoing support of the academy alumni group chat. 

I can't recommend iO Academy enough. If you're thinking of taking that leap of faith... do it!

Don't hesitate to apply for the Full Stack Track course at iO Academy! It really was a life changing 16 weeks for me. 

I was a successful graphic designer for mainly food and drink packaging for 6 years prior to starting the course. I loved design and I always will have an appreciation for it but I was starting to think that something I decided on doing at age 17 (more than 10 years ago without giving away my age ;) ) wasn't necessarily what I wanted to do for the rest of my career. After talking to a couple of iO Academy alumni (one of whom also used to be a designer) I was convinced that this course was the right thing to do. I honestly didn't research any other bootcamps other than iO Academy because I thought the curriculum looked fantastic and I really enjoyed the online taster session. Another big plus for me was the fact that I could study in person at the beautiful Bath campus as I knew I would get more out of in-person teaching.

I was in a cohort of 7 people including myself which was perfect. A small class size meant that we could work as if we were a real-life dev team, collaborating and learning from each other. It also meant that we each had a lot of attention from our trainer (Charlie) and could ask as many questions as we could! Charlie was a brilliant trainer. He made sure that everyone felt comfortable and gave us as much help as we needed. I was really struggling to understand a concept in week 3 and he was really patient with me, using physical objects, pictures and relatable metaphors to explain it to me in a way that suited my learning style.

The content of the course was really well thought out, with normally a week of theory and then a project week where we initially worked solo and then worked together as a team using the scrum agile methodology. This meant that we could get to grips with new concepts and then put them into practice making projects that we could then show off on our portfolio sites (which we built in week 2). I can't believe that in January I had no idea was the command line was and now I'm using it every day in my job! 

The course is constantly evolving with feedback from the students and industry experts to keep it up to date and relevant to the industry, ensuring that we were all as prepared as we could be to get jobs at the end. We got loads of help with developer-specific CV writing, cover letters and creating our portfolio sites which was better than any career advice or help I've ever had before! Another big plus for iO Academy is the hiring partner event. The Academy has relationships with many tech companies in the South West, and we had about 10 that came to an in-person evening networking event. This actually resulted in me landing my first job as a developer 2 weeks before the end of the course! I am now 2 weeks into my job and really loving it.

The full stack track course at iO Academy was worth every penny for me and in many ways surpasses my (much more expensive) 3 year degree. It was challenging in a good way, very fun and I will look back on it as a huge positive turning point in my life.

I've broken my review down into four parts below which represent my journey through the academy. Before I dive into that please allow me to provide some background. I left a successful 10 year career to attend the 'Full Stack Track' which commenced in Jan 2022. My trainer was Rayna. 

Why I chose iO Academy
I relocated to attend the course and therefore bootcamp options across the country were open to me. My finalists were:

• Makers Academy in London
• Nology in Bristol
• iO Academy in Bath

The selection was partly skewed southwest given I ultimately wanted to work in Bristol. Here are the reasons iO was my first choice:

1. Small classes and fully taught in person. Small classes are a big plus. There were only 6 people (including me) in my class meaning that every student had a substantial amount of one-on-one attention. People learn at different rates, there will be topics and principles that come easy to some but required a different perspective for others. All bootcamps move at a tremendous pace and you cannot afford to get behind as future principles build on what you've already been taught. The extra time from trainers in a small class mean that everyone keeps up. The other benefit is that it's less daunting to put your hand up and say you don't understand in front of a smaller group. There's more time for questions, less pressure to understand first time and it's easier to get to know your class.
   I'm sure as the pandemic passes other courses will return to being in person, but at the time iO was the only course in the country offering 100% in person attendance. Unfortunately one of our class caught covid and we worked from home for a week which reassured the decision to attend an in-person course. You miss the buzz, discussions and corridor chats that lead to moments of brilliance.
   
   
2. The curriculum and teaching. I've made it my responsibility over the years to constantly learn and attend training in the various roles I've had throughout my career. I attended a good university with world class experts in their fields. I say this to provide context when I say that the structure of the curriculum and the teaching is some of the best (if not the best I've received). The course directors take frequent structured feedback from students, teachers and industry. The modules are constantly evolving to improve the student experience and final employability. It's very evident how advanced the teaching and structure has become and the course has a beautiful flow to it. iO's course is slightly longer (and more expensive!) than other courses but this extra time gives you a chance to shake off some of your imposter syndrome and let the theory sink in a littler deeper.
   
   
3. Putting the theory into practice. In general you have a week of theory and then a project week to put it into practice. Projects follow scrum principles and by the end of the course you have a very good feel of what working in a real dev team will be like. You will write on average 5-7k words in the theory weeks and they will feel like a bit of a whirlwind but the project weeks give you a chance to put them to good use. In doing so you will consolidate the knowledge and start to feel confidence in brandishing your new skills. These were such an important part of learning and when a lot of the gains in knowledge are made. They are also good fun! The academy have designed the projects well, they bring the team together and teach you more than just the theory. A good part of being a developer is learning how to communicate effectively both in the written form (eg code reviews) and in person (eg pair programming). 
   
   
4. Getting a job. The reason we're all here! The academy have a good name among organisations in the south west. They have a list of companies they have vetted which forms their 'hiring partners'. Towards the end of your course the academy plan a hiring partner event where your details are passed to the partners and all are gathered for drinks and an evening to get to know each other. The event I attended may have been unusual but there were more jobs on offer than grads attending. The course fully support you in creating a portfolio of impressive projects (for a grad level dev) and in creating a tech CV. The percentage of students who get hired from iO was the highest out of any bootcamp at the time I reviewed them. 

It's a huge leap of faith to take on the financial and social responsibility of attending a boot camp. iO Academy will hold your hand and if you're serious about becoming a dev they will help you achieve that goal. Every member of the team has genuine care and attention for the students and my experience far exceeded my expectations. I can happily report that I was able to secure an excellent role before finishing the course.

I’ve recently completed the full stack track course at iO Academy and it has genuinely been an amazing academic experience. Having quite my job in the events industry and spending a lot of time researching bootcamps, I made the decision to apply to iO and began the course in January 2022.

The course content is so well thought out and the balance of theory to projects helped solidify learning throughout the process. There was so many occasions where myself and my classmates would joke about how the order of the course content almost seemed to be intentional - which of course it was.

The support from the trainers overall was excellent, especially Rayna who was my trainer.  She ensured we had amazingly detailed notes that I’m sure I’ll continue to use as I start my dev career and was super supportive and reassuring throughout the entire process.

Before even finishing the academy, I had already had multiple interviews and a job offer. Followed by a further 2 job offers the week following - and I’ll be starting my new job next week (2 weeks after finishing the course). 

I honestly can’t recommend iO Academy enough!

Like many people, over the last year I decided I wanted to re-train and do something that felt more stimulating and challenging. I've spent most of my working life being the unofficial resident tech support person, so it seemed a natural progression to formalise things and actually learn what makes the internet work.

I quit my job in February and was accepted into iO Academy with a scholarship to complete their four month Full Stack Track course. I had an incredible time learning the ropes with my remote scrum team (the Mountain Goats) and am so grateful to all of the trainers and staff who made 8 hours of Zoom a day feel like a breeze!

The academy teaches the fundamentals of programming which means that I have the confidence and knowledge to apply this learning to any languages that weren't covered on the course. The curriculum is comprehensive, there were plenty of challenges and stretch goals, and the balance between theory and project work kept things interesting. 

Overall, I would encourage anyone considering applying to a coding bootcamp to give iO a go!

Absolutely fantastic. From amazing teachers and supporters to outstanding and indepth content. I couldn't believe how much I have learnt within 16 weeks and how far I have come. My tutor was incredible and very knowledable and he is still available to answer any questions I might have, help out or just give me a boost of confidence when needed. The course provided me with a knowledge that gave me a strong foundation to build my career upon.
The course was very intense and coding focused, so I would recommend it to anyone who is sure that being a software engineer is what they want to do (even with no previous experience).

Ash was the best teacher I could ask for! The bootcamp was great. The curriculum was the best I could find personally, and I was pleased to get in and learn so much. I really appreciate the time and effort put into their online classes to make the experience great. The format of 8 per class is ideal too. I found the duration of the bootcamp great too, as 16 weeks didn't feel too long or too short to prepare us for our next stages in our careers. Many thanks iO Academy and Mike too!

After 14yo in the music industry I decided to take a massif step in my life by continuing an old dream of mine, Which was to become a software engineer.
iO Academy Helped me archiving that goal with an incredible support and kindness. 
I got offer 4 jobs before the end of the school and got the chance to pick and choose ! So technically the school help me to get a job in 15 weeks out of the 16 weeks of school !
If you are like me and want to change your life around and start a career in web development do not think twice !
At first glance the school seems very expensive but if you start to do some research you will quickly realise that iO offer on of the best Curriculum concerning full stack development.
Regarding the fees there is funding available, the size of the class is perfect 8 peoples maximum, which for me this was one of the main point.
8 peoples in a class allow you to get to know everyone and the more important the teacher is not overwhelm by 20 student and can then focus on each of the student.
The curriculum is fantastic, the school make you aware of old way of doing thing but for the big part your are learning the industry standard of nowadays.

Do not be afraid to make the big jump with them you will not regret it  ! 

I’ve always dreamed of having technical skills and becoming a developer. I wasn’t sure how and where to start until I found out about iO Academy and decided to join the bootcamp. It was the best decision I’ve ever made!
 
You cannot believe how many things you can learn in such a short period of time (especially when you have amazing trainers but more on that later).The curriculum Is really well structured and it helps you build a solid foundation. The focus isn’t placed on learning a particular programming language (even though you pick up quite a few during the bootcamp) but more on logical thinking and understanding how to write best practice code regardless of the language used. Having a good understanding of the fundamentals puts you in a great position pick up other languages in the future.The course combines theory with project weeks where we worked as a group, following agile methodologies to complete awesome projects. Working as part of a team you also get a chance to develop your soft skills and learn how to collaborate with different people.The best part of the course is the people and building a bond with others going through the same journey. The trainers, students and everybody involved with iO Academy is really nice.Our trainer was Mike and he was the best trainer that I could have ever asked for. He was very supportive, always explaining things in a way that would make sense to you. Even after hours he was replying to any questions I had and was always there for us whenever we had down moments or doubting ourselves, offering reassurance and building our confidence.We also met Charlie, Ash and Neal who are some of the other trainers at iO and all of them were really nice and incredibly helpful.The support we received was not limited to the technical side. We had a lot of help with our job applications including writing CVs, cover letters, how to prepare for an interview and what are some of the challenges that come up during an interview.In the final week of the bootcamp I had numerous interviews and in the week after finishing the bootcamp I had already received a job offer.For me the iO Academy bootcamp was the best experience of my life and I’ll always be grateful because it helped me get my dream job. The only bad thing about the bootcamp is that it comes to an end!

I looked at quite a few bootcamps before deciding on iO Academy; the two main reasons were the size of the classes (8 people) and a shining recommendation from someone who went there and whose opinion I trusted. It was a slight risk because I live in London and imagined that any connections made in the industry afterwards might all be based in Bath and be less useful for me, however I now know it was a risk worth taking.

The support at iO is amazing; Mike is a fountain of knowledge and there's a real community spirit to everything that's done (which is no mean feat considering our cohort were fully remote!). The only thing I would have liked to have done differently is to have done it in person, so if you get the opportunity to do this go for it. 

In terms of job prospects, I had around 5 interviews before the course was even complete, which culminated in two job offers and I'm now starting my first job as a junior developer 2 weeks after graduating.

If you like small family vibes with genuinely good quality, conscious teaching then this is the place for you.

The Full Stack Track really gives you a an applied & focussed learning experience, providing you with all the tools needed to become a software developer. They teach you important principles to guide you to writing professional code, introduce you to important & modern frameworks & importantly help you learn the necessary soft skills for being a great dev team member. Everyone picks up the content/skills very fast due to the well designed course & the patient, knowledgable & friendly trainers. If the cost looks like a lot to you, please know that you will get your money's worth through the 9-5 attention of your team's trainer, the extra assistance in preparing yourself for job-seeking & the numerous guest lectures you will receive on a myriad of related topics.

Enrolling at iO academy was the best thing I have ever done. The teaching is great with ample support for all students. No question was too stupid, personally, I was struggling in a particular area and my teacher Ash made me exercises privately that I could work on in my own time which helped me a lot. We also had a lot of help with CV's and how to prepare for an interview. 
All in all, I highly recommend this course.

The teaching at iO Academy is truly superb. The content builds very clearly and the instructors are fantastic at adapting to the skill level and competency of each student. The instructors really take the time to explain concepts to you so you at no point feel left behind. As part of the bootcamp there is support with CV writing and interview preparation and the post-graduation support was also incredible. I am so grateful for everything iO Academy has done for me.

If you're debating joining iO Academy, do it! it's the best decision I've ever made. The training and support is great and they really help prepare you for your first role as a developer. And the support continues even after finishing the course, helping with any coding problems and searching for jobs. I started the course in person and after a few weeks got moved to being remote which I was dreading but it was actually even easier than in person. Can't recommend the academy enough! I got a job a week after graduating and am excited to begin my career as a developer.

 Having been a stay at home mum for 5 years with absolutely no coding experience at all, I strangely decided that software development was for me and applied for iO academy.  I am incredibly glad that I made that odd choice, because it turns out that not only is coding great fun, but I couldn’t have chosen a better place to be trained up. The content was great and has set me in good-stead to be taking on my first technical role with technologies that are relevant. The trainers were absolutely brilliant - patient, helpful and all round good eggs, and didn’t mind answering all my very basic questions. I generally felt incredibly supported and like being part of a really close-knit team.  The on-going support after the course has been wonderful as well, with help offered searching for jobs, getting in touch with recruiters and keeping up practicing skills.  Overall, I could not recommend iO Academy enough. It was a great experience and I now have a whole new career ahead of me with skills that I had never even heard of 4 months ago! Can’t be bad. 

I left my job in Sept 2020 (in the middle of Covid... perhaps not the soundest decision but it turned out very well!) to attend iO (or Mayden Academy, as it was named at that point. The name changed, nothing else!). 

Before iO: I did some research on coding generally, some short courses on Codecademy, some of the free tester sessions you can find online. I wanted to be as sure as I could be that I actually would *like* coding - nothing I saw put me off, so I started researching bootcamps in my area. I was optimistic that I would be able to find one I could attend in person (at this point we were in between lockdowns, it was summer and it sort of felt like that would be feasible... yeah, I know). Anyway I did a lot of reading reviews, lots of digging into old blogs and so on, and I interviewed at two bootcamps. I already had iO pegged as my favourite and the interview confirmed it. There was also an entrance "test" - I got really hung up on this beforehand but would reassure anyone reading not to get too worried. It's not the kind of test you can revise for, and if you're the kind of nerd who's considering a coding bootcamp, you're probably going to find it fun. I took it online, in my own time, and had my face-to-face informal interview later.

During iO: We did actually start in person, which was really nice. We were masked and behind plexiglass, but still. We moved to remote working in week 4, I think. I was worried about it but honestly it was actually really easy, and working in pairs over zoom is actually much more intuitive than working in pairs through plexiglass..! So if your cohort look like they're going to be fully remote, don't worry. 
The course is intense. It is fast, and if you've been out of education for a while, like I had been, it might take some getting used to! I would advise you to do any and all of the prep work you get sent beforehand (I did it for about half an hour an evening for a month or so beforehand, just to get to grips with things). You do a week or two of theory, followed by a project week. The first couple of projects are solo (you can obviously ask for help and so on, but what you make is personal to you), and then the rest are group based. Programming in a group was probably the biggest learning curve for me; it was so not what  I was used to, but by the end our final project was something none of us could have achieved by ourselves, and we were all really proud. There are well-timed talks throughout the course from people in industry; these range from broad overviews of how certain companies work to fairly in-depth looks at how certain software works. Lots of the speakers are ex-students and it's really nice to see them and how happy they are in their work.

After iO: Well, I'm only just after iO now, and I start my new job in two days! I had a few interviews during the final couple of weeks and the role I have accepted is a Masters degree apprenticeship - I do not have a computer science degree, I have a very doddery Film & Media degree from the dark ages, but in a couple of years I will be a software engineer with a masters degree! It would have been unthinkable to me this time last year, I'm thrilled. iO have lots of hiring partners within Bath / Bristol, and they will introduce you to whoever is hiring at the time you graduate. We graduated at Christmas, during covid lockdown, during a time when it is really hard to get work, and still had a handful of partners keen to interview us. 

Other notes? There were eight people in my class. We were all totally different in terms of learning styles; and all of us were accomodated. The size of the team means you get to know each other well and you get to learn how to work effectively with people who have different styles to you. It also means your tutor can take the time to give you each the individual support you need. 

This course gives you all the support and guidance to help shape you into a developer that will stand out. You're paying to be taught how to think like a developer not just the fundamentals of the languages.

We had to move Remote shortly after starting due to the epidemic but they showered us in support and made sure all our educational needs were met.

I would and have given recommendations to friends and family.

So when I read all of these reviews, I honestly thought that this place sounded like some weird cult, that people were being overly effusive, and I was interested but pretty sceptical. I was definitely wrong. 

This course was one of the best experiences of my life. The teaching quality is high, the course is incredibly well thought out, and the pacing is perfect. 

Before I go into more detail, I'll give you a brief outline of who I am and where I am now: 

• Previously worked 'management' roles in the charity sector (read: glorified admin)
• Terrible at maths, dyslexic, with no background in STEM subjects. My A levels were in Russian, English Lit, and Politics
• Did modern languages at uni and was planning to be a lawyer

I decided to go into coding as I was looking for a profession which would offer the flexibility that I wanted, the modern working practices that I'd hear so much about, and (most importantly) intellectually stimulating work with continuous learning.

Now I'm a full-stack developer working at a robotics start-up, doing mostly web dev stuff but with a sprinkling of robotics programming. I earn 27k and the whole thing of doing the course was generally a great success.

Don't be put off by lacking a background in STEM, code, or anything. If you're switched on, enjoy solving problems, and like to learn, then apply. You will not regret it.

The Course: 

• Fast-paced: The pace is tough. You can get away without doing homework, but my recommendation is to get your head down and work a bit in your evenings - you will get out what you put in.
• You start with the basics, HTML and CSS. The people who turned up not knowing the basics of these struggled more than those who did. Go on freecodecamp and get to grips with the fundamentals to get a nice head start. You'll thank yourself. 
• You'll move onto some more complex principles, as you start with your first programming language: PHP. This part of the course will make you think that you're an idiot and have no place trying to be a user of computers, and that you should crawl into a little hovel and weep. That's normal, you'll get over it, and you'll be laughing about how hard you found it within a week or two. 
• You'll then move onto Javascript. You'll find this a lot easier than PHP, as you will understand the fundamentals of programming. It all gets better from here on out... as you won't do any new languages, and rather develop what knowledge you've gained. 

The course is structured with 1 week's learning, and 1 week's project, on an on/off basis. It works really well and helps you to consolidate your knowledge.
By the end of the course, you won't recognise yourself. You'll be a pro coder, ready to enter the world of work! 

The teachers:

• Mike: Great teacher, great guy, questionable sense of humour. If you're lucky enough to be taught by Mike then you'll be a happy bunny. Basically half man, half computer, half smiles. 1.5 of a person.
• Charlie: Fantastic teacher, his class is good fun. You'll get on with him if you like: jokes, nintendo, jokes. 
• Ash: Probably my fave, he was in training on my course and I had the pleasure of being taught by him. Great teacher, man is an encyclopaedia of code. 

My experience: 

Overall, my experience was amazing. I had a great time, made some good friends, and for the first time in a long time, wanted to work hard. I actually felt a bit sad on Fridays, which is a first. I would also feel knackered. No word of a lie - you will be tired. You will work so hard, melt your brain a few times, and probably have the odd cry. That's fine and normal. 

The teachers are so supportive, and they only let people in who are nice. You'll be in good hands, and I feel like it was worth more than my entire degree. 
Bells and whistles:

• Professional photos for your linkedin/portfolio, etc. etc. Generally pretty useful and a great touch.
• Scrum Master training: You'll learn to work in an agile fashion, and this experience is priceless.
• Free toast! But don't take the piss. 

My verdict: worth the money

DO IT

Where do I start? One of the best experiences I've ever had and in the space of 6 months I left behind an unfulfilling career in admin that I fell into accidentally and started a new career I'm genuinely excited about! On the course I looked forward to Mondays and was a bit sad on Fridays for the first time in my life.

I first heard about Mayden Academy on a Quora post Mike answered and ended up coming here to look at reviews. With so many glowing reviews I knew I was either applying to an amazing, genuinely life-changing course or a cult. I won't be able to convince you it isn't a cult so won't try but happy to add my voice to the chants of 'do this, it's the best' and 'Mike, Charlie, Ash (trainers), Margaret and Emily (operations team) are my leaders and I will do anything they say and would die for them, er...where was I?'. Anyway...

If you're asking 'is it for me'? My experience:

I applied to the academy late one night when I was off sick from my previous job with flu. My job at the time was so stressful that even with the flu I was working from home to keep on top of it. After years of being unfulfilled, simultaneously stressed, bored and underpaid for the level of work and effort I was putting in, I'd had enough. The highlight of my job at that time was when I got to use Excel. I loved continuously learning (mainly self-taught through Google) and problem-solving using it as a tool and even felt guilty for enjoying it too much, like it wasn't really work because I was having too much fun.

If any of that sounds familiar (maybe note the Excel bit, I know it's not everyone's cup of tea) - being totally fed up and bored in your work because there isn't enough problem-solving and loving to continuously learn/teach yourself new ways to use tools then becoming a developer could be a really great fit for you.

General info

The academy course is very holistic, it's not just teaching you to code but how to become a developer who is able to work well in a team in the real world. It takes you from not knowing what http stands for or what Scrum project methodology means to being ready to start an actual, real life, paid developer role in an Agile team in 16 weeks. You'll learn the technical and the non-technical skills (project management, guest lectures) both in theory (during theory weeks) and in practice (in the project weeks).

One of my favourite things about the course was the spiral learning approach where we would learn about a topic at an introductory or less complex level and then revisit it throughout the course diving deeper each time and furthering our understanding. We also learned how to do things the hard way first rather than using tools which would do everything for us which sounds like a pain but I'm really grateful for this because I think it armed me with way more understanding of what I'm doing. For example, starting writing code in textmate manually to later using a PHPStorm which can complete typing syntax for you and tell you when you're getting it wrong!

People

The trainers were excellent (I had Mike with Ash supporting) and incredibly dedicated to the students' experience and job prospects. I loved being in a small team, 8 students to 1 teacher was a perfect size for the class. Margaret (Business Development and Marketing Manager) and Emily (Office Coordinator) made everything run so smoothly - from onboarding to keeping us stocked up with toast and hot chocolate, to running events like the hiring partner evening and everything in-between. The whole team work very hard to make this this the once-in-a-lifetime experience it is.

Preparing

Before the course you'll be sent information on prep work you can do ahead of the course. I'd done a small amount (3-4 evening classes) of html and css a few years ago and did a big chunk of the suggested JavaScript prep ahead of the course which really helped. I strongly recommend doing as much of the prep as you can - it's not a pre-requisite but it really helped me not feel overwhelmed by all the information and pace of learning.

Money... :(

I didn't have savings before the course so wouldn't have been able to do it without the option of EdAid so it was fantastic to have this option. It's a no-interest loan where you pay a small % admin fee and pay back at the cost of inflation but only begin paying it back when you're working again. I was also lucky enough to be part-funded through WIDJET. The Academy has itself started a scholarship fund which aims to help people who might not otherwise be able to afford doing the course so please don't be discouraged from applying due to the cost if that's what's standing in your way, get in touch with the team to see what your options are.

During

The course is intense. I didn't have much energy outside it to do anything much more than sleep and more learning! I exaggerate a bit but it really did take 100% of me for the duration. I also found it incredibly rewarding; many days I wanted to stay later and would happily get my laptop out on the bus on my commute to cram in more practice.

16 weeks is a good length, more than that would have been too long, less than that and I wouldn't have been ready to get out there and feel confident in my skills. You don't have to learn outside of the course hours but I wanted to and it really helped me to consolidate my learning. I should add that I was commuting from across Bristol so my commute was longer than if you were to live in Bath or near to a station heading into Bath and that took its toll.

During class time ask questions. Lots and lots of questions. The trainers are really friendly and approachable and love getting questions. If you think you're the only one in the class who isn't getting something because no one is asking the question you want to ask, I guarantee you there are others thinking the exact same thing and will be grateful when you ask it so they don't have to! An interesting thing about the academy (and I would think this is universal, not just at Mayden Academy) is that many of us felt underconfident and worried we weren't good enough because we were finding the material hard. I would like to reassure people in advance: the application process is geared to ensure that if you're on the course, the trainers are confident you can do it. It's quite an unusual situation to be an adult learner on an intensive full-time course in an area where everything is so new day-in day-out. As adults we're not used to not knowing/understanding things straight away and this course puts you in that position for 16 weeks - it's ok to not be good at something straight away but it can feel very uncomfortable and make you question your abilities and bring up fears of failure but ride it out because it's a normal reaction and likely not at all reflective of your actual abilities.

After the academy

The academy don't guarantee you a job at the end of the course, however, their training is so comprehensive and of such a high standard, the network of hiring partners so big and the support given to help you with job-hunting so good, that graduates receive job offers in developer roles within three months of graduating. I won't lie - the job-hunting bit is a stressful process, I experienced a lot of imposter syndrome and worried about when I would have money coming in again - but they do try hard to support you during that. I was fortunate enough to be offered a position in my last week in the course and began my new job a couple of weeks later. I'm two weeks in now and loving it, despite the imposter syndrome rearing its head!

I couldn’t have asked for anything more from the Mayden Academy bootcamp, I feel like the skills I’ve learnt over the past 4 months have set me up for a career as a developer    There are so many positives things to say about the course but here are just some of my highlights:    - Commitment of the trainers  I was in Mike’s class throughout, I found Mike to be extremely knowledgeable with a real ability to explain concepts in a way which was easy to understand. He is also very patient and happy to explain things several times if needed, and was also happy to stay late to cover content 1 to 1.    Ash was also in our class providing support and delivering content, it was great having a second teacher to ask questions and he is very helpful, friendly and approachable.    I wasn’t in any of Charlie’s classes so can’t talk to his teaching skills (which I’ve heard from others is very good) but he is a very funny, energetic and positive person.      - Access to trainers and small class size Each class consists of 8 students which I think is the perfect ratio of students to trainers. This small size allows you to ask as many questions as you like and form a close bond with others in the class.    Class size is something which I think is really important and Mayden Academy were offering the best student to trainer ratio.    - Ways of working  One of the most important skills I learnt on the bootcamp was how to work as a team in order to build an application. Mayden Academy arranged for us to have two days of Scrum training from an external Scrum trainer, supported us to gain scrum master certification and applied scrum principles throughout project weeks. I think this gives you a big head-start going into your first position as a developer and is something which you can’t teach yourself.    - Getting you hired  The point of a bootcamp is to learn relevant skills so that ultimately you can secure your first position, Mayden did everything they could to support people getting a job at the end of the course including:  o Giving us the skills to build a portfolio website o Spending a day discussing CVs, covering letters and what to expect from interviews o Reviewing CVs before sending to employers o Arranging for a photographer to take professional headshots o Introducing us to companies actively looking to recruit at a hiring partners evening    I had been thinking about changing career to become a developer for a number of years, having completed the course I just wish I had done it sooner!  

A great way to get into the industry. All the teachers were very patient and helpful, the entire course was really well thought out, and teaches you everything you need to know to become a full-stack developer. The various hiring partners they work with around Bath and Bristol, as well as the help they give towards re-writing your CV also facilitates the job-hunting experience. Would recommend to anyone wanting a career start / change as a software developer.

I joined Mayden Academy after extensively researching bootcamps and assessed that they provided the best emphasis on professional skills and being able to do the job from day one. Needless to say they provided that and more. Working in both the LAMP and MEAN stacks, we gained an exceptional level of knowledge in just 4 months and left with a technical capability far beyond our expectations.

Charlie and Mike foster a wonderful atmosphere at the Academy full of support and banter in equal measure while keeping everyone focused on the goal in mind. The pace is blistering but you never feel it's beyond you. The support staff were also on hand whenever you needed help, and the meet & greet with the hiring partners they organised yielded a ton of interview offers. I found my job a mere two weeks after graduating.

If you're serious about this change of career and want the best possible springboard into it, you really need to apply here.

Finishing Sixth Form and going onto the course was extremly daunting for me. Within a few days of starting I realised my worries where null and void. I was taught by Charlie, who I knew was a great guy from the second he laughed at the ASCII cows I had put into my code. All the trainers and staff are freindly and helpful, going out of their way to make sure you get the most out of the course. From hunting for jobs, reviewing and giving advice on your CV to shoving you in a pub with potential employers and booze, or letting you work on you strange coding side projects. You learn great tech and all the stuff you need to come out as a great developer, all while having a great time. If you want to learn to code like a pro and enjoy yourself all the way, you should be here.

[TL;DR]

Joining Mayden Academy was the best decision I made, if you're considering about becoming a developer, go for it. 

 

[Background]

I worked as a UI/UX designer for few years in the tech industry. I studied fashion in college, worked in graphic design a little bit before that. 

I enjoyed UI development part of my job (mainly HTML/CSS) so I watned to change my career to full time developer for almost 3 years. I never had enough courage to actually do it, but feeling very unhappy doing what didn't interest me anymore, I finally left my work and did a lot of research on bootcamps.

I live in Bristol, so Mayden wasn't the most convenient choice for me, but I really liked their curriculum and the reviews of previous graduates sounded promising, so I decdied to apply. 

I'm really happy to say now, that it's been really great 16 weeks, and that decision I made was the best. 

 

[Mayden Academy Experience]

The class consists of small number - 8 at the most. They set up the environment as real working environment. There is a product owner, scrum master in project weeks, we did spring planning, review and restro which helped me so much. When I had job interviews, companies value these experiences I had a lot.

Instructors really do care about students. They truely enjoy mentoring others, always helped us when there was any challenge. 

Their curriculm is really well designed. One theory week is followed by one project week where you can actually build stuff with the knowledge you got in the previous week. I also got a lot of practical knowledge as a non-computer-science-background person, as well as good core concept on programming. 

Their course is designed so that you won't get burn-out, there's no "too much work" you need to do after class time. What I was learning was a lot, but I never felt overwhelming. I had a good class/life balance even when I was going to classes everyday 9-5.

The atmosphere in the academy is very friendly and chill. We played Wii or any silly but funny games together during lunch time. We would go to pub on Fridays where we often could meet previous graduates. 

 

[Job Support]

They are genuinely supportive all the way from the very beginning to the very end (actually even after it ends). I was the last one in my class that accepted an offer, so while my classmates already accepted offers even before the course finished, I spent few weeks applying for places. They were continuously checking on me how I was doing,  shared job opportunities they found with/for me, shared industry contacts, etc. 

I started working for a tech company in Bristol, and I'm enjoying it so much. 

 

 

I joined Mayden Academy after 10 years spent in a non-tech industry and 1 year just only to convinced myself that was time for a career change. Now, after the course, if I could go back it won't need 1 year to decide but probably only 1 hour!

It was the best choice of my life, a necessary step to realize dreams and change my lifestyle. It wasn't easy, but thanks to the excellent competence and preparation of the instructors now I have a solid knowledge that allows me to be able to look for a highly qualified job.

And you.... what are you waiting for?!

I started Mayden Academy having never written a line of code and I now have a portfolio of projects to show off my skills. At Mayden Academy they start at the beginning and they build on what you learn week-by-week so don't let no experience of coding put you off. The learning is extremely intensive but the trainers; Mike, Charlie and Sam, alter the pace of the course to meet the needs of students - and to make sure that no-one gets left behind.

Setting the teams up as close to workplace development teams as they can gives you really good practical experience, not only in developer tools like git, but also in working together to complete the projects. You'll become a certified scrum master and get the chance to practice those skills in project week. Working in teams is great since we all brought something different to the team and could learn from each other.

Even if you have only just started considering a coding bootcamp and you aren't sure yet, sign up for one of their taster sessions to give you a sense of whether coding is for you. If you aren't sure because you don't know whether you can do it take their assessment - if you can pass that and you are deternined you will complete the course and be on your way to becoming a Full Stack Developer in 16 weeks, which is pretty incredible!

I was a little bit skeptical with boot camps at the start. I thought that they will be just a way to make money for a company, teaching just a little bit of what you need and throwing you out to find a job. But after I attended Mayden Academy, I have to say, I am convinced!

Coming from a completely different work environment, I decided to change my life and have a more stable situation where I could build a future. After looking at what I wanted to do, I came across Mayden Academy, and I wanted to give it a try. I attended the taster session where they show you what it is that they do with a mini-game. Just after this, I was convinced to participate, as I remembered why I liked coding in high school.

The 16 weeks were one of the best time of my life. Bouncing between theory week, where our trainers were guiding us through new content, and project week, a reproduction of a real project, the time went incredibly fast and I enjoyed every moment of it. From the struggle during projects to get things done, the concepts that had to be repeated a thousand times to the morning where the trainers cooked pancakes for us. We learned a lot of industry standard, best practices and ways to solve problems that are common in companies nowadays.

Another plus point that the academy has is the fact that you around other people that want to do the same thing that you want, trying to achieve the same goal. You create awesome friendships and build a group environment that just makes it so much easier to wake up in the morning to go to "school"!

But this is just an introduction, the best part comes at the end. When we were at the end of our course, the Academy gave us full support in the job hunting process, build of our CVs and preparation of interviews. They are incredibly supportive, giving us a lot of advice on what to do when the school has finished, how to prepare for the real world and setting an example for others. Just to give an example, as part of the last few weeks of the course, they prepare a night with the hiring partners of the Academy (yes, they have hiring partners and a lot of them) and they will introduce you to each one of them, to give you practice for interviews and so on. You might end up with an interview or a job after this! A big thank you to Charlie, Mike, and Sam for everything you have done for us! 

I can't stop recommending the Academy! If you want to get into coding, this is probably the best place to go. You don't need any experience, book or tool because they will provide everything for you! They will guide you during the course and then they will introduce you to the real world, ready to become a developer.

It's exactly how i felt until my bot camp started - i was scared. I think, everyone from the academy have heard this story, but i repeat myself. I was seriously thinking of cancelling everything and just go back to my "comfort" zone. The idea of borrowing money for a coding course which is 4 months only looked just insane. And this website was the first i came to when i wanted to get some confidence in making my decision. I even told mysel - Liliya, this reviews can't be real, people sound just too happy, someone payed them for reviews. And i still did it. And i am now just too happy...but real :) 

The course is designed perfect for those who never wrote or read a single line of code. You start with something superdifficult ad then in couple of weeks you look back and think - oh that was so easy. And in couple of months you remember your first week and simply can't believe how far you've moved. Each module contains a heavy theory which is been immediately put in a parctice. Lot's of excersises, challenges and a project weeks make you use what you've learned and learn even more. So much more. Practicing part during the entire course is what actually makes you see how you're becoming a developer. And it makes your portfolio, so when you finish the course, your CV will have plenty of beautiful projects.

You will be learning best practices and a high industry standarts. You will learn what is needed to get a job. And you will have a lot of help. A LOT! Be prepared to get some moments of frustration because coding is difficult. Make sure you ask hundreds of questions. And trust Mike,  Charlie and Sam. They just know what they do. They will make you laugh all the time but they will teach you very seriously and very confident. I was Mikes student and there's nothing he can't explain or help you with.

And there is a significant help with getting a new job. No promises, but Mayden Academy helps a lot by introducing students to nearly 30 hiring partners which know exactly what  their level is and which are ready to invest in a junior developer. I signed a contract with my new employer a week before the end of the course. And no, no one payed to me for this review, it's all real