iO Academy is a coding bootcamp based in the UK that offers a 16-week, full-time, full stack coding bootcamp and a 12-week, part-time data science & machine learning bootcamp. These bootcamps are available online or in-person at campuses in Bath, Bristol, and Sheffield. Class sizes at iO Academy are kept small in order to better support students. The curriculum is designed to prepare students for their first developer or data science role, with a focus on practical experience working on projects throughout the course. There is an option to specialize at the end of the full stack course, either in advanced front end or complex problem-solving. Students will learn from experienced tech professionals, chosen to reflect the size of an average software scrum team. This makes project work as close to a professional tech experience as possible.
The course was developed by healthtech company Mayden to be up-to-date with a focus on best practice and to reflect what is most needed in the tech industry. Students will receive industry-recognised Agile training and attain their Agile Professional Certification. No coding experience is required to apply. iO Academy has a goal of supporting diversity in tech and is positive about mental health.
iO Academy was formerly known as Mayden Academy.
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 appl...
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!
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 i...
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 potenti...
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...
[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 knowl...
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 w...
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!
Description | Percentage |
Full Time, In-Field Employee | 76.3% |
Full-time apprenticeship, internship or contract position | 2.6% |
Short-term contract, part-time position, freelance | N/A |
Employed out-of-field | N/A |
How much does iO Academy cost?
iO Academy costs around £12,000. On the lower end, some iO Academy courses like Coding Quick Start cost £400.
What courses does iO Academy teach?
iO Academy offers courses like Coding Quick Start, Data Science and Machine Learning, Full Stack Track, Software Developer Essentials.
Where does iO Academy have campuses?
iO Academy has in-person campuses in Bath, Bristol, and London. iO Academy also has a remote classroom so students can learn online.
Is iO Academy worth it?
The data says yes! iO Academy reports a 98% graduation rate, a median salary of $25,900 and 98% of iO Academy alumni are employed. The data says yes! In 2020, iO Academy reported a 100% graduation rate, a median salary of $25,300, and 82% of iO Academy alumni are employed.
Is iO Academy legit?
We let alumni answer that question. 103 iO Academy alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed iO Academy and rate their overall experience a 5.0 out of 5.
Does iO Academy offer scholarships or accept the GI Bill?
Right now, it doesn't look like iO Academy offers scholarships or accepts the GI Bill. We're always adding to the list of schools that do offer Exclusive Course Report Scholarships and a list of the bootcamps that accept the GI Bill.
Can I read iO Academy reviews?
You can read 103 reviews of iO Academy on Course Report! iO Academy alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed iO Academy and rate their overall experience a 5.0 out of 5.
Is iO Academy accredited?
Students will take the Agile Professional Certification course
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