Managing Coding
With Coding, administrators can create controlled API keys for programming tools such as Aider and OpenCode. Users do not work with their own OpenAI key, but with a key managed through AI-School.
This makes Coding suitable for programming lessons, projects and advanced users who want AI assistance in a local development environment.
Why controlled API keys?
A regular API key often gives broad access to an external AI platform. With Coding, usage runs through AI-School. This keeps management, costs and reporting within the school.
Key benefits:
- Control costs: set a budget per key.
- Trace usage: usage, costs and chats are linked to the user.
- Central management: create, limit and revoke keys from the admin area.
- Suitable for classes: create keys for an entire group of students at once.
Enable Coding
Coding is enabled at environment level. A board admin can do this.
- Go to Admin area → Coding.
- Click Enable Coding.
- Read the warning about subscription costs and API costs.
- Click Accept and enable.
After enabling Coding, AI-School handles the technical connection in the background. Administrators do not need to manage external project settings.
Additional subscription costs may apply to Coding. API costs are charged with a markup factor. Contact AI-School if you have questions.
Allow schools
After enabling Coding, choose which schools may use it.
- Open the Management tab.
- Select the schools that may use Coding.
- Click Save access.
A school admin only sees schools for which Coding is allowed and for which the admin has rights. Unnecessary school panels are hidden for school admins.
Choose models
In the Management tab, choose which OpenAI models are available for Coding.
AI-School uses these models:
| Model | Use |
|---|---|
| GPT-5.4 mini | Default and cost-effective model, suitable for students and common programming help |
| GPT-5.4 | Stronger model for teachers, advanced students and more complex programming tasks |
| GPT-5.5 | Top model for heavy programming work and professional use |
For classroom use, it is usually best to start with GPT-5.4 mini.
Compatible coding tools
Coding works with tools that can use an OpenAI-compatible endpoint. The user needs three details:
- the Coding API key
- the AI-School Coding endpoint URL:
https://europe-west1-ai-school-pro.cloudfunctions.net/coderenOpenAiCompatibleApi/v1 - an allowed model, for example
gpt-5.4-mini
AI-School recommends these two tools for most situations:
| Tool | Recommended for | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Aider | Students and classroom coding | Explicit terminal pair-programming tool. Less agentic and therefore better suited to learning programming. |
| OpenCode | Teachers and advanced students | Agentic coding tool for terminal, desktop and IDE. More powerful, but requires more experience. |
Other coding tools can technically work with an OpenAI-compatible endpoint:
| Tool | Type | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Continue | IDE assistant for VS Code and JetBrains | Supports OpenAI configuration with a custom apiBase. Useful if users mainly work from their IDE. |
| Cline | VS Code extension and CLI | Choose provider OpenAI Compatible and enter base URL, API key and model. Strongly agentic; less suitable for beginners without guidance. |
| Roo Code | VS Code extension | Can work with an OpenAI-compatible provider. Carefully check which actions the agent performs. |
| Sourcegraph Cody Enterprise | Enterprise coding assistant | Mainly relevant for organizations with Sourcegraph Enterprise. Supports openaicompatible model configuration at organization level. |
A tool is only suitable if you can configure your own OpenAI-compatible base URL. Tools such as Claude Code and Codex CLI are not suitable for Coding: Claude Code does not use an OpenAI-compatible API and Codex CLI does not provide a suitable setting for a specific Coding endpoint. Tools such as Cursor or Windsurf are only usable if the version being used supports a freely configurable OpenAI-compatible base URL.
Use Aider for students first. Only add agentic tools such as OpenCode, Cline or Roo Code when users have enough experience with terminals, git, diffs and local file management.
Reporting
The Reporting tab shows usage and costs for the selected period. By default, the last 7 days are shown.
The report includes:
- total number of requests
- total costs
- number of tokens
- breakdown per group
- breakdown per user
A school admin only sees reporting within their own allowed scope. A board admin sees reporting for the whole environment.
Disable Coding
You can temporarily disable Coding using the toolbar button.
When Coding is disabled:
- existing API keys cannot be used
- reporting and historical data remain available
- Coding can be enabled again later
Disabling Coding does not remove existing reporting.