On Monday 16th January a trip to Bletchley Park sparked Years 7 & 8’s curiosity about how their maths skills could be practically applied. They used their mathematical thinking and problem solving skills to crack a number of code breaking tasks, decipher messages and solve puzzles. They also learned about the invaluable role of code breakers during WW2 and enjoyed the rare opportunity to use a genuine Enigma machine.
Bletchley Park in the Buckinghamshire countryside was the site of some incredible achievements of Britain’s World War Two Codebreakers. Years 7 & 8 had a guided visit to the Mansion and the huts where the Codebreakers worked, learning about the lives of those at Bletchley Park during the Second World War. Students also took part in a codes and ciphers workshop; from Ancient Greece to the modern day, people have been using increasingly complex codes and ciphers with the intention of communicating secretly and keeping information secure. Enigma was one such cipher. Students embraced the rare opportunity to use a genuine Enigma machine as well as encountering a range of historical codes and ciphers as they worked together to decipher messages in order to solve a puzzle.
Categories: Maths Year 7
