Highlights from the visit included a hands-on workshop where pupils learned about the German World War II Enigma code - and even had the rare opportunity to press a key on one of the few remaining operational Enigma machines.

Stepping into the shoes of new Bletchley Park recruits, pupils signed the Official Secrets Act and completed a whistle-stop introduction to life at Bletchley Park in 1940s. Our tour guides highlighted the key skills and jobs that were required at Bletchley Park and some may surprise you: linguists to translate messages, dispatch riders to quickly deliver messages, critical thinkers to decipher code, gardeners to keep people fed in the kitchen garden. Frank commented: “The guided tour made me realise that it wasn’t just coders that worked at Bletchley Park!”

Annabel said: “I was not surprised when we learnt that they were not allowed to tell anyone outside Bletchley Park what they were doing, but when we were told that they were not allowed to tell family members or even other people at Bletchley Park, I felt shocked.”

The pupil’s first computational thinking challenge was to listen to Morse code and work out the message. They then put their enquiry skills to the test by running their Morse messages through a cipher, decoding German communications linked to Allied deception plans in the Battle of the Atlantic. The activity provided a fantastic platform for pupils to demonstrate both creative and critical thinking as they explored the layered complexity of wartime communication and strategy. Tom commented: “In the Battle of the Atlantic we got to decode morse code and locate the submarine positions and the battle ship’s positions too. It’s extremely fun and I would recommend it to every person who is interested in war and nautical history.”

History truly came to life during the tour of the Mansion and the iconic huts, offering a vivid insight into what daily life was like for the cryptologists who once worked there. A particular highlight was visiting Alan Turing’s office and viewing the incredible ‘Bombe’ machine - an engineering masterpiece and a vital step in the development of modern digital computing.

“Hearing about life during the war made me appreciate that I have protection and food and a home. These people had to live with strangers and still have to stress about being bombed from the sky. It was like stepping back into World War ll time as we walked around the huts where everyone worked.” exclaimed Louisa.

Throughout the day, the pupils showed impressive computational thinking as they cracked codes and tackled challenges. They left inspired by the extraordinary ingenuity and creative problem-solving of the Bletchley codebreakers, whose innovative approaches overcame the seemingly impossible number of Enigma permutations. “I loved learning about the history of World War II. And I loved being the old Ethel! (I put on a hat and pretended to be a lady from Bletchley Park back in the day).” declared Sofia.