On Friday 14th January, 30 female students attended a virtual event hosted by Bletchley Park. The afternoon began with a virtual tour of the grounds where Mavis Batey and her colleagues worked on breaking the German’s code during World War II. The students were fascinated at the prospect of such a significant event in British history taking place so close to their homes.
After learning about the ground’s history, the students got stuck into some intense code breaking using the Caesar Cipher and Morse Code to identify incoming enemy ships in a game of Battleships. The session closed with a live demonstration of the all-famous Enigma Machine, bringing to life the sheer complexity and patience involved in code-breaking.
Our students enjoyed the interactive nature of the afternoon which made them realise the significance of collaboration. One student said, ‘I learnt the importance of resilience when code breaking’, whilst another commented on obtaining an insight into the different pathways one can embark on in computer science.
All that is left to say is watch out, Bletchley Park … Northampton Academy students are heading your way!