Year 7 Students Crack the Code

This year’s FOBISIA Code Breaking Challenge turned our students into sleuths, cryptographers and even Python programmers as they tackled a series of mind-bending puzzles. From solving fictional murders to completing treasure hunts, students had to rely on logical thinking, problem-solving, and a whole lot of persistence to crack the codes.

As they navigated through layers of ciphers, Caesar shifts and frequency analyses, one student, Hugo from 7O, shared, “It’s such fun because you get to solve mysteries that you’ve never worked on and you never know what’s coming, like how could anyone know what this code is about unless you actually try Caesar shift?”

The challenge wasn’t just about fun, it was about growth. Students developed analytical thinking, pattern recognition, and an appreciation for the historical roots of cryptography. Teddy from 7A summed it up simply: “I like that it’s really challenging.” And Marwyn from 7B added, “You have to use your brain and not just search the internet.”

Even when the puzzles got tough, students didn’t give up. Kian from 7H admitted, “It’s annoying at the beginning, but when you get it you are very happy.” That resilience and determination were key to their success.

Collaboration played a big role too. Sophie from 7L said, “Coding and Maths is fun because I can collaborate with my friends to solve the problem together.” And sometimes, the joy was just in the experience itself; Zoe from 7C couldn’t contain her excitement: “It’s just so fun!”

So, why spend time cracking codes? Because it’s more than just a challenge, and for these students, it was a journey worth taking.