Spy School

Spy School takes place over four Saturday mornings every Spring. Children aged 9 and 10 from the local areas are invited to King Edward’s to take part in four individual two hour workshops. Loosely under the STEM umbrella the workshops cover four specific areas - English, Science, Maths and Geography. The children are encouraged to attend dressed as a spy each week.

Aims

To motivate and excite the children in each of the different workshop activities through learning new skills and team participation. In each workshop, everyone takes part in small groups of three or four.

Background

Spy School has been running for several years and has grown in reputation and participation over the last 3 years. We now have a waiting list every year!

Resources

Subject classrooms, outside space and lawns around Queen Mary House, the Chapel and the tennis courts. Teaching and non-teaching staff including catering staff in Piccadilly café.

Impact

An invitation for local prep and primary school Year 6 children to meet, work together with, and make new friends over a four week period. Learn new skills in four subjects, take control of their own team activities and have fun. 

The English workshop teaches the pupils about interrogation before practising on each other. Volunteers are invited to sit at the front of the class and answer questions from the audience. In the science workshop they learn how to make, and write with, invisible inks; code breaking in the maths workshop and travelling incognito in the final geography activity.

At the end of the four weeks each pupil attends a Passing out Parade where they receive a certificate of achievement. Parents are invited to watch. 

The children are all given a gift on departure each week which is relevant to the workshop they have attended in the morning.

Pupil Involvement

Ten King Edward’s 1st Year pupils assist by meeting and directing the young visitors to the reception desk.  They then act as King Edward’s ‘spies’ and take part in a short pre-brief showing their ‘spy’ skills and talents to the visitors (all very serious). A maximum of 4 stay to help in the workshops assisting with activities and taking part before escorting the visitors back to the original meeting point and the parents.

Frequency

Once a year for four Saturday mornings during February and March.