Year 5 pupils enjoyed an exciting change of scenery this week as they travelled to Senior School for the annual CSI Day - a hands on experience designed to bring science, problem solving and teamwork to life. 

With a mission to crack the code and solve the crime. The year group was divided into three teams, each named after an iconic female scientist – Dr Maggie Aderin Pocock DBE, Rosalind Franklin or Dorothy Hodgkin - whose pioneering work set the tone for the day’s investigations.  

Throughout the morning, pupils rotated through a series of practical forensic challenges: 

• Forensic Fingerprinting: 
  Pupils explored ridge patterns, analysed fingerprints and learned how investigators use these clues to identify suspects. 

• Thumb Casting: 
  Pupils discovered why police take impressions of evidence, before creating their own DIY thumb casts to take home as mementos. 

• Poison Pens: 
  Using forensic techniques, teams examined handwriting and ink samples to determine who authored a suspicious note and identify an unlabelled bottle of “poison” found at the crime scene. 

• Code Cracking: 
  Pupils were introduced to encrypted messaging, practising how to read and write their own coded communications - even creating secret notes using invisible ink. 

After a packed morning of detective work, pupils enjoyed a hard-earned Senior School lunch. The event proved a memorable highlight in the Year 5 calendar, giving pupils a fascinating insight into the world of crime scene investigation, complete with evidence bags and spy themed goodies. 

Later on that day, pupils came with their parents to evening event focused on the exciting transition into Senior School. While parents learned all there was to know about moving into Year 7, the girls mastered a wonderful performance with our Head of Music and some of talented Senior School students to showcase to their parents as a finale to the day.