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Years 4 to 9

Cybersecurity & Cryptography Workshop

Cryptography, codebreaking, and online safety through engaging, hands-on challenges.

From £647 per day, excluding VATSee your exact price

Royal Air ForceRAF STEM Education PartnerNamed on the RAF STEM Services Framework, 2023 to 2028
1,000+ Schools
3,000+ STEM experiences
100,000+ Young people reached
8 Academic years
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The Cybersecurity & Cryptography workshop gives Years 4 to 9 students (ages 8-14) hands-on experience with encryption, codebreaking, and online safety. Through practical challenges, students learn how data is protected, why cybersecurity matters, and how to stay safe online. Aligned to the Computing national curriculum.

Workshop Formats

Choose Your Format

Choose the format that suits your school timetable. All formats include full setup and packdown by our team.

Cybersecurity & Cryptography Workshop formats, with pupils per session and per day
FormatSessions a daySession lengthPupils per sessionPupils per day
In-Depth ExperienceTwo focused sessions for deeper exploration2120-150 minutes3264
Standard ExperienceThree sessions reaching more studentsTypical day shown below390 minutes3296

Note: Up to 32 pupils per session and up to 96 pupils across the three-session Standard format.

Session Structure

Typical Workshop Day

Based on the Standard Experience format: 3 sessions of 90 minutes each. Exact times and breaks are agreed with the school.

StageActivity
Before Session 1Hyett Education arrives and sets up the specialist workshop equipment in the space prepared by the school
Session 1 (90 minutes)Class group 1 (up to 32 pupils)
Between Sessions 1 and 2Changeover or break, as agreed with the school
Session 2 (90 minutes)Class group 2 (up to 32 pupils)
Between Sessions 2 and 3Changeover or break, as agreed with the school
Session 3 (90 minutes)Class group 3 (up to 32 pupils)
After Session 3Hyett Education packs down its workshop equipment; the school retains its normal site and pupil-supervision duties

What pupils learn

Learning outcomes

  • Understand basic encryption and decryption techniques
  • Break codes using analytical thinking
  • Learn why cybersecurity matters in the modern world
  • Develop strategies for staying safe online
  • Apply mathematical and logical reasoning
  • Work in teams to solve codebreaking challenges

Curriculum links

These are relevant curriculum areas. Exact links depend on the cohort, delivery jurisdiction and booked format.

  • ComputingOnline safety, data protection, encryption
  • MathematicsPattern recognition, logical reasoning
  • HistoryHistory of code-making and breaking

Careers Framework

Gatsby Benchmark Alignment

This workshop can contribute to the following Gatsby Benchmarks within a school's wider careers programme.

Benchmark 2

Learning from Career and Labour Market Information

Introduces students to cybersecurity careers, one of the fastest-growing and most in-demand sectors in the UK, with significant skills shortages and strong graduate prospects.

Benchmark 4

Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers

Connects computing curriculum topics such as online safety, data protection, and encryption to professional cybersecurity and intelligence roles.

Benchmark 5

Encounters with Employers and Employees

Applies only when an employer or employee joins a two-way encounter with pupils and the activity includes reflection. Partner branding or a themed workshop alone does not qualify.

The Gatsby Benchmarks are the national framework for good careers guidance and are referenced in statutory guidance for schools in England.

In the Classroom

Workshop in Action

Instructor helping students with cryptography code-breaking challenges during a Cybersecurity workshop
Two primary school girls collaborating on a code-breaking challenge on a laptop with a cipher safe on the desk

Inclusion and safety

Built for every learner, ready for your checks

  • Every learner can take part

    Our instructors have extensive experience working across different school environments, including mainstream, SEND, SEMH, alternative provision, pupil referral units, and special schools.

    Our SEND support approach (opens in a new tab)
  • Risk assessment supplied

    In-school delivery avoids off-site transport and its travel risk assessment. Hyett Education supplies the activity risk assessment, while the school retains its normal on-site duties and decides how its usual consent and family-information procedures apply.

  • Enhanced DBS, continuously monitored

    Every Hyett Education instructor holds an enhanced DBS certificate and is registered on the DBS Update Service. Your instructor's DBS details are shared in your secure booking portal once your booking is made.

  • Stretch and challenge

    Schools can share the cohort profile in advance so the instructor can discuss suitable challenge, grouping and adjustments for the booked format.

    Our teaching approach (opens in a new tab)
Read the full SEND and stretch notes

Our instructors have extensive experience working across different school environments, including mainstream, SEND, SEMH, alternative provision, pupil referral units, and special schools. Every activity is scaffolded and differentiated so that all learners can access the content, experience success, and develop confidence. We use adaptive teaching strategies, manage cognitive load carefully, and provide visual supports and learning mats. Schools can share specific needs in advance so we can plan accordingly. The Cybersecurity workshop combines hands-on cipher challenges with digital activities, giving multiple access points for different learning styles. Physical code-breaking activities are particularly engaging for kinaesthetic learners, while the historical context provides rich cross-curricular connections.

Group sizes: Up to 32 pupils per session and up to 96 pupils across the three-session Standard format.

Workshop data identifies extension activities where they are available. Schools can share the cohort profile in advance so the instructor can discuss suitable challenge, grouping and adjustments for the booked format.

  • Tiered challenges allow students to progress at their own pace, from guided tasks to independent problem-solving
  • Higher-order thinking through debugging, optimisation, and creative design challenges
  • Competition pathways: workshops build skills relevant to FIRST LEGO League, Raspberry Pi competitions, Cyber Discovery, and CREST Awards
  • Career connections: students discover how workshop skills translate into real engineering, computing, and science careers

Schools can share information about gifted and talented cohorts in advance so our instructors can prepare targeted extension activities.

School Reviews

What Schools Say

A fantastic workshop. Very informative to the children and allowed them to understand what cyber security is and why it is important. The activities were age appropriate and engaging. The final activity allowed the children to use the skills they had learnt to open the safe. Thank you!

The children absolutely loved the hands on approach, it has definitely inspired a few of our children to become the next cyber security pros!

A well-paced, engaging workshop that enthused all pupils, including the most challenging. It offered valuable professional development, with content relevant to modern e-safety and inspiring interest in cyber security careers for the pupils.

The perfect level of challenge and accessibility for the children to be successful. Loved the input of the historical background and how each activity was modelled to the children before they had a go. Such a brilliant workshop, perfect for this age group. We loved it. Vocab and computing knowledge was well embedded and the children have definitely gone away knowing what encryption and decryption means and the importance of strong passwords.

The leader of the workshop was amazing! He was so knowledgeable, built a great rapport with the children and was super friendly to staff and children. The equipment he used to model and demonstrate to the children was fantastic. He knew the common misconceptions and preempted them, he took the instructions step by step and gave clear directions. His behaviour management was on point too! Thank you so much!

The Cryptography workshop run by Mr Anderson was outstanding. It engaged all pupils, even one of our most challenging pupils, who doesn't usually last 20 minutes without a break, completed the whole session. The instructions given to pupils were very clear and the challenge was superb. Amazing session by an excellent teacher!

Read all reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

Have more questions? See our full FAQ

Book Cybersecurity & Cryptography Workshop

Get in touch to book this workshop for your school. We will work with you to find the best date and format for your students.

From £647 per day, excluding VATSee your exact price