Two students from the winning team, Clever Boa, have written a few words about the experience this competition gave them:

From Monday 17th November to Friday 21st November, our team of four – Meher, Riya, Sanvi and Adhvika took part in the GCHQ National Language Competition 2025. When we signed up for it, we didn’t have a clue about what to expect, but found it equally challenging and rewarding. The problems we had to solve were unlike anything we had encountered before, and at certain points we were quite perplexed about how to decode them. It was a mix of teamwork, frustration and enjoyment, and it really pushed us out of our comfort zone.

Teamwork was absolutely essential, communication was also vital to the challenge, it required you to understand complex problems, each with different sorts of deciphering. This event really brought us together to showcase our knowledge, leadership and innovative thinking skills. It also offered a dynamic and engaging experience which we would never have imagined ourselves to be involved in. It was, in all honesty, a once in a lifetime opportunity. Behind the hard work and dedication we had to put into this challenge, it was an experience for us to learn new ideas and about cultures around the world, and was stimulating and fun. The event also provides an opportunity to work creatively and demonstrate resilience, build confidence and problem-solving skills. Taking part in the challenge meant strengthening our abilities and using skills that we didn’t even know we had. It also offered an opportunity for us to explore different areas of linguistics and gain vast knowledge of areas we wouldn’t have even considered before.

We had to utilise GCHQ’s core values – integrity, ingenuity, impact and teamwork – to our best advantage, playing to our strengths and helping each other’s weaknesses. We learnt new and exciting things about each other and the world around us, and were able to appreciate the depth of each other's intellectual capacities. We gained new perspectives on job opportunities and gained insight as to potential career paths and challenges they may encompass. We strengthened our relationships with each other in a way that only adversity is able to carry out, and acquired an understanding of our own capabilities. This was a truly valuable experience in building confidence and lateral thinking: two crucial skills for real life.

By Adhvika and Sanvi – Year 9

I will be on the lookout for next year’s competition when I hope to enter many more of our students into this fantastic opportunity.

Mme Hulley