On Monday, four of our brilliant Year 5 pupils stepped up to represent Whitehorse at the prestigious Linguistics Olympiad, hosted by Royal Russell School.
It was a fierce competition featuring 9 elite groups from across Croydon, including formidable opponents from schools such as Dulwich College. Our young codebreakers showed incredible determination, teamwork and sharp wit, ultimately securing a magnificent 2nd place finish!
Cracking the Codes: Japanese Braille and a Stolen Trophy
The competition pushed the children’s problem-solving skills to the absolute limit across several grueling but exciting rounds:
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The Problem Rounds: The team faced two intense rounds where they had to analyze complex patterns and crack intricate linguistic codes—including deciphering the fascinating structure of Japanese Braille.
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The Grand Finale: In a thrilling final challenge, the children had to put their minds together to decipher Swahili in a high-stakes race to recover a “stolen” trophy!
Inspiring Words from Cambridge University
In addition to the competitive rounds, our pupils had the fantastic privilege of hearing from a guest speaker from Cambridge University. The speaker delivered an inspiring talk on the world of linguistics, showing the children how decoding languages can unlock mysteries across the globe.
🏆 Celebrating Our Language Champions
A massive congratulations to our phenomenal Year 5 team who made the entire WHJUN community so incredibly proud:
- Aniyah (5P)
- Shyma (5T)
- Dev (5T)
- Matthias (5S)
Finally, a huge thank you to Royal Russell School for organising and hosting such a fantastic, intellectually stimulating competition.
Well done team Whitehorse!!!
