Robotics and Computer Science in London

Computer Science is a fascinating and rewarding subject for students to study in secondary school, and never has it been more relevant than today, with increasing technological integration in everyday life. Although traditionally seen as a 'virtual' subject, there has never been a better moment to take students out of the classroom and encourage them to engage in more practical computing on an action-packed residential trip to London and Bletchley.

This trip was built around Bletchley Park's two engaging computer science attractions, that help to bring computing alive with links to the people involved in the history of the world's first computers, but it doesn't stop there - London itself has many activities with an academic benefit that will spark the enthusiasm of your learners and enrich their studies in the subject.

While the example itinerary here is based on our 'full length' week-long trip to London aimed at International Schools, we are of course able to create shorter variants for schools coming from elsewhere in the UK or variants with less focus on computing and more sightseeing and cultural activities.

Day 1: Arrival
Arrival in London, transfer to accommodation by private coach.

Day 2: Drones and Markets
Students will program drones to fly in formation using the Swift programming language (no prior experience needed) in a drone programming workshop, followed by a a visit to Camden Market, home to over 1000 shops and stalls selling everything from unique clothing to food. Students will especially find CyberDog, a rave fashion emporium, an interesting place for souvenirs.

Day 3: Bletchley Park
Before heading off to Bletchley by train, students will choose their packed lunch themselves and simply walk out at Amazon Fresh, an AI powered shop. Ethics discussions can be had - is it OK to replace human workers if it means a faster and potentially cheaper shopping experience?
Today will see students learn about the WW2 history of Bletchley Park where teams including Alan Turing worked to break the Nazi Enigma codes. There are multiple exhibits across the park relating to cryptography, data and the development of the first computing machines which students can explore in small groups, but the highlight of the visit will be the codebreaking workshop - which team of students will crack the code first?
Before leaving Bletchley we'll also pay a visit to the National Museum of Computing, allowing students to try their hand at assembly code programming or try other workshops, plus see 70Mb hard drives the size of washing machines and other early computing equipment before relaxing in the hall of vintage computers and games.
After returning to London students will fully immerse themselves in a virtual world, either hunting each other or collaborating with each other in free roam VR.

Day 4: Sights of London
For older students, a visit and campus tour of one of London's universities is recommended, and of course a walking tour from Buckingham Palace to the Tower of London along the South Bank to see London's most famous sights is an essential part of any trip to London. On the way we'll enter (and hopefully exit) the London Dungeon, a favourite amongst students where London's grisly past is revealed in all its bloody glory, and possibly see all of London from above if the weather is nice from the London Eye, or compete in a virtual version of Squid Game at Gamebox. Later we'll relax with an ice skating disco and games arcade, or go bowling, for a fun way to wind down the day.

Day 5: Robot Wars
Robot building and fighting workshop: this highly recommended activity sees students divided into small teams of 4-6 to design and construct remote control robots weighing around 12kg. Then comes the best part - each team has to compete in a football tournament, and then fight against the other robots in the arena - which team will create the best robot?
Students always appreciate time for some retail therapy, and there will be plenty of time after robot fighting to explore Westfield Shepherd's Bush with many shopping opportunities.

Day 6: Science
What better way to start the morning than an escape room challenge requiring teamwork and fast thinking? Or an immersive theatre experiences combining AR or VR with live acting to create a performance that the audience is part of? Following this, we will head to the Science Museum, where students will have time to explore in small groups. History of computing? Mathematics or space? The Science Museum maintains interesting exhibitions with hands-on components.
Later in the day, we'll head to Inamo interactive restaurant for the final meal, where fully interactive tables allow students to play games against each other or show off their creativity while awaiting their Asian fusion tasting menu.

Day 7: Return
Transfer to airport by private coach.

Extra activities can be added on travel days depending on flight/travel timings, and the entire itinerary can be shortened, lengthened or customised to suit your preferences. For example, day trips to Cambridge to visit The Centre for Computing History, see the colleges and to punt along the river are easy to organise - let us know your needs or ask us for suggestions!

We can welcome groups of any size to London, though larger groups may need to be divided into smaller groups for some of the planned activities.

We offer one free teacher place per 10 students.

While our trip leaders hold first aid qualifications and are able to respond to first aid incidents, we strongly recommend that all teachers accompanying the group are also confident in basic first aid and carry a first aid kit.

The majority of the planned activities are suitable for students with disabilities, though some changes to the planned itinerary may be needed depending on the nature of the disability.

London can be expensive, so we are happy to make adjustments to this trip to suit your budget. For example, some of the activities in the sample itinerary can be removed and replaced with cheaper options, costs can be saved by using public transport in London instead of a private coach, and students can be accommodated in hostels instead of hotel rooms to maximise the value for money on a London trip. If your teachers know London and are comfortable getting from place to place, we can also run this trip 'self-guided', where your teachers are taken through the plan before departure and provided with everything they need to lead the trip without one of our guides.