Introductory Assembly

This is for all the children, and you might want the Key Stage 2 classes to join this too. I introduce myself and explain what the other plotters and myself plan to do, as well as exactly why and how. The children play the parts and act out the intended events according to my instructions – sometimes everyone has a part to play, sometimes several classes do the acting while the visiting classes watch. The famous plot was intended to involve more than just blowing up the House of Lords, it involved keeping secrets, riding around the country, kidnapping a princess, stirring up revolt, telling the pope (at just the right time) and inviting the catholic monarchs of Europe to send help afterwards to make the whole kingdom catholic once more. This elaborate plan emerges as I guide the children through the plot, with boys and girls galloping here, marching there and occasionally sneaking about, while the others dramatically play the victims!

Sessions with the Individual Classes

I often begin by asking the children for their opinions on the plot: Will it work? Could anything go wrong? Is it the right thing to do? Before long I talk about our need for secrecy and demonstrate to the class one of the ways in which we send secret messages. As this method is one that is only safe for adults to try (and I do stress this to the class), I then teach the children another way to write secret letters, a method they themselves can use …

Using a ‘Cipher’ to write a message

After explaining and demonstrating how my cipher works, the children divide into groups to write a name or names down using the cipher symbols. I give clear supervision for this task, ensuring every child will get a turn at writing one of the cipher symbols.

We then pass the letters on to other groups to attempt to decipher them. The children always want me to leave the cipher for their own use so that they can practise further and send more secret messages (which other classes will not be able to read). This is a fun and involving literacy exercise which can be revisited after I have left.

I then talk about the plight of Catholics during Queen Elizabeth’s reign and how it has grown worse with the new king. Eventually this leads me on to describe how Roman Catholic families try to hide priests in their houses. I wonder if the children could do it …

Hiding a Pair of Priests
This is a great fun (but fully supervised) game in which the children take on the roles of the catholic family, the priests and the king’s soldiers. The family members have to trick the soldiers by coming up with ways to hide the poor priests. This exercise can really bring to life the era of ‘priest holes’ and ‘pursuivants’, in a way the children enjoy and remember.