Pupils in a Manchester primary school had a rare and unforgettable experience of meeting the Director of GCHQ, Anne Keast-Butler, and quizzing her about her job. She took time out of her very busy diary to visit St Clement’s Primary school. Joining her were four other colleagues from GCHQ – three spies in person and a fourth who joined through a secure digital avatar to protect their identity. When the avatar appeared on screen, pupils were immediately intrigued.
Curiosity, confidence and a room full of questions
The school is in an area in Manchester where children rarely get the chance to meet professionals like these – let alone people from GCHQ! From the moment the session began, there was a buzz in the room. Pupils were incredibly engaged, asking more questions than we’ve heard in a session for a long time.
Their questions got straight to the heart of the work:
“Is maths important for your job?”
“What’s it like keeping your job secret?”
The Director’s thoughtful answers opened up a world that can feel distant or inaccessible, helping pupils picture what these roles actually involve. And picturing themselves in them!
Watch: in this extract the Director answers two of the children’s questions (<15 sec)
Talking in small groups with the spies later in the session really helped pupils grow in confidence. Many hadn’t realised that being bilingual is a powerful skill in national security – and that people who speak more than one language, including those who use another language at home, can become linguists working in intelligence. For a lot of pupils, it was the first time they’d seen their own language skills as a real asset for the future.
They also got to hear about how subjects they are studying, like history, maths, geography and science are highly relevant in the working world.
As our research over the last 15 years has proven, interactions with volunteers like this from the workplace really matter to children’s life chances. Meeting diverse role models early on helps challenge stereotypes and broadens young people’s horizons – putting them in a much better place for the future.*
Our shared mission
Our strategic partnership with GCHQ aims to help pupils see that careers in national security, and in STEM more widely, are open to people from all kinds of backgrounds.
By working together to make these careers feel relevant and relatable, we’re giving pupils the chance to meet volunteers from the workplace who help them see new possibilities for their future.
A partnership that’s opening doors
This partnership has developed over a number of years, creating practical ways for pupils to explore careers they may never have considered.
Together, we’ve organised inspiring school visits both in-person and virtually. As with all our visits they are engaging and interactive, often featuring our Primary Futures ‘What’s my Line’ game and classroom chats. In addition we have produced high-quality KS2 and KS3 GCHQ-type resources which can be used by schools to make subjects like cryptography, cybersecurity, coding, history and languages come alive in the classroom. We’ve also created national video content, seen by children across the country, giving them direct insight into the people and skills behind national security.
These materials help teachers introduce complex ideas in accessible, engaging ways – opening the door to new interests, new confidence and new possibilities for the future.
Watch: the Director of GCHQ being quizzed by pupils (< 2mins)
For employers and partners
If your organisation wants to inspire future talent to achieve more, break stereotypes and reduce unemployment, we can help. Our evidence-based programmes create engaging and impactful connections between volunteers and schools nationwide. It’s powerful and it works.
Discover how your organisation can inspire the future workforce.
For schools
You can access the GCHQ learning materials – and invite GCHQ volunteers to speak with students – all through our Inspiring the Future programme.
Discover how Inspiring the Future can help broaden your students’ horizons.
Register your school for free here, or contact enquiries@inspiringthefuture.org and we’ll help you get started.