Schools & educators
We love to see how classes across the world are tackling the challenge each year, and we want to ensure that you have all the right tools at your disposal to get puzzling
Over the past few years, we have loved seeing how schools and home schools across the United Kingdom and around the world take on our Christmas Challenge. And as we get ready for this year's challenge, we want to make sure you have all the right tools at your disposal to get puzzling.
We are working with education partners and teachers to enhance our offer to teachers, bringing new elements and ways to enjoy the puzzle, especially with 2025's design competition where schoolchildren designed the card's front covers with their own ingeniously designed codes.
By signing up to the GCHQ Christmas Challenge, ahead of the challenge on Thursday 10 December, you will have access to a number of resources to bring the puzzles to life, and explore our top secret world in many different ways.
To receive these resources, get started on your lesson planning, and get early access to the GCHQ Christmas Challenge before its official release, register your school or home school using the registration form.
What to expect
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The GCHQ Christmas Challenge itself
We will send you the GCHQ Christmas Challenge ready for you to print. This will be made available to registered educators shortly before Challenge day on Thursday 10 December 2026.
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Lesson plan
We have produced a lesson plan to support your preparation for running the GCHQ Christmas Challenge in a classroom with some suggestions on tailoring to different ability groups.
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Worksheets
Handy branded worksheets to print off for the class so they can write down all their ideas and working out. This is available in both full colour, and print-friendly versions.
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Certificates
Send the puzzlers home with a memento of their achievements. This is available in both full colour, and print-friendly versions.
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Info-pack
You'll be able to download our handy pack with an overview of the GCHQ Christmas Challenge, why we set the Challenge each year and answers to frequently asked questions.
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Factsheet
Our top secret world revealed. Learn all about top secret potatoes and our other favourite fun facts about GCHQ.
Registration now open
Schools and educators can now register for their class to take part in the 2026 GCHQ Christmas Challenge by completing the form on our Registration page
