Truro Prep students become investigators for the day in a ‘Sleuth for the Truth’

When Truro School’s Headmaster was discovered ill out on the front terrace in mysterious circumstances in June, the finest investigators from Truro Prep School were called in to help decipher what had happened to him in a ‘Sleuth for the Truth’.

A team of Year 5 pupils arrived at the senior school bright and early for their Prep Science Day only to be informed by Sixth Form students that Mr Gordon-Brown had been found ill that morning in suspicious circumstances. They were shown a film and asked to help search for possible clues that might uncover the mystery.

From testing effects of aspirin, ethanol and caffeine in Biology to see what might have resulted in the Headmaster’s fast heart rate, to analysing thermal imaging from CCTV footage in Physics to see if anyone had broken in to his office during the night, students were hot on the case.

Deciphering that a suspect wearing a dark tie and glasses had broken into his office during the night time and that Mr Gordon-Brown had become ill after drinking something in his coffee, students went into the final experiment in Chemistry where they tested various substances, discovering that Mr Gordon-Brown’s sugar had in fact been swapped with Lithium Chloride.

The Prep Science Day was organised by Mrs Chanter, a Chemistry teacher at the Senior School in collaboration with Rob Piper, Coordinator of Science at the Prep and with the help of the Sixth Form Science Prefects.

Mrs Chanter said: “Sleuth for the Truth was an opportunity to engage Year 5 to become passionate scientists and experience science in action. We involved our Sixth Form prefects by getting them to run the sessions hoping that they would inspire the younger students. I was amazed by the enthusiasm and skills shown by the prep school students and the prefects were fantastic ambassadors for the senior school. A fun day was had by all!”

Thanks to the Year 5’s quick investigation, Mr Gordon-Brown was back on his feet in no time!