24/05/25 – Reflection: New 30-Minute Escape Room for Staff CPD

🎯 Project Pivot: From ADHD Escape Room to Short-Form Staff Game

With the ADHD-themed escape room not ready in time, I'm shifting focus to a 30-minute escape room prototype designed specifically for the upcoming Teacher Training Day.

This shorter project will serve as:

• A testing ground for puzzle mechanics

• A fun and engaging experience for staff

• A way to observe participant behaviour for future refinement

Yes, I'm disappointed the ADHD project isn't finished—but this pivot feels like a productive compromise. It gets me moving again and gives me a controlled way to experiment with mechanics that may transfer later.

🧠 Concept: "Mr. Bright is Locked in the Cupboard"

Premise:
It's the last day of term. The students have locked their teacher (Mr. Bright) in a cupboard as a prank. Now staff must solve puzzles set by the students to free him.

This setup is lighthearted and sets the tone for a fun, team-based challenge, while also poking a little fun at what teachers ask students to do every day.

🧩 Puzzle Ideas: Subject-Based Challenges

The aim is to mirror tasks students face in GCSEs and staff CPD—but flip them into game format. Target duration = 5 minutes per puzzle.

Puzzle 1: English – "Romeo & Juliet" Anagram Unlock

• Interactive quiz on a virtual screen (like the hyperfocus puzzle model).

• Correct answers reveal letters that form an anagram: "Romeo and Juliet".

• Staff must solve the anagram, then decide which name goes in which lock (Montague or Capulet).

• Questions will include:

  • Shakespeare trivia

  • Language features (e.g. "spot the adverb")

  • Fun misdirection (e.g., using the Stephen King quote: "The road to hell is paved with adverbs")

Puzzle 2: Maths – BIDMAS Unlock

• Completing puzzles in other rooms reveals numbers and mathematical operators.

• Players must use BIDMAS to calculate the final unlock code.

• A BIDMAS poster may be hidden on a wall to act as a hint.

Puzzle 3: Blockbuster Team Game

• Both sides of the team must answer simultaneously, adding a co-op challenge.

• Categories could include:

  • Common spelling errors

  • Shakespeare quotes

  • Punctuation and grammar

• Success here could unlock a code or give players a final clue.

Puzzle 4: "Know Your Learners" Quiz

• CPD-themed quiz (based on real QF training).

• Questions like:

  • How many students have EHCPs?

  • What are our current Ofsted grades?

  • Who are the heads of learning?

  • Where is pastoral support based?

It's both fun and a cheeky nudge toward professional awareness.

Puzzle 5: History or Geography (TBD)

• Still undecided—maybe something about British history, local landmarks, or global capitals.

• Could even be a satirical "why do students think this is useless?" moment.

🔧 Technical Elements to Explore

• Use of global Atoms so puzzle completions in one room trigger changes in the central hub

• Each puzzle screen will reveal a digit for the final code

• Final unlock opens the cupboard and frees Mr. Bright

I learned about using global atoms from a recent seminar—didn't finish it, but saw enough to start experimenting.

🧪 Testing Plan

• Target is 5 puzzles, each taking approx. 5 minutes.

• Will run a beta test in late June to check timings and engagement.

• Will save my "fancy tricks" for the ADHD version to avoid spoiling surprises.

• Plan to use this as data gathering for future escape rooms (especially around staff learning engagement).

🧘‍♂️ Personal Reflection

Yes, I'm probably engaging in a bit of cognitive dissonance—reframing a fallback plan as a win. But I genuinely believe this prototype will:

• Keep me moving forward

• Help refine mechanics

• Give me something to showcase on June 30th

This won't replace the ADHD version—but it's an excellent foundation. If I nail the balance of fun, frustration, and feedback, it'll set the tone for bigger things.

✅ Next Steps

• Finalise questions for the English puzzle

• Build maths puzzle logic and BIDMAS flow

• Develop co-op logic for the Blockbuster game

• Write "Know Your College" quiz (use QF CPD material)

• Design final unlock sequence and logic chain

• Experiment with global Atoms and puzzle triggering

• Build a loose narrative introduction + immersive room dressing