Convince your pupils that these ridiculous new school rules are completely real, then watch them proofread with more focus than ever before.

This no-prep KS2 SPaG editing activity disguises grammar revision as an “official school update” filled with absurd new policies. Pupils must rewrite each rule correctly by spotting and fixing errors in punctuation, capital letters, spelling, homophones, verb forms, and sentence accuracy.

The catch? The rules are completely ridiculous.

From moving lunchtime to 8:30am to compulsory backwards walking days, pupils quickly realise something is not quite right. Suddenly every apostrophe and comma matters.

It’s a light-hearted proofreading challenge that works brilliantly as an end-of-term activity, transition-week task, starter activity, or Friday afternoon filler while still reinforcing essential Year 5 and Year 6 SPaG skills.

What pupils do:
• Read the “official” school bulletin
• Identify and correct grammar and spelling mistakes
• Rewrite each rule accurately
• Collect hidden letters to decode a final secret message

Skills covered:
• Capital letters and punctuation
• Apostrophes and commas
• Homophones and commonly confused words
• Sentence structure and verb agreement
• Spelling and proofreading
• Editing and revising skills

Perfect for:
• KS2 SPaG revision
• End-of-term activities
• Back-to-school icebreakers
• Morning work
• Cover lessons / sub plans
• Early finishers
• Whole-class grammar review

What’s included:
• “Official School Bulletin” editing worksheet
• Hidden codebreaker ending
• Full answer key

Why teachers love it:
• Zero prep — print and go
• High-engagement grammar practice
• Encourages careful proofreading naturally
• Funny enough to hook reluctant writers
• Flexible across multiple points in the school year

If your class enjoys this activity, check out the Ready Steady Games “Last Day Bandit” series — a larger end-of-year grammar mystery packed with puzzles, editing challenges, and immersive SPaG gameplay for upper KS2 classrooms.