We are incredibly proud to celebrate the fantastic achievements of students from across Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust, who recently took part in the CyberFirst Girls Competition Regional Finals, hosted at Sage UK.

Representing their schools with confidence, enthusiasm and determination, students from St John’s Catholic School & Sixth Form College, Our Lady & St Bede Catholic Academy, and St Michael’s Catholic Academy competed against seven other schools in a series of challenging problem‑solving activities. These tasks were designed and delivered by industry experts from the world of cyber security and digital technology, offering pupils a unique insight into an exciting and fast‑growing sector.

A special congratulations goes to the four Year 8 students from St John’s - Saule, Verity, Belle and Harini - who were crowned winners of the regional final! Their teamwork, resilience and commitment to weekly preparation sessions truly shone through. The team proudly returned to school with both the competition trophy and a brand‑new laptop each.

Why Opportunities Like CyberFirst Matter

The CyberFirst Girls Competition forms part of a nationwide mission to encourage more young people — especially girls - to explore the world of technology, computing and cyber security.

TechYouth: Empowering Young People

Through the TechYouth initiative, young people aged 11–18 across the UK are supported to:

  • Build essential tech and digital skills
  • Grow confidence in using AI
  • Explore a wide range of technology‑based career paths

CyberFirst: Growing Future Cyber Talent

CyberFirst provides long‑term support for students interested in cyber security and digital technology. With industry partners, universities and third‑sector organisations, the programme delivers local activity, inspiration days and recognition for schools making strong progress in digital education.

Cyber Explorers: Learning Through Play

More than 120,000 students across the country have already accessed Cyber Explorers, a free interactive platform for 11–14 year olds.
It offers:

  • Fun, game‑based cyber learning
  • Live competitions
  • Tailored resources for schools

Encouraging Girls Into Tech

Last year alone, almost 10,000 girls took part in CyberFirst competitions, tackling challenges from cryptography to machine learning. The next national competition - TechFirst Girls - promises even greater opportunities to celebrate girls’ achievements in STEM.

A Moment of Pride for Our Trust

The achievements of students from St John’s, OLSB and St Michael’s reflect their dedication, creativity and problem‑solving ability. Their success demonstrates the importance of providing high‑quality experiences that inspire young people to explore the digital world.

We are incredibly proud of all students who took part, and especially of Saule, Verity, Belle and Harini - shining examples of the next generation of digital leaders within Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust.