A TEAM of schoolgirls from Skipton Girls High School has been crowned regional winners  in a nationwide competition aimed at putting their cyber security skills to the test.

The four strong team -called Purple Pandas and made up of Ava Gath, Izzy Hutchinson, Ruby Mellin and Katie Hood, claimed the top prize in the Yorkshire and Humberside final of the CyberFirst Girls Competition, run by the National Cyber Security Centre, a part of GCHQ.

Held remotely, the school was up against teams from nine other schools, including Beverley High School , Fulford School, York and Heckmondwike Grammar School, West Yorkshire. Skipton Girls High School has now been invited to a prize winners dinner and celebration due to take place next year.

Now in its seventh year, 621 girls in 178 teams from state schools from across the region took part in the competition which aims to encourage girls aged 12 to 13 years old to consider pursuing an interest in technology and introduce them to the idea of a career in cyber.

Chris Ensor, NCSC Deputy Director for Cyber Growth, said Skipton Girls High School's success was "not just a triumph in the competition but a great demonstration of breaking barriers and addressing the need for greater female representation in the cyber security industry."

Martha Featherstone, headteacher of Skipton Girls’ High School said: "We are very proud of our students for their impressive win in this competition. This is a brilliant example of the work we do to show our students that they can thrive and lead in all industries."

In this year’s competition, girls tested their cyber skills in cracking codes, decrypting messages, and solving coding puzzles.

The contest is designed to encourage girls to explore the world of cyber and technology, helping to address the lack of diversity in the UK cyber workforce, where women currently make up just 17 per cent.

The winning teams from each region have been invited to a grand prize winning dinner and celebration day taking place early next year. Also, Deloitte has donated 250 laptops to 30 schools across the UK that took part in the competition with the aim of boosting pupils’ learning journey as well as supporting the wider drive to close the digital skills gap.

The CyberFirst programme offers a range of free opportunities aimed at offering young people the skills, opportunities and exposure they need to thrive in cyber security.

More information about CyberFirst opportunities can be found on the NCSC website.