Students from an Oxford High School have clinched the top spot in a girls cyber competition, defeating over 750 schools nationwide.

The triumphant team from Oxford High School, ‘It aint Rocket Science’, not only landed first place in the independent schools category of the CyberFirst Girls competition, but also triumphed as the top performing team overall after facing 3608 teams across the UK.

The triumphant trio comprised of Aneesa, Alicia and Avani from Year 8.

Their skills were put to test through cracking codes, decrypting messages, and solving coding puzzles which gave them the chance to demonstrate their knowledge on cyber security and a variety of other skills.

The contest is designed to encourage more girls to dive into the world of cyber and technology, aiming to address the gender diversity issue in the UK's cyber workforce, where currently only 17 per cent are women.

Over 12,500 girls nationwide were part of the 2023/2024 CyberFirst Girls Competition, an initiative run by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), under the umbrella of GCHQ.

It witnessed the largest influx of participants since its origin, with 3608 teams which encompassed 12,500 girls across the UK.

Oxford High School has a history of participating in the competition ever since its inaugural year in 2016, regularly reaching the regional and grand finals.

Mr James Watts, assistant head of innovation and learning, said: "Every year we have individuals who discover a passion for researching and the solving puzzles and challenges set, this gives girls an insight into areas they may not have come across before."

Head, Mrs Marina Gardiner Legge, said: "We are delighted for all of our girls who participated, but for Oxford High to be announced as the top school out of so many schools and participants is a huge achievement."

GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Centre deputy director for cyber growth, Chris Ensor, said: "A special mention to the respective winners, whose success is 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."

The winners are invited to a prize dinner and celebration scheduled for next year.

Deloitte donated 250 laptops to 30 schools that took part in the competition, aimed at strengthening pupils’ learning journey and resolving the digital skills gap in the UK.

The CyberFirst Girls Competition is part of the NCSC's initiative to promote cyber security in schools, inviting girls in Year 8 in England and Wales, S2 in Scotland, and Year 9 in Northern Ireland since its launch in 2017.

To date, about 70,000 girls have participated.