Edinburgh’s Trinity Academy CyberFirst Journey

Achieving Bronze Accreditation and Progressing Toward Silver 
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Trinity Academy continues to strengthen its commitment to digital skills, industry engagement, and meaningful career pathways. The school’s achievement of Bronze CyberFirst School accreditation reflects a growing culture of cyber awareness and opportunity. As the school now works toward Silver accreditation, activities like the S2 Girls Cyber Skills session with the Hearts Innovation Centre and the  Women in Cyber full day learning event delivered by the Scottish Government, in partnership with Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) are playing a vital role in deepening learner engagement and industry partnership. 

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Activities Description 

Trinity Academy’s S2 Girls Cyber Skills Competition Group took part in a dynamic skills and information session delivered by the Hearts Innovation Centre. The experience was designed to broaden understanding of cyber security while showcasing the real-world applications of technology. 

The session covered topics such as Understanding technology in sport, Discussing stereotypes in ICT, Exploring social engineering, a Team-based cybersecurity quiz followed by Coding robots using quiz answers This blend of discussion, practical activity, and industry insight created an engaging and empowering experience for the group. 

Older female pupils from S3–S6, half of whom have selected Computing Science and all of whom had expressed interest in technology careers, attended the event at Saughton House, the Scottish Government’s major Edinburgh workplace. The day was designed to inspire, inform, and empower young women considering pathways into cyber security and wider ICT roles and included activities such as a Workplace Tour, Meet the Cyber Team, Phishing Information Session & Detective Skills Quiz, a Career Pathways Talk and Women in Cyber Panel Q&A . 

Aim 

The activities were designed to prepare the S2 team for the upcoming Cyber Skills Girls Competition run by the National Cyber Security Centre, while engagement with the Scottish Government Cyberteam acted as a follow-on activity for older girls up the school interested in careers in Cyber.  Both activities also aligned closely with Trinity Academy’s wider CyberFirst ambitions, contributed directly to the school’s ongoing work toward Silver CyberFirst accreditation, particularly in the areas of employer engagement and learner experience. 
 
Results/Successes 

The sessions delivered a wide range of positive outcomes for learners: 
- Pupils met industry professionals, gaining insight into job roles, career journeys, and required skill sets 
- Exposure to a real workplace environment helped break down stigma and humanise the cyber sector, raising awareness of women as an underrepresented group and building confidence to enter the field 
- Learners built professional networks they can draw on for future advice and guidance 
- The experience strengthened the S2 group’s readiness for the national competition 
- Pupils gained a clearer understanding of how cyber security functions in real operational settings, strengthening pupils’ awareness of pathways into employment and further education 

These outcomes support Trinity Academy’s wider mission to broaden participation in Computing Science and cyber pathways, demonstrating sustained employer engagement, enriched learner experiences, and a commitment to diversity in cyber. 

Looking Ahead 

Trinity Academy’s CyberFirst journey is gathering momentum. With Bronze accreditation secured and a clear pathway toward Silver, the school continues to expand opportunities, strengthen partnerships, and inspire young people—especially girls—to consider futures in Scotland’s growing cyber industry.   

Testimonials 

S2 Girls Event: Pupils thought the event was “Interesting”, “Fun”, “Informative and Surprising”. 
Women in Cyber Event at the Scottish Government:  Pupils commented on the event: “Roles are more accessible than I thought”, “Insightful”, “Detailed”.