Cyber Schools Hub Newsletter June 2019

Contents: Hub and Spoke school updates Industry support and Engagement NCSC Update

Hub and Spoke School Activity

Expansion of secondary schools in project

As part of phase 2 of the project, the NCSC team along with Madeline, have been reaching out to schools in the and Cirencester/ area to see if they would like to become involved in the project. A key aspect of this expansion is to solicit (and then support) new ideas and concepts from new teachers and schools, the core objectives of the project - Improve take up at GCSE /A-level of Computer Science, Improve take up by Female Students of Computer Science courses, and to Implement Cyber Security Principles within the school’s curriculum. New schools that have agreed to be part of the project include:

• Katherine Lady Berkeley's School • • Cirencester Deer Park • • •

Winchcombe School were visited but unfortunately their Computer Science teacher is leaving to work abroad, and they currently do not have a replacement. The NCSC team have already received several new concepts that they are keen to trial with the teachers/schools who have submitted them.

Cirencester Deer Park have reported interesting statistics showing the growth already in Computer Science within the school:

• Year 11 (2019 exam) - Number in Year Group = 207, Number taking CS GCSE = 23, Number of Girls taking CS GCSE = 3 • Year 10 (2020 exam) - Number in Year Group = 176, Number taking CS GCSE = 29, Number of Girls taking CS GCSE = 5 • Year 9 (2021 exam) - Number in Year Group = 168, Number taking CS GCSE = 30, Number of Girls taking CS GCSE = 7

The stats show that a larger proportion of the year group has been opting for Computer Science and the percentage of girls also is growing.

Stroud High (a girls ) reports the following statistics:

• Year 11 - 10 students studying CS GCSE • Year 10 - 7 students studying CS GCSE • Year 9 - 20 students studying CS GCSE

Stroud High are also doubling the number of Computer Science teachers to two from September onwards to facilitate additional CS teaching within the school

Rednock School reports the following statistics:

• Y11 - 12 students studying CS GCSE including 1 female student • Y10 - 11 students studying CS GCSE including 3 female students

From September onwards they will be offering both GCSE Computer Science and L2 BTEC in Digital Information Technology as Y9 options. Rednock have very small numbers undertaking A Level Computer Science with only 2 in Y13 currently and are looking to move to Cambridge Technicals for new Y12s.

Chosen Hill School reports the following statistics:

• Y13 - 1 Class studying Computer Science A-level (8 boys /1 girl) • Y12 - 1 Class studying Computer Science A-level (4 boys/4 girls) • Y11 - 2 Classes studying Computer Science GCSE (40 boys/3 girls) • Y10 - 2 Classes studying Computer Science GCSE (33 Boys/5 girls) • Y9 - 2 Classes studying Computer Science GCSE (44 boys/3 girls)

Beaufort and the demise of Computer Science

With Beaufort Co-operative going into special measures and then being taken over by the Greenshaws Learning Trust, the Trusts management made the decision to stop offering Computer Science at GCSE. The NCSC met with the interim head to gain an understanding of why this decision was made (noting that this is the same at both Five Acres and Hedley Bank Secondary schools, two other schools that the trust runs within ). The head was very gracious with his time and explanation, and the NCSC now understands more what schools must focus on when they go into special measures following an OFSTED inspection. The NCSC team were keen to repurpose the equipment that had been provided to Beaufort as one of the projects Cyber School Hubs, and gained support from the head to facilitate this, with equipment being removed to support new concept trials in other schools or being converted to be used as classroom technology dropcrates bookable by all schools. The NCSC team also thanked those they interacted with at Beaufort for their support and engagement, and wished Sophia the Computer Science teacher well, in her new role teaching CS at .

Expansion of 6th form colleges in project

Part of the projects phase 2 expansion is to look at ways we can trial new concepts to improve take up and support of Computer Science in 6th forms, especially in the two large colleges in the county GlosCol and Cirencester 6th Form College. The NCSC team have already met with GlosCol management and Computer Science curriculum leads and have gained their support to be involved in

the project. The project is also supporting concepts of increasing 6th form uptake and delivery of Computer Science in Newent, Ribston, Denmark Road and Wyedean.

Computer Science becomes most popular university course

The Director of 6th form has reported that at Wyedean Computer Science has become the most popular university course for their 6th forms to apply for this year. 16.3% of the school’s university applications this year were for Computer Science related courses. Emma, the Computer Science teacher at Wyedean, puts this figure down to the impact of industry involvement showing students the possibilities, with a special mention to the Bank of visit the 6th form did when they got to engage with the banks staff.

Options Evening suggest increase in Computer Science

Ribston reports that at their Y8 parents evening there was a lot of interest shown in taking GCSE Computer Science with the schools GCSE stats showing that the project is helping with the growth of CS in school as follows:

• Sept 2015 6 Girls • Sept 2016 10 Girls • Sept 2017 15 Girls • Sept 2018 16 Girls • Sept 2019 20 Girls

The 20 girls in September 2019 is 17% of the total year group. Ribston have also provided details on their last two years of A-level Computer Science with 5 taking it the first year they offered it in 2017 and 8 taking it last September.

Cleeve School increase student numbers undertaking Computer Science

Cleeve school reports thanks to the support and involvement in the Cyber Schools Hub project that they have the following statistics:

• New Y12s - 10 boys and 7 girls (last year it was 10 boys, 2 girls) • New Y9s - 39 Boys and 14 girls (last year it was 35 Boys and 11 girls)

The school is really pleased to be increasing its numbers especially the number of girls.

Cleeve School to support Cheltenham Independent State Schools Partnership (ISSP)

Schools in Cheltenham are putting in place a Schools Partnership, including both state and independently funded schools, to facilitate better sharing of resources and facilities between schools. The ISSP is based on a similar model that runs in York (https://yorkissp.org/) and other areas across the UK. Cleeve School has now been included in the partnership and will be looking to provide support and activities to other schools in the partnership using its position and resources as a Cyber Schools Hub to facilitate learning and awareness of Computer Science and Cyber Security Principles in schools across Cheltenham.

June is all about Outreach!

With the schools having lost 2-year groups with students doing their GCSE and A-level, secondary schools have lots more time to engage with primary schools in June. Beaufort Co-operative Academy conducted 4 full days of outreach with Primary school children to introduce and excite them in Computer Science. Great use was made of both Ohbots and Sphero robots, and the inspiring 'Little Tommies' facility at Beaufort. Schools supported included Kings School, Linden School and Abbeymead Primary Schools. The Denmark Road Computer Science teacher provided three exciting and stimulating Computer Science outreach session over 3 weeks for Kingsholm Primary School. The Computer Science team at hosted a massive 160 Y6 students from local Primary Schools for two days and provided them with an exciting and rewarding Computer Science learning experience based around Ohbots.

Dean Academy and Wyedean School working together

Dean Academy who are looking to develop offering Computer Science GCSE at the School from 2020 have joined forces with Wyedean school to better understand how to develop links with industry, run exciting Computer Science/Cyber Clubs and develop exciting projects for GCSE Computer Science students. Dean Academy is part of the Athelstan Trust and the Computer Science teacher at Dean Academy is regular supported by a Computer Science teacher from one of the trusts other schools in Malmesbury, with the teacher travelling to Dean Academy and helping at least once a week. Both these teachers visited Wyedean during June to explore with the teachers their how they were getting such success, the format of their clubs and the equipment being used to bring Computer Science to life. Wyedean school has committed to continued support of Dean Academy to help them develop their Computer Science Offering.

Not a Wizard but a Cyber Apprentice!

After developing the Dragon's Den format for exciting and engaging students in elements of Computer Science previously, teachers at Wyedean school decided to run a new event based on BBC One's Apprentice. Wyedean sourced their own panel of experts, with Deep3, Cyber Security Associates and BAE Systems providing staff, and NCSC's very own Director of Operations, Paul Chichester, taking the starring role as Alan Sugar. 8 teams had passed the pre-selection event and they all underwent 3 activities focusing on Innovation, Escape Room and Cyber Skills in the morning to prove their leadership, analytical and teamworking skills. The teams were:

• Girls School for Engineering- Setting a separate club focused on Girls Schools for Engineering • Cyber Crew- Understanding the inner workings of computers. • Cyber Life-Computing, Cyber and Ethics. • Project Green House- Our sustainable future through tech. • XCode- Gaming for the future generation. • STEM future- Focusing on Maths with Application for the future of STEM learning. • FutureVR- VR to extend learning and curriculum. • Reality- Focus on Augmented Reality.

Each judge selected a team to present their visions to the panel. The winning team was Project Green House, who now get to work with CGI who will be working with them to turn this business plan into reality (see below). Wyedean school have loaded up the resources that were developed to run this event onto the Cyberhub.uk website for other schools to be able to replicate it.

Helping engage more girls in computing

Wyedean school applied and were selected to be part of the project being run jointly between the Department of Education and the Raspberry Pi foundation, looking at how to engage more female students in computing. The project has similar goals to the Cyber Schools Hub project and will start in September 2019 and will involve Wyedean trialling the Apps for Good App Development course with year 8 students and various new resources that have been specifically designed to encourage more girls to consider GCSE Computer Science. The school will also be providing feedback on these resources both from the students and the teachers to the project.

Wyedean supports the Welsh Education and Training Cluster

Following the presentation on Cyber Schools Hub project involvement that Wyedean school made to the Females in Cyber section of the South Wales Cyber Cluster the school were asked if they would be attend an event of the Welsh education and training cluster to show how they could translate some of the success in Wales. The event was well attended, four Welsh Universities, many Cyber Industries, Welsh Cyber Police, Law films, Apprenticeship and Enterprise schemes, STEM leaders, National Cyber Security Academy, Inspiring skills, Careers Wales, and Cyber Wales amongst others. Discussion points included: role models, trips, industries, events, curriculum development, competitions (including the CyberFirst Girls Competition), e-mentoring, clubs and enrichment. The cluster were very interested in how CyberUK2020 could be utilised to spur activities between schools and industry, with the universities agreeing they would focus on supporting 10 schools each and support them getting involved in the CyberFirst Girls Competition. Wyedean School also presented their idea of a CyberMeet - where students meet with industry in a sort of speed dating format, with the cluster agreeing to support the event, with the Newport Cyber Academy agreeing to host.

Cyber Club badges !

The Ribston students that attend the schools Cyber/Computer Science club came up with a concept of having a series of uniform badges to highlight their involvement in the clubs. In their own words:

Having badges would be a way of identifying the harder workers in Computer Science from KS3 onwards and unite them as a group of people, introducing them early to the feeling of teamwork, which is prevalent in Computer Science, both in the industry and in competitions. This will also help to improve the general morale of the club and to make them feel more inclusive and a part of a community. Also, this can be seen a physical sign of their dedication and a reward for their time, plus be used as an indicator of hierarchy in case a younger student would like advice from older students. Placing names to these badges helps to teach these students about the rich history of Computer Science and the predecessors of our common systems, which is why we picked Ada Lovelace, Alan Turing, Grace Hopper, and Katherine Johnson. This gives us a mixed gender set of inspirational people for our students of many year groups to look up to, of mixed ages and orientations to serve as a role model for any student in the classes.

The NCSC team have backed this concept and are looking forward to seeing how they support the development of more students getting involved in the Computer Science/Cyber Clubs at school.

Project teachers attend Cynam

Cynam hosted an event in the evening during the week of the Cheltenham Science Festival, which focused on the cyber elements of health technology, looking at How secure are smart devices in healthcare and the IoT industry?, how is HealthTech protecting everyone’s data? and What’s on the

horizon and what innovation is happening to secure the HealthTech of tomorrow? This interested numerous project teachers to attend (including a large group of female teachers from Wyedean) and led to a request for NCSC to arrange for NHS Digital to visit schools in the project to share some of the insights that were discussed at the event with students. The next Cynam event is to be hosted in October, and for the first time, Cynam companies involved in the project will be hosting a teacher and group of students from interested schools to the event, which will be focusing on ICS/IOT.

Turing Day Resource released

Wyedean school last year ran a Turing Day event at school, and the NCSC team asked if they could provide a documentation package so that other schools could copy the day and run. Wyedean School have now completed this work and loaded up materials for the four workshops that made up the day onto the Cyberhub.uk Teachers portal. The four workshops are:

1. Codebreaking- developed by Maths Department 2. Turing Story- developed by LGBT 3. Turing tumble- what's inside a computer! 4. Escape room- developed by CS department

Crypt School get prepared for Ethical Hacking

To finish off their NCSC provided club crate, Cyber Security Associates dropped of one of their own Ethical Hacking servers to the teacher and students at Crypt Grammar school. The server that has been developed by Cyber Security Associates for the Cyber Schools Hub project has a Cyber Range on it consisting of Virtual Machines for students to practice their ethical hacking skills against. Cyber Security Associates have also provided an accompanying website - https://www.cyberpiprojects.com/cyber-range - with video tutorials and worksheets available for download to support both teachers and students learning about Ethical hacking. While Crypt School, like Dean Academy and Newent Schools have their own dedicated Hacking Server, that they connect into with segregated networks, Cyber Security Associates have also provided servers that are available for schools to book via the dropcrate booking system, and combine with other wireless or wired dropcrates to set up their own ethical hacking networks for pto 6-weeks at a time.

Industry Engagement and Support

Industry led facilitator

Cleeve School have suggested a trial concept having an industry supporter provide facilitation for the project to increase industry support and organise and develop multi-school activities. Teachers from Cleeve, Beaufort, Ribston and Wyedean along with several companies came together to develop a proposal that Cleeve School then submitted to the NCSC for consideration. Since the start of the project it has been clear that for hub schools it has been very difficult to organise cross-secondary school interactions and to develop and expand industry support at scale for themselves and the spoke schools. The industry led facilitator concept will focus around four themes:

• Inspiration • Collaboration • Education • Excitement

Initially, this engagement is proposed to include:

• Mentoring (Students and Teachers) • Cyber Day Camps • Industry talks / Career Presentations/ Cyber Workshops • The Cyber Industry Hub Awards • The Cyber Industry Hub Dragons' Den • Real Time Industry Projects • Work Experience Opportunities • Cyber Heroes (Students and Teachers)

Madeline started as the Industry Led Facilitator at the beginning of June and has spent her day a week with the NCSC team, and has already being very busy on several objectives including overhauling the CSH informal website and correlating and coordinating industry support requirements from schools. Madeline can be reached at [email protected].

In addition to Madeline, the proposal also covered the establishment of a steering group made up of representatives from companies involved in the project to help support and develop industry engagement further. Please contact Madeline direct if you or your company would like to be involved in this group.

Support for West Midlands Regional Cyber Crime Unit (RCCU)

The project has had great support from the Police South West RCCU right from the beginning with officers going into school to provide informative and fun sessions around ethics of Computer Science and the Computer Misuse Act. On several occasions this has been done as a tag team with NCSC providing insight into the role of both GCHQ and NCSC, and the associated career opportunities if students stay the right side of the law. Through engagement with the SWRCCU, the NCSC team have also made contacts with the West Midlands RCCU that covers counties north of Gloucestershire. The West Midlands RCCU had been called in to a school in Hereford where there was a very talented student that the teachers were worried may be about to cross the line with his on-line cyber activities. This individual has expressed interest in working for GCHQ/NCSC and so the RCCU asked if the NCSC team would chat with him. Rather than make direct contact with the individual the NCSC team suggested a joint tag team event with the RCCU, where we emulated the sessions, we have previously

run in several schools with the SWRCCU. This offer was duly taken up by the school and a session was run for a morning with the individual and his classmates. Great feedback from both the RCCU and the school was received with hopefully a clear and correct pathway highlighted to the talented student.

New companies onboard

Thanks to Dean Academy we welcome on board Bridewell Consulting as a new industry supporter of the Cyber Schools Hub Project. The company focuses on Cyber Security and Data protection consulting and have offices in London, Reading and Newport, the latter being ideal to support schools in the South of the . Also, thanks to Wyedean school we have Amiosec now also onboard as an industry supporter. Based in Tewkesbury, Amiosec specialises in research and rapid product developments incorporating new and emerging technologies, focusing on enhancing customer capabilities in the fields of secure communications, network defence, cyber security and deployed capability.

CGI and an IOT Green House

CGI had been working very closely with the Computer Science and Science teachers at Beaufort school to design an engaging activity around developing an Internet of Things Green House with both students and teachers. With the decision by Beaufort management to stop offering Computer Science, a new home for this concept was sought, and by sheer coincidence, it closely coincided with one of the Business Plan Visions that Wyedean school students had developed. CGI staff and Wyedean teachers then got together to see if the two concepts could be made into one with CGI developing the concept with Wyedean school instead.

CGI are now developing the IOT Greenhouse prototype (the full size model is actually really a bio- dome, that is made using connectors and broom handles, along with plastic sheeting), with equipment funded by NCSC, and Wyedean School have put together a Female Cyber Engineering Club, that will be running from September for two hours a week after school. The club will be led by the now Year 9 girls from the Project Green House team (who incidentally were the schools top CyberFirst Girls Competition Y8 team), supported by a combined team of teachers from the DT Department, Applied Learning Area, Computer Science, Physics Department and Biology Department.

The NCSC team will be monitoring and seeking feedback from this concept from both the school and CGI.

Pi-Top undertake Product development at Wyedean

Pi-Top who provide the Pi-TOP Ceed Raspberry Pi based devices currently to the project have been working closely with Wyedean school to help undertake product testing of their new Raspberry Pi based Pi-TOP 4. The Pi-Top 4 has a range of IOT sensors and Wyedean students and teachers have been keen to develop a range of IOT based devices using this product in and around their Philosophers Den Cyber Space within the school. Pi-Top staff have visited Wyedean and have trialled the product and gained considerable feedback from the students on what they thought of it.

NCSC Update

Distribution centres

Cleeve School came up with the successful trial concept of classroom dropcrates of technology that are shared using a booking process across multiple schools, with Barnwood Park Arts College following this up with their concept of having teacher dropcrates with one of every item of technology in for teachers to get familiar with before booking classroom crates. NCSC have facilitated the movement of these crates between schools by using a courier service. This combined has been very successful, although has not been without its issues, one of which has been a very high overhead on the NCSC team to run the courier bookings while trying to take a very flexible approach with teachers and schools. From September onwards the NCSC team have decided to trial a new approach of having distribution centres, some provided by our industry supporters, some provided by our schools to cover Gloucestershire. Each distribution centre will be provided with its own booking system, and equipment based on the need/previous usage of schools in the surrounding area. The new Distribution Centres will be located at:

• Cyber Security Associates office in Quedgeley - Serving Gloucestershire and North Forest of Dean area • Deep3 Software’s office in Cheltenham - Serving the Cheltenham area • Cleeve School - Serving the North Gloucestershire area • Ohbot's office in Chelford - Serving the Stroud and Cirencester area • Wyedean School - Serving the South Forest of Dean area.

To utilise the equipment at these Centres, teachers/schools will book them using a new commercial booking system, and then will collect and return the crates themselves. The distribution centres will be responsible for ensuring the dropcrates are complete when they are collected and returned, with teachers/schools highlighting on return any items that are faulty so that they can be rectified before being booked out/collected again.

Engagement with the Library Innovation Lab

The NCSC team have been aware for a while that the Innovation Lab have been looking to trial new ways of engagement with both school children and the community at large in Computer Science related activities based at Libraries (https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/libraries/library-activities-and- services/innovation-lab/), and have been providing items of technology for schools to use. As part of the Explore theme that the lab are running with, the NCSC team have met with the head of the Innovation Lab to explore how we can work together to develop CS interest in schools/students, and agreed that we will explore some opportunities once their new facility at Coleford Library is up and running. Coleford being of interest to the project, because its local secondary school, Five Acres, does not offer the opportunity of Computer Science GCSE to its students, but are engaging with the Innovation Lab and several of its supportive STEM ambassadors from a local company.

Cyberhub.uk Teaching materials on the increase

A key concept trial of the project is to develop teaching materials that may or may not utilise the technology dropcrates that are then made available for other teachers to utilise on the Cyberhub.uk website. The projects teachers have been very busy recently not only developing specific one session material but also full schemes of work. Here are some of the more recent material that has been produced:

• Boolean Algebra • Computer Science Homework Booklets • CyberFirst Creative Computing Club Pack • Apprentice Day resources

Cybefirst Modulisation

Wyedean school have now developed, tested and loaded up on the Cyberhub.uk Teachers portal the Cyberfirst Adventurers Creative module club pack. Wyedean School are also developing a teacher’s pack based on this module to be released soon for use as a scheme of work for delivery in the classroom for KS3 students.

Cyber at the Cheltenham Science Festival

The project once again supported students attending the Cheltenham Science Festival, with this year teachers and students from Wyedean making the most of the offer. Given this year is GCHQ's centenary year, GCHQ sponsored the Cyber Zone area, where Wyedean students were able to interact with exhibits not only from GCHQ's stand, but also from Cyber Security Associates, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, and also in the maker space, Ohbot's crazy robots, all companies that support the Cyber Schools Hub project. Students were so engaged with the activities that they nearly forgot to get on the bus back to school at the end of the day.