A SALISBURY school is celebrating national recognition for its work in cyber security education just over a year after first earning top status.

South Wilts Grammar School has been named an ‘Outstanding CyberFirst Gold School’ at a national conference, highlighting its continued success in preparing students for careers in the fast-growing digital sector.

The award was presented at the TechFirst Education Ecosystem Conference last month when representatives from the school received the honour during a gala dinner.

The achievement comes just 16 months after the school was first awarded CyberFirst Gold status, underlining what judges described as consistently high standards in cyber education.

A key part of that success has been strong links with industry.

Students have taken part in hands-on workshops including drone demonstrations and robotics sessions, alongside virtual work placements and STEM clubs supported by organisations such as DSTL.

They have also worked with the South West Cyber Crime Unit and built new partnerships through the CyberFirst network, including collaboration with Microsoft.

Opportunities extend beyond the classroom.

Sixth form students have accessed bursaries, attended national lectures and taken part in competitions, with teams reaching the final of the ACE Cyber Security competition for two consecutive years.

This year, five students will also attend a specialist summer school at the University of the West of England.

The school said the award reflects not just its curriculum, but the wider experiences offered to students – helping them build skills and confidence in a field that is becoming increasingly important.

Leaders have also thanked partner organisations for their ongoing support in helping deliver what they describe as a “high-quality” and forward-looking programme.