During the October holidays, three of our pupils, Iqra Sarwar(S6), Mirren McDonald(S6) and Rita McVey(S6), took the initiative to attend an exciting Next Tech Girls x Motability Operations Hackathon held at Motability Operations’ Edinburgh office.

The event brought together 19 young women aged 16–25 from across Scotland to take on real-world business challenges and develop creative, tech-based solutions. Participants collaborated in teams, exploring problem-solving, coding, and presenting their ideas — all while gaining valuable insight into careers in technology.

One of our pupils, Mirren McDonald, shared her experience:

“It was honestly one of the best work experiences I’ve attended yet because it gave us all an insight into real-life problems and let us propose solutions to them. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is thinking of attending one in the future!”

The Hackathon provided a fantastic opportunity for participants to build confidence, teamwork, and digital skills in a supportive and inspiring environment. As shared by the event organisers, an incredible 94% of attendees left more interested in pursuing a career in tech.

We’re incredibly proud of our pupils for choosing to spend part of their holidays developing their skills, meeting like-minded young women, and representing our school community so positively.

Well done to all involved — and thank you to Next Tech Girls and Motability Operations Ltd for hosting such an empowering and inspiring event!