Turning Data into Impact: Year 9s Win Big with Insightful Analysis on Global Issues

Term 6 Week 1

The DataFace competition, organised by Cheltenham Festivals in collaboration with CyberFirst, gave students the opportunity to explore global datasets on a range of pressing topics such as gender inequality, sea level rise, endangered species, the cost of living, national happiness indexes, and commonly used passwords.

We integrated this competition into the Year 9 Computing curriculum, challenging students to use their spreadsheet skills to analyse large datasets, identify patterns, and uncover meaningful stories. They were then tasked with creating a compelling data visualisation to communicate their findings.

Our participating group—Eliza, Poppy, Evelynn, and Rozhina—worked exceptionally well together. Ted and Robyn were also part of the original team but were unable to attend on the day of the competition. The group’s project won at the school level, earning them the chance to represent Cirencester Kingshill School against ten other schools in Cheltenham.

Their investigation focused on gender inequality across six countries with varying levels of economic development. They examined differences in male and female literacy rates, fertility rates, and linked these to each country's happiness index. Their analysis revealed a correlation between gender inequality indicators and overall national happiness.

At the regional event, the team explained their project over a two-hour showcase, presenting to a wide audience including data scientists, industry experts, teachers, and peers. Making it into the final five, they then delivered a formal presentation to the judging panel and wider audience.

Despite strong competition from leading schools such as Pate’s Grammar School and Balcarras, the team’s passion, depth of analysis, and outstanding presentation skills secured the top prize for Cirencester Kingshill. We are incredibly proud of their achievement—especially as this is only the second year we’ve taken part in the competition. Their success is a testament to their hard work and enthusiasm.

Mr. Karunaratne

Faculty leader of Computer Science, ICT and Enterprise