School Cyber Attack: Higham Lane School Hit by Major Cyber Attack: Campus Remains Closed
NUNEATON, January 7, 2026 — Higham Lane School in Nuneaton has been forced to remain closed this week following a "significant" cyber attack that has crippled its entire digital infrastructure. The incident, which was discovered over the weekend just as students were set to return from the Christmas break, has left approximately 1,500 pupils unable to attend classes.
The attack has rendered all essential systems non-functional, including:
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Communication: Telephones and staff email accounts
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Learning Platforms: Google Classroom and Microsoft SharePoint.
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The school is closed as a precautionary measure. The BBC report: Cyber attack shuts school for a few days
Why Schools are the New "Front Line"
Nurseries, schools and colleges have become prime targets for cybercriminals. Schools hold vast amounts of sensitive data—from safeguarding records to financial information—and often operate with smaller IT budgets than private corporations. According to recent 2024-2025 data, over 70% of secondary schools in the UK have experienced a cyber incident in the last year.
Essential Advice for Schools: Strengthening Your Defences
The Higham Lane incident serves as a stark reminder for school leaders to review their digital "hygiene." Here are five critical steps every school should take today:
| Action Item | Why It Matters |
| Enforce MFA | Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is the single most effective way to stop credential theft. Every staff account must require a second code to log in. Secondary schools should consider this for their students too. |
| Offline Backups | Ensure backups are "air-gapped" (not connected to the main network). If ransomware hits, your backups won't be encrypted alongside your live data. |
| Phishing Training | Most attacks start with a single deceptive email. Regular "simulated phishing" tests for staff can build a human firewall. |
| Incident Response Plan | Don't wait for an attack to decide who to call. Have a printed (paper) list of contacts, including your IT provider, insurers, and the DfE; your Cyber Incident Response Plan. |
| Restrict Admin Rights | Minimise the number of staff who have "Administrator" privileges. This limits the "blast radius" if a single account is compromised. |
Pro Tip: The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) offers a free "Cyber Action Plan" specifically for schools. It takes under 10 minutes to complete and provides a tailored list of security improvements.