East Park Primary School Data Breach Exposes Sensitive Pupil Information
A significant data breach at East Park Primary School in Hull has exposed the personal details of incoming pupils, including sensitive information about their admission status. On 4 June, a parent applying for a school place received an email containing a spreadsheet with confidential data on other children, such as Special Educational Needs (SEN) requirements and the relationship status of parents.
The email, intended to include a welcome letter and admission form for new starters in September, was mistakenly sent by the school’s admin team. Shortly after, the parent received a follow-up message instructing them to "delete the email immediately and not open the spreadsheet".
Horizon Academy Trust, which oversees the school, confirmed the breach and reported it to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). A spokesperson stated that a "full internal investigation" is underway to determine the cause. The trust emphasized its commitment to data protection, adding that all affected families are being contacted directly for support.
The incident highlights the risks of mishandling sensitive pupil data, particularly in educational settings where privacy breaches can have lasting consequences. The ICO will now assess the severity of the breach and potential regulatory action.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqx1rgq82ljo
Broad Horizons Education Trust cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/broad-horizons-education-trust
"id": "BRO1780943190",
"linkid": "broad-horizons-education-trust",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "6/2026",
"severity": "85",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': 'Incoming pupils and their '
'families',
'industry': 'Education',
'location': 'Hull, UK',
'name': 'East Park Primary School',
'type': 'Educational Institution'}],
'attack_vector': 'Human Error',
'customer_advisories': 'Affected families contacted directly for support',
'data_breach': {'file_types_exposed': 'Spreadsheet',
'personally_identifiable_information': 'Yes',
'sensitivity_of_data': "High (SEN requirements, parents' "
'relationship status)',
'type_of_data_compromised': 'Personal and sensitive pupil '
'information'},
'date_detected': '2024-06-04',
'date_publicly_disclosed': '2024-06-04',
'description': 'A significant data breach at East Park Primary School in Hull '
'has exposed the personal details of incoming pupils, '
'including sensitive information about their admission status. '
'A parent received an email containing a spreadsheet with '
'confidential data on other children, such as Special '
'Educational Needs (SEN) requirements and the relationship '
'status of parents.',
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'Potential reputational damage to the '
'school and trust',
'data_compromised': 'Personal details of pupils, including SEN '
"requirements and parents' relationship status",
'identity_theft_risk': 'Potential risk due to exposure of '
'sensitive pupil data'},
'investigation_status': 'Ongoing',
'references': [{'date_accessed': '2024-06-04',
'source': 'Horizon Academy Trust Statement'}],
'regulatory_compliance': {'regulations_violated': 'UK GDPR, Data Protection '
'Act 2018',
'regulatory_notifications': 'Reported to the '
'Information '
'Commissioner’s Office '
'(ICO)'},
'response': {'communication_strategy': 'Direct communication with affected '
'families; public statement via '
'Horizon Academy Trust',
'containment_measures': 'Affected families contacted directly; '
'instruction to delete the email',
'remediation_measures': 'Full internal investigation underway'},
'title': 'East Park Primary School Data Breach Exposes Sensitive Pupil '
'Information',
'type': 'Data Breach'}