**Cyber Attack Forces Temporary Closure of Higham Lane School in Nuneaton**
Higham Lane School, a secondary institution in Nuneaton with approximately 1,400 students aged 11–18, was forced to close on Monday following a cyber attack that disrupted its IT systems. The school, part of the Central England Academy Trust, announced the shutdown as a "precautionary measure" while investigations are underway, with plans to remain closed until at least Wednesday.
Upon discovering the incident, the school activated its incident response protocols, securing affected systems and engaging independent cybersecurity specialists to assess the breach. Authorities, including a Cyber Incident Response Team from the Department for Education, have been notified, and the school is cooperating fully with external agencies.
In a letter to parents, the school described the closure as a "difficult decision" made on the advice of experts. Students and staff have been instructed to avoid logging into school systems, including Google Classroom and SharePoint, until further notice. While no evidence suggests compromised accounts, the school emphasized caution during the ongoing investigation.
An update for families is expected on Tuesday, though officials have declined further comment while the matter remains under review. The incident highlights the growing vulnerability of educational institutions to cyber threats and the operational disruptions they can cause.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy4g7wkm8kyo?at_medium
Higham Lane School cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/higham-lane-school
"id": "HIG1767654165",
"linkid": "higham-lane-school",
"type": "Cyber Attack",
"date": "1/2026",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "5",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the organization's existence"{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': '1,400 pupils and staff',
'industry': 'Education',
'location': 'Nuneaton, West Midlands, UK',
'name': 'Higham Lane School',
'size': '1,400 pupils',
'type': 'Educational Institution'}],
'customer_advisories': 'Students and staff asked not to access Google '
'Classroom, SharePoint, or other school systems until '
'further notice',
'description': 'Higham Lane School in Nuneaton was forced to shut after a '
'cyber attack affected parts of its IT systems. The school, '
'which has about 1,400 pupils aged 11-18, closed as a '
'precautionary measure while investigations and remediation '
'activities are undertaken.',
'impact': {'downtime': '3 days (Monday to Wednesday)',
'operational_impact': 'School closure, disruption to learning',
'systems_affected': 'IT systems, Google Classroom, SharePoint'},
'investigation_status': 'Ongoing',
'references': [{'source': 'BBC Coventry & Warwickshire'}],
'regulatory_compliance': {'regulatory_notifications': 'Relevant authorities '
'notified'},
'response': {'communication_strategy': 'Updates to parents, letters to '
'parents, statements to media',
'containment_measures': 'Securing systems, restricting access to '
'school systems (Google Classroom, '
'SharePoint)',
'incident_response_plan_activated': 'Yes',
'remediation_measures': 'Investigations and remediation '
'activities underway',
'third_party_assistance': 'Independent cyber security '
'specialists, Cyber Incident Response '
'Team from the Department for '
'Education, IT experts from Central '
'England Academy Trust'},
'stakeholder_advisories': 'Parents and staff advised not to log into school '
'systems',
'title': 'Cyber Attack on Higham Lane School',
'type': 'Cyber Attack'}