A secondary school in the Midlands has been forced to delay its return after the Christmas holidays following a severe cyber attack that crippled its entire digital infrastructure.
School IT Systems Crippled by Hackers
Higham Lane School in Nuneaton should have welcomed pupils back on Monday, 5 January 2026. Instead, parents and carers were informed that the school would be closed for at least Monday and Tuesday, with a hoped-for reopening on Wednesday, 7 January. School leaders stressed, however, that this date could not be guaranteed.
The cyber incident has completely taken down the school's IT network. This has resulted in a loss of access to all critical digital services, including telephones, email systems, internal servers, and the school’s management software. It is not yet known if the personal data of pupils or staff has been compromised in the attack.
"Safe and Controlled" Reopening Planned
In a message to the school community, the leadership explained the difficult decision. "In consultation with the Trust we have completed a risk assessment on the immediate impact from the ongoing cyber event," the statement read, citing the need to consider the safeguarding and wellbeing of pupils and staff.
The closure is intended to support the restoration of systems and to allow experts to gather evidence to prevent a future incident. The school aims to reopen in a "safe and controlled manner." An update on the situation and the plan for reopening is expected to be communicated to parents on Tuesday morning.
Apology for Childcare Disruption
The school has apologised for the significant inconvenience caused to families who now have to make unexpected childcare arrangements for the coming days. Communications will be sent via the MyEd system, the school website, and its social media accounts as systems are gradually restored.
Higham Lane School is part of the Central England Academy Trust (CEAT). CoventryLive reported the story and has contacted the trust for further comment on the cyber attack and the ongoing recovery efforts.
