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Cyberattack Brings Extended Christmas Break to Higham Lane School in England


Higham Lane School in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England has been awarded an extended Christmas break due to a cyberattack that crippled its IT systems. The incident, which occurred on January 3, has left students without access to digital services for over two days.

  • Higham Lane School in Nuneaton, England was awarded an extended Christmas break due to a cyberattack that crippled its IT systems on January 3.
  • The cyberattack took down the school's IT system, cutting off access to phones, email, servers, and management systems.
  • The incident has raised concerns about the effectiveness of the school's cybersecurity measures and the impact on students' learning.
  • The school had to close its doors for two days, disrupting over 1,000 students' education.
  • Teachers encouraged pupils to review their revision materials, while external sites like BBC Bitesize were recommended for use during the extended break.
  • The incident highlights the vulnerabilities of educational institutions to cyberattacks and the need for robust cybersecurity measures.



  • In a shocking turn of events, students at Higham Lane School in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England have been awarded an extended Christmas break due to a cyberattack that crippled the school's IT systems. The incident, which occurred on January 3, has left the school's classrooms closed and staff scrambling to recover from the attack.

    According to reports, the cyberattack took down the school's IT system, cutting off access to phones, email, servers, and its management system. This has resulted in a total shutdown of all digital services at the school, with teachers and parents advised not to access any school systems until further notice.

    The incident has sparked concerns about the effectiveness of the school's cybersecurity measures and the impact on students' learning. In a statement, headteacher Michael Gannon assured parents that the school is "working closely with external agencies" to investigate and resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

    One of the most surprising aspects of this incident is the scale of disruption it has caused. The school, which has over 1,000 students, has been forced to close its doors for two days, giving parents no choice but to make alternative arrangements for their children's education during the extended break.

    To mitigate the impact of the cyberattack on student learning, teachers have encouraged pupils who were already logged in before the attack to brush up on their revision materials. The school has also recommended external revision sites such as BBC Bitesize and Oak National Academy, which are not connected to its own network, for students to use during this period.

    The incident has highlighted concerns about the vulnerabilities of educational institutions when it comes to cyberattacks. Despite efforts to increase cybersecurity measures, schools remain a prime target for hackers due to their reliance on digital systems.

    This latest incident is just the latest in a long line of high-profile cyberattacks that have affected educational institutions across the country. The UK government has been under pressure to take stronger action against cyber threats, and this incident is likely to be seen as further evidence of the need for more robust cybersecurity measures.

    In response to the incident, the school has taken steps to report the breach to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) in line with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018 / GDPR. This suggests that the possibility of student or staff data being accessed is being assessed, and that the school is taking this incident seriously.

    The impact of this cyberattack on the school community cannot be overstated. For teachers and parents who had already made arrangements for their children's education during this period, this sudden disruption has caused significant inconvenience and stress. The extended break will likely have a lasting impact on students' learning and academic progress.

    As the investigation into the incident continues, one thing is clear: the need for robust cybersecurity measures in educational institutions cannot be overstated. Schools must take proactive steps to protect themselves against cyber threats and ensure that their systems are secure from attack.

    In conclusion, this latest cyberattack highlights the vulnerability of educational institutions to cyber threats and the importance of robust cybersecurity measures. As schools prepare to reopen on January 7, one can only hope that this incident has served as a wake-up call for institutions across the country to take their cybersecurity seriously.

    Higham Lane School in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England has been awarded an extended Christmas break due to a cyberattack that crippled its IT systems. The incident, which occurred on January 3, has left students without access to digital services for over two days.



    Related Information:
  • https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/Cyberattack-Brings-Extended-Christmas-Break-to-Higham-Lane-School-in-England-ehn.shtml

  • https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2026/01/06/nuneaton_school_cyberattack/

  • https://www.edweek.org/technology/powerschool-paid-a-hackers-ransom-now-cyber-criminals-are-threatening-schools/2025/05

  • https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/school-districts-hit-extortion-attempts-powerschool-breach-rcna205429


  • Published: Tue Jan 6 05:08:12 2026 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M













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