Schools and colleges across England are making progress in cyber
security training, but are struggling to recover
quickly from attacks when they occur, new data from Ofqual
reveals.
As part of Cybersecurity Awareness Month this October, the
regulator is urging schools to ensure they are protected from
malicious software and backups are in place to restore
students' coursework and other vital systems in the event of an
attack.
The proportion of teachers who received cyber security training
has risen by 11 percentage points from 61% during the academic
year 2023 to 2024, to 72% in 2024 to 2025. Despite this, the time
taken for schools to recover from cyber incidents has worsened -
55% of schools which experienced a cyber incident were able to
recover immediately, compared to 63% the previous year.
Amanda Swann, Ofqual's Executive Director of General
Qualifications, said:
Cyber attacks can have a devastating impact on students' academic
work.
Schools and colleges experiencing cyber security incidents
reported losing entire classes' coursework and facing weeks of
disruption to teaching and learning.
The poll also found that 29% of schools experienced a cyber
security incident in the past academic year, down slightly from
34% previously. Despite this modest reduction in prevalence among
those surveyed, the severity of the impact was greater with 10%
of schools reporting critical damage from attacks, up from 6% the
year before.
Teachers described the real-world consequences of cyber security
attacks. One educator reported how an incident affected an entire
academy trust, forcing staff to recreate lost schedules and
resources. Another teacher reported having suffered an
attack, describing it as, ‘awful for students' coursework and
staff planning, some things were gone forever'.
Ms Swann added:
Protection from malware and regular data backups are the most
effective defence against these threats. Schools that maintain
current, accessible backups can restore systems more quickly and
avoid ransomware demands.
As schools become increasingly digital, robust cyber
security measures protect both educational continuity and
students' academic futures.
For practical tips designed for schools on how to defend against
cyber attacks, visit the National
Cyber Security Centre small business guide to cyber security.
