Schools and colleges across England are getting better at
bouncing back from cyber security incidents, new data from Ofqual
reveals, though gaps remain in how schools prepare for
attacks.
Ofqual is encouraging schools to build on this progress by
putting more robust measures in place so staff know what to do if
systems are attacked. The call comes as part of Cyber Security
Awareness Month, following the results of its third annual survey
covering the 2025 to 2026 academic year.
The proportion of schools experiencing a cyber incident has
fallen to 27%, during 2025 to 2026, down from 29% in 2024 to 2025
and 34% in 2023 to 2024.
When incidents do occur, schools are recovering faster, with 66%
able to recover immediately, up from 55%, in the academic year
prior. Critical damage from attacks has also fallen, down to
7%.
Amanda Swann, Ofqual's Executive Director of Delivery, said:
It's encouraging to see schools recovering faster, but a cyber
breach can still cause real uncertainty for students if
coursework or marks are lost, and staff confidence can be
affected long after systems are back online.
One teacher described how their school IT team spots and tackles
attacks in progress. Another credited staff training with raising
awareness of attacks and preventing harm.
Others weren't so fortunate. One teacher reported losing network
and email access entirely, while another described an incident
that led to police closing the school, leaving staff and pupils
anxious.
Asked for the first time, as part of the survey, who is primarily
responsible for cyber security, 46% of responding teachers said
their IT team, 40% said all staff, and just 9% pointed to the
role played by senior leadership.
Ms Swann added:
Cyber security isn't just an IT problem; it's a leadership
responsibility. Regular backups and a clear response plan can
make a huge difference when things go wrong.
More than half of the secondary schools surveyed (55%) have
already taken action to protect against cyber attacks. Measures
include implementing a cyber security policy, carrying out risk
assessments, and setting up backup and recovery procedures.
Ofqual is urging the remaining schools to take similar steps.
Review: senior leaders should schedule a review
with their IT lead.
Plan: Download the Department for Education's
cyber response plan template.
Protect: Ensure your school can recover quickly
if it's attacked. Visit the Department for Education's
Cyber Security Hub.
Notes to editors
For a copy of the poll email media@ofqual.gov.uk.
Percentages referring to teachers are based on a sample of 3,775
secondary teachers in England. Where percentages refer to
schools, responses were limited to one per school, selecting the
most senior teacher. This resulted in a sample representing up to
2,162 schools.
Teacher Tapp ran the poll, on behalf of Ofqual, on 13 July
2026.
