Cyberattack forces Buckinghamshire school to close for most pupils

A secondary school in Buckinghamshire has been partially closed after a cyberattack disrupted its computer systems and communications network.

Great Marlow School said a malware incident had compromised parts of its ICT network, prompting staff to take sections of the system offline as a precaution while cybersecurity specialists investigate.

The attack resulted in the closure of the school for most pupils on Wednesday, with only students in Years 11 and 13 attending for scheduled external examinations.

The disruption has prevented staff from using the school's usual email system to communicate with parents and carers, while teachers have also been unable to set work remotely.

Internal examinations for Years 10 and 12 due to take place this week have been postponed, and a Year 7 rowing lesson was cancelled.

The school confirmed it would remain closed to most students on Thursday as efforts continued to restore systems.

Headteacher Guy Pendlebury said the school was following guidance from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the Department for Education.

"We understand the disruption this causes and sincerely appreciate your continued patience, understanding and support," he said .

"The safety and wellbeing of our students, staff and wider school community remain our highest priority."

The school said mock examinations for Years 10 and 12 would be rescheduled where possible.

Great Marlow School, which counts Olympic rowing champion Steve Redgrave among its former pupils, has not disclosed the source of the attack or whether any personal data may have been compromised.

Schools are increasingly becoming targets for cybercriminals because of their reliance on digital systems and the sensitive information they hold.

Educational institutions often manage large volumes of pupil and staff data, while many operate with limited IT resources, making them attractive targets for attackers seeking to cause disruption or demand ransom payments.

In April, a cyberattack on a shared school IT system in Northern Ireland caused widespread disruption, leaving hundreds of thousands of pupils and teachers temporarily unable to access essential services.

Last month, the hacking group ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for an attack on the education platform Canvas , which is widely used by schools and universities to host coursework, grades and examination materials.

The group claimed the attack had affected nearly 9,000 educational institutions worldwide, although the extent of the disruption has not been independently verified.

Earlier this year, Higham Lane School in Warwickshire was forced to close temporarily following a cyber incident.

Commenting on the latest attack, Adam Boynton, senior enterprise strategy manager at Jamf, said such incidents are likely to increase anxiety for students and families during an already demanding exam period.

"Beyond the immediate disruption, data breaches can cause lasting reputational damage, eroding trust among students, parents, and staff and potentially affecting enrolment," he said.

"In Great Marlow's case, school closures can also disrupt businesses as parents are forced to stay to care for their children. Schools are particularly vulnerable due to limited IT resources and budgets, which can restrict security investments."

"To reduce risk, schools and universities must maintain strong cyber hygiene through regular software updates, organisation-wide multi-factor authentication, and robust threat prevention tools that can quickly detect and remove unauthorised access."