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.
