Ofqual statistics show school cyber incidents falling to 27%
New Ofqual data reveals the proportion of UK schools hit by cyber incidents has fallen to 27%, while two-thirds can now recover immediately from attacks.
The proportion of UK schools experiencing a cyber incident has fallen steadily from 34% to 27% over three years. Ofqual released these new figures on October 1 to coincide with Cyber Security Awareness Month, showing a continued decline in reported attacks.
The share of schools experiencing a cyber incident fell from 34% in 2023-24 to 29% in 2024-25 and 27% in 2025-26. The data covers cybersecurity incidents in schools and colleges across England.
Schools recover faster when incidents occur
Two-thirds of schools now recover immediately from cyber incidents, up from 55% the prior year. When incidents occur, 66% of schools are able to recover immediately. This marks a significant improvement from the 55% rate recorded in the previous academic year.
Responsibility for cybersecurity remains unevenly distributed
Most teachers see IT teams as primarily responsible, while few credit senior leadership with a role in cybersecurity. Nearly half (46%) of responding teachers said their IT team is primarily responsible for cybersecurity. A further 40% of responding teachers said all staff are responsible. Only 9% of responding teachers said senior leadership played a role in cybersecurity responsibility.
Preventative action lags behind incident trends
Over half of secondary schools have taken action, but 45% have yet to implement preventative measures. Over half (55%) of secondary schools surveyed claimed to have already taken action to protect against cyber-attacks. Conversely, 45% of schools have yet to take preventative action against cyber-attacks.
Study context and expert reaction
The findings come from a large Ofqual survey released for Cyber Security Awareness Month, with officials noting progress but ongoing risks. Some 2,162 schools and 3,775 teachers were surveyed for the study. The rate of critical damage from attacks has fallen to 7%.
Amanda Swann, Ofqual executive director of delivery, acknowledged the positive trend but warned of lasting impacts. '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,' she said.
Mat Pullen, director for education at Jamf and a former secondary school teacher, highlighted the importance of resilience. 'Reducing incidents matters, but so does recovering faster. Cyber-attacks have closed schools for a week or longer in the past,' he said.
The proportion of schools experiencing a cyber incident was 27% during 2025 to 2026, down from 29% in 2024 to 2025 and 34% in 2023 to 2024.
