‘Cyber attack’ forces London school to delay pupils’ return
Students raise their hands in class at Royal High School Bath
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A cyber attack has forced a secondary school in London to delay pupils returning to the classroom by a week.
Highgate Wood Secondary School in Haringey suffered a cyber attack, preventing it from accessing systems.
The Crouch End school, which includes students aged 11 to 16, was set to reopen for the new academic year on September 5.
However, the cyber attack delayed the return of pupils until September 11.
Highgate Wood Secondary School in Haringey
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GB News understands no data was breached during the cyber attack.
Haringey Council said: “We have reported this attack to the relevant cyber security authorities, including Action Fraud.”
It added: “No other schools in Haringey have been affected by this cyber attack.”
Headteacher Patrick Cozier told parents in an email: “We sincerely apologise for any disruption and inconvenience this may cause you and your family and thank you for your patience, support and understanding at this time as we work through these IT issues.”
He added: “Having carried out investigations, we are extremely confident that our data has not been breached.”
Assistant headteacher Tristan Ashman has confirmed that the email is legitimate, local news outlets have confirmed.
The system needs to be rebuilt to ensure there is not a renewed threat.
Highgate Wood Secondary School educates around 1,500 pupils.
A parent told GB News: "It's very disappointing for hard working parents with teenagers to lose another week - after all the lockdowns and strikes from this year - over something like this.
"The consensus is that it’s quite feeble and that a school could still function for a week without IT. It’s hardly the pentagon."