A BUCKINGHAMSHIRE school has been forced to temporarily close due to a cyber attack on its computer systems.

The Misbourne School, with 1,066 pupils, will remain closed until Thursday, January 25.

The academy will be partially closed on Friday, Jan 26 with years 7, 8, 9, 10 and 12 continuing to work remotely.

The school said: "We aim to open partially for years 11 and 13 on Friday, January 27 - further updates to follow."

Computer systems at the Misbourne Drive school have been taken down by the attack impacting infrastructure and operations.

An email addressed to parents from headteacher, Rich Peters, read: "This has compromised some of the Academy's IT systems.

This means we currently have limited server functionality, most notably in our management information and learning systems. In consultation with the relevant authorities, we have completed a risk assessment on all areas affected to address concerns surrounding our ability to safeguard our students and staff.

"Unfortunately, we have no option other than to close the Academy to students on Wednesday 24 January 2024.  Work will be set by your child’s teachers on Google Classroom throughout the day for your child to continue their learning.

"We are aware the closure will cause disruption to families; if you have any immediate concerns please email safeguarding@themisbourne.co.uk which will be monitored throughout the day.


The latest update from our IT provider has indicated that we may have a skeleton network ready by the end of tomorrow and therefore we hope we may be able to limit closure to one day's closure at this time - I will be in contact with further information by 5pm tomorrow (Wednesday, January 24).

We are in liaison with our school Data Protection Officer and this data breach will be reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in line with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018 / GDPR.

We have been informed no data has left the site, and therefore this is being reported as a precautionary measure.

"I apologise for any inconvenience but feel that we have no option other than to take this course of action to ensure the safety of all our students. 

The Academy will be working with our IT providers to restore functionality and normal working as soon as possible.  We are also in close contact with other relevant third parties, including the Department for Education, National Cyber Security Centre, the local police, and the Fraud Action Team. 

"We will continue to assess the situation and update families as necessary via email and text messages."