Bristol City Council is investigating a cyber attack affecting its Schools IT network, with the possibility that sensitive information relating to pupils, families and staff has been taken.
What has happened?
The council says it identified suspicious activity on its Schools IT network in September 2026. Following identification of the attack, 88 schools were disconnected from the network.
On 30 October, the council received information indicating that stolen data had been published online. Its investigation suggests approximately 320,000 files may have been taken, with 39 schools potentially affected by the data theft.
The council has emphasised that inclusion among those 39 schools does not necessarily mean an individual school's data was stolen. Investigators are still working to determine which information and individuals have been affected.
What remains unknown?
The investigation is ongoing. The precise route of compromise, the full extent of the information affected and the implications for individual schools and families have not yet been established publicly. It would be premature to attribute the incident to any particular infrastructure design or security failure.
Support and official information
Schools, families and staff should refer to Bristol City Council's official incident updates for the latest advice and confirmed information. Bristol24/7 has also reported on the incident.
What does this mean for other school groups?
Bristol's School ICT Services provides shared technology services. The incident raises wider questions about how groups of schools balance shared infrastructure with appropriate security boundaries. It does not establish that sharing infrastructure caused this attack.