A number of Nottinghamshire schools have had to shut down their IT systems as a security precaution due to a "sophisticated cyber attack".

All 15 schools that are part of the Nova Education Trust have no access to "usual modes of communication such as email, phone and website".

It means online learning provision is not able to go ahead currently, for pupils learning at home.

The incident was reported on Wednesday morning (March 3) through social media channels for a few of the schools and is now being investigated.

A spokesman for Nova Education Trust said: "Nova Education Trust has today been subject to a sophisticated cyber attack, which has resulted in unauthorised access to the trust’s IT infrastructure.

"This has resulted in the temporary shutdown of all the trust’s IT systems as a security precaution, whilst the incident is being investigated by the central IT team to determine the origin of the attack and its potential impact.

"At this time, the trust and its schools have no access to standard methods of communication such as telephones or email whilst investigations are ongoing. All schools’ websites will also be offline until further notice.

"Therefore, the schools will be unable to provide remote teaching today or upload new learning resources to its students. Alternative provisions for today’s teaching have been put in place.

"The incident has been reported to the Department for Education and the Information Commissioner’s Office, and the trust is currently working with the National Cyber Security Centre and additional security professionals to resolve the matter.

"All trust employees have been advised to take the necessary precautions."

Many of the schools in Nottinghamshire tweeted about the incident this morning.

Below is a list of all Nova Education Trust schools:

Toot Hill School, Bingham

Nottingham Free School, Sherwood

Meden School, Mansfield

The Suthers School, Newark

Birklands School, Warsop

Victoria Primary School, The Meadows

Nottingham University Samworth Academy, Bilborough

Newark Academy, Newark

The Garibaldi School, Mansfield

Robert Miles Infant School, Bingham

Firbeck Academy, Wollaton

Nottingham University Academy of Science and Technology (NUAST), Dunkirk

Westdale Junior School, Mapperley

Kirk Hallam Community Academy, Ilkeston

Melton Vale Sixth Form College, Melton Mowbray

Full statement from Nova Education Trust

Nova Education Trust has today been subject to a sophisticated cyber attack, which has resulted in unauthorised access to the trust’s IT infrastructure.

This has resulted in the temporary shutdown of all the trust’s IT systems as a security precaution, whilst the incident is being investigated by the central IT team to determine the origin of the attack and its potential impact.

At this time, the trust and its schools have no access to standard methods of communication such as telephones or email whilst investigations are ongoing. All schools’ websites will also be offline until further notice.

Therefore, the schools will be unable to provide remote teaching today or upload new learning resources to its students. Alternative provisions for today’s teaching have been put in place.

The incident has been reported to the Department for Education and the Information Commissioner’s Office, and the trust is currently working with the National Cyber Security Centre and additional security professionals to resolve the matter.

All trust employees have been advised to take the necessary precautions.

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Meden School

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Robert Miles Infant School

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Birklands School

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Suthers School

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Victoria Primary School

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