Northern Ireland Schools Receive New Threatening Emails as Police Investigate

Schools across Northern Ireland have received another threatening email. The Education Authority says there is no evidence of a credible threat at this stage. One primary school has reassured parents that police believe the message is a hoax and that pupils remain safe.

New Threatening Emails Sent to Northern Ireland Schools

A large number of Northern Ireland schools have received another threatening email today (Wednesday 11 November), prompting renewed contact between school leaders, the Education Authority (EA) and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

The Education Authority has confirmed that the latest message contains similarities to a previous threat circulated in October, which police subsequently declared a hoax.

In a public statement, the EA said:

“At this stage, we have not been made aware of any evidence of any credible threat to schools. Investigations are continuing.”

The authority stressed that responsibility for determining whether a threat is credible rests with the PSNI.

Primary School Reassures Parents That Children Are Safe

Acorn Integrated Primary School is among the schools to have received the latest threatening email.

In a communication to parents and carers seen by Northern Ireland Online, the school confirmed that it immediately activated its established safety procedures.

Staff contacted the PSNI and Education Authority for guidance before carrying out checks of the school premises.

Following advice from the authorities, the school informed families that the email was believed to be a hoax and that no credible threat had been identified.

The school confirmed:

“All children are safe and will remain in school as planned.”

The school also reassured parents that checks had been completed and no risk to pupils or staff had been identified on the site.

According to the communication, some schools were initially advised to evacuate while the nature of the threat was assessed.

However, Acorn IPS said subsequent police guidance indicated that the email formed part of a province-wide hoax rather than a threat directed at an individual school.

It added that schools had been advised to remain open and continue normal operations.

This information reflects the advice communicated directly to Acorn IPS. A separate public PSNI statement confirming the final assessment of today’s incident has not yet been verified.

Education Authority Working With Police

The Education Authority has acknowledged the concern caused by the renewed threats, particularly for pupils, parents and school staff.

The authority confirmed that it was liaising with the PSNI and would provide further information following engagement with police.

Schools have been reminded to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity.

The EA also sought to reassure families that it would continue supporting schools throughout the investigation.

Similar Threats Sent to Hundreds of Schools in October

Today’s incident follows a widespread security alert on Monday 19 October 2026, when hundreds of schools across Northern Ireland received threatening emails.

During that incident, the PSNI confirmed that up to 300 schools had reported receiving the same generalised threat.

Police investigations established that the earlier email had originated outside the United Kingdom.

Following checks, officers said they were treating the incident as a hoax and assessed the risk to the public as low.

Although some schools temporarily closed, the majority remained open.

The Education Authority subsequently condemned the unnecessary alarm and disruption caused to pupils, families and school communities.

Read the PSNI statement from 19 October.

Advice for Parents and Carers

Parents are encouraged to follow official communications from their child’s school rather than rely on unverified social media reports.

Schools will continue to follow advice from police and education authorities.

Anyone who notices suspicious activity should report it to the PSNI by calling 101, or 999 in an emergency.

Further updates about the latest threatening emails are expected as police enquiries continue.

Northern Ireland Online will continue to follow this developing story and share verified updates as they become available.

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