Thousands of children caught with weapons in school

More than a thousand children, including a four-year-old boy found with a knife, have been caught attempting to carry weapons into school, figures show. Data obtained by the Press Association under freedom of information laws found that there were 1072 such seizures in the last financial year, up from 831 in the year previous. The data did not, however, cover statistics from the biggest force, the Metropolitan Police in London.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, stated: “The scourge of weapons has grown worse in recent years, and while there are a number of complex factors involved, a key issue has been cuts in policing and local support services for vulnerable families.”

A spokesman for the Department for Education said that £10m had been invested in “behaviour hubs” to share information between schools on improving their approach to protecting students and reducing risk. “We have strengthened teachers' powers so they can take action if they suspect a pupil has brought a prohibited item, including knives, into school,” concluded the spokesman.

Boy, 4, found with knife as more pupils carry weapons (The Times) Knife crime epidemic sweeps our schools - including boy, 4, caught with blade (The Daily Mirror) Child, four, among pupils taking weapons to school (BBC) Four-year-old among thousands of children caught with weapons in school, figures show (The Independent)

Why should this matter to me?

It’s a daunting task for teachers to tackle weaponry in school. It is critical that teachers and school staff stay safe and know how to protect their students, and how to use the new powers introduced by the Department of Education. With that in mind, there may be an increased demand for training and educational materials both for staff and students. It may also indicate that schools would be more willing to invest in student enrichment, such as new materials or facilities, to make schools feel fun, safe and inclusive.