Targeted support for schools in knife crime hotspots

The government is launching a new programme to support schools in areas of high knife crime and improve pupils’ safety on their way to and from school. 

The £1.2 million ‘Safety In & Around Schools Partnership’ will train school leaders on knife crime risk and support schools to develop local solutions to improve pupil safety, which could include mentoring support for high-risk pupils and deploying chaperones on school routes. 

Schools will be selected using innovative hyperlocal mapping which will identify areas where knife crime is at its highest during school commuting hours. This new national mapping technology, developed by the Home Office, can identify the highest knife crime hotspots down to a precision of 0.1 square kilometres. Using micro-geography, the police can pinpoint the specific streets and times when knife crime occurs.    

More intensive and tailored support will be provided to up to 50 of these schools in areas with the highest rates of knife crime to increase schools’ ability to understand the local drivers of violence and take steps to prevent children from getting involved. This includes increased access to local support services, as well as ensuring vulnerable children have a trusted adult they can turn to and develop essential social and emotional skills that can keep them safe. 

This comes as earlier this week the government launched its plan to halve knife crime within a decade. Titled “Protecting Lives, Building Hope”, it will save lives, transform the futures of young people and protect communities across the country. 

The Safety In & Around Schools Partnership will be delivered by the Youth Endowment Fund and introduced in phases, beginning with early engagement this school year.  The more intensive support will follow in the next school year.