Pupils may very well be chaperoned on method dwelling from faculty to chop knife crime
Up to 250 schools in high knife crime hotspots will receive specialist training and support to divert children from serious violence under a new government-backed plan
Headteachers will be trained on knife crime risk, while chaperones could be deployed on school routes(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Pupils could be monitored by chaperones on their walk to and from school in a bid to tackle spiralling teen knife crime.
Up to 250 schools in high knife crime hotspots will receive specialist training and support to divert children from serious violence.
Headteachers will be trained on knife crime risk, while chaperones could be deployed on school routes. Mentoring for high-risk pupils is also among solutions to be tried.
The plans are part of a new Safety In and Around Schools Partnership, launched by the Government, that will invest £1.2million to support schools in areas of high knife crime and improve pupils’ safety on their way to and from school. Some 50 of the schools in areas with the highest rates of knife crime will receive more intensive support, including increased access to local support services.
Schools will be selected using hyperlocal mapping to 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.
The scheme will be delivered by the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) and introduced in phases, beginning with early engagement this school year. The more intensive support will follow in the next school year.
In 2021-22, a pilot chaperone programme in the West Midlands, funded by YEF and the Home Office, commissioned 10 local voluntary and community sector organisations to provide staff members as chaperones across 18 routes associated with 24 schools. On average, six chaperones were present on each route for at least two hours daily at the start and end of each school day.
The ‘Step Together’ scheme was inspired by a programme in Chicago, where community organisations hire, train and place neighbourhood residents along specified routes to and from schools.
Since the start of this Parliament, knife crime is down by 8% and the number of knife related homicides and hospital admissions with a sharp object are at their lowest level in a decade, the Home Office said.
It comes as the Government is set to launch its “‘Protecting Lives, Building Hope” plan, which sets out a roadmap for halving knife crime within a decade.
Research from the YEF in 2024 found a third (33%) of teenagers avoid certain places or social events because of fear of violence. For over a fifth (22%), the anxiety has taken a toll on their mental health, disrupting sleep, suppressing appetite and making it harder to focus in school.
Martin and Tara Cosser, who set up charity Charlie’s Promise after their 17-year-old son Charlie was fatally stabbed, said: “While this investment is very much welcomed, it must not be limited to specific areas.
“Knife crime affects communities across the UK, and we hope to see this level of commitment extended nationwide. Only through a consistent, country-wide approach rooted in prevention and education can we truly turn the tide and keep young people safe.”
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said: “I am determined that this Government will be the one that finally turns the tide on knife crime, through the kind of sustained, coordinated action that gives the next generation a genuine chance.”
Crime and Policing Minister Sarah Jones said: “No child should fear walking to school. That is why we must prevent violence from ever occurring. With the right support, the right opportunities and the right interventions in the right places, we can prevent harm long before a young person finds themselves in danger.”
Children’s Minister Josh MacAlister added: “Schools do incredible work keeping children safe every day, and this new partnership will make sure they have even more tools and expertise at their disposal, giving children the best possible chance to achieve and thrive.”
