The new national approach comes was announced on the same day that A 15-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and is in police custody after assualting a teacher.
Help for staff is being rolled out(Image: PA)
Help for staff confronted by pupils bringing knives and other weapons into schools, or suspected of doing so, is being rolled out in a new national initiative. As the scheme was announced by the Welsh Government A 15-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and is in police custody after assualting a teacher.
Milford Haven School was put into lockdown just after the incident at 3.25pm on Thursday February 5.
The eerily timed announcement of the new scheme, which aims to support schools when dealing with pupils bringing weapons on site, also follows the jailing of a pupil who stabbed two teachers and a pupil. There is mounting concern about agressive and bad behaviour in schools.
Teachers, school leaders and teaching unions across Wales have been calling for more support and in some instances staff have walked out in protest over violent and aggressive pupil behaviour.
Welsh Government said new resources being rolled out for all schools “aim to ensure a robust, consistent, fair and trauma informed approach; to promote understanding of legal requirements, and to provide safeguarding and support to all staff and learners, including those learners found in possession of a weapon.” For the biggest stories in Wales first sign up to our daily newsletter here
The initiative will be based on guidance issued by Cardiff Council last term telling staff how and when to search pupils bringing, or suspected of bringing, knives or other weapons into school. You can read details of Cardiff’s approach here.
National guidance, already in place, states that schools in Wales are able to screen any pupil suspected of carrying a weapon, but that does not mean all staff are confident about how and when to do so and all the legal and safety implications.
The new all-Wales resources will help with this and be based on latest evidence and best practice on dealing with pupils bringing in weapons, or threats/suspicions of weapons being brought in.
In one instance last year a school went into lockdown and armed police went to the scene after reports of a pupil with a knife. When the pupil was searched at the scene no weapon was found.
Education Minister Lynne Neagle said the aim of the new initiative was to have a consistent approach which would help keep pupils and staff safer.
It will work hand in hand with the Welsh Government’s national “safe and effective intervention” protocol which includes guidance to schools on reasonable force and searching for weapons on pupils. It also sets out how schools in Wales can search pupils suspected of carrying a weapon.
“Based on the principles of Cardiff’s Weapons in Schools and Education Settings (WISES) guidance, a working group will develop an adaptable set of resources to guide schools and local authorities across Wales,” the Welsh Government said.
The Cardiff Council WISES guidance was drawn up in response to fears over weapons in schools with help from bodies including South Wales Police, governors, trade unions, youth services and violence prevention experts.
Teaching unions broadly welcomed the plan but said more funding was needed to employ support staff to help increasing numbers of children with emotional and social problems.
Claire Armitstead, Director of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) Cymru, said: “Schools remain overwhelmingly safe places, and incidents involving weapons are rare, but when they do occur they can clearly have a huge impact on a school community.
“While schools already have policies in place for dealing with incidents of this nature, we are sure that extra resources and support will be welcomed.
“What would also be helpful is greater investment in schools, enabling them to employ more specialist staff who can intervene and support children with challenging behaviour at an early stage.
“There must also be greater efforts to tackle the use of weapons in wider society, including by investing in mental health provision and other youth services, as well as legislating over the availability and safety of knives. Schools are dealing with the symptoms of this issue, not the cause.”
Cardiff Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for education, Cllr Sarah Merry said news that Welsh Government has chosen to adopt Cardiff’s guidance as the basis for a national roll-out is a significant endorsement of the work the city developed with schools.
Cardiff”s weapons in schools guidance has already been recognised as national best practice – winning at the Wales Safer Communities Awards. Its adoption across Wales means a clear, consistent and supportive approach for schools, Cllr Merry said.
Cabinet Secretary for Education, Lynne Neagle said the new work builds on national guidance, already clear, that schools in Wales are able to screen any pupil suspected of carrying a weapon. It will help ensure a coherent approach.
“This further all Wales ‘Weapons in Schools and Educational Settings’ resources will provide more clarity for schools, learners and families to ensure that schools are a safe place,” she said.
“One of the five immediate actions from the National Behaviour Summit was to ensure we were sharing best practices between schools both locally and nationally.
“The rollout of an all-Wales protocol builds on the good work already done by Cardiff, which has been widely welcomed by headteachers, school communities and families to give a consistent approach across Wales.
“This work will be supported by up to £300,000 in funding over the next 12 months, with a view to making the resources fully available across Wales in 2027.
““The new resources will help schools to work closely with families and other services so that the right support can be put in place, whilst ensuring safety for staff and learners.”
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