Schools aren’t responsible for knife crime, says head of Ofsted

RESPONSIBILITY for rising knife crime cannot be “landed on schools in the absence of properly funded local services,” says the head of Ofsted.

Amanda Spielman says schools in London are not well enough supported when it comes to dealing with knife crime.

Ms Spielman says that schools do not have the ability to address the complex societal problems that lie behind the rise in knife violence.

She also says exclusions are not the root cause of the surge in knife crime.

“Children who carry knives almost invariably have complex problems that begin long before they are excluded,” the watchdog says.

In a report, Safeguarding children and young people in education from knife crime – lessons from London, Ofsted looks at how more than 100 schools, colleges, and pupil referral units (Prus) in the capital are protecting children from knife violence in school, as well as how they teach pupils to stay safe outside of school.

The report, which follows a spate of fatal teenage stabbings, says knife crime needs to be tackled by various groups, including police, local authorities and policymakers.

It also says serious violence on school grounds is “extremely rare”.