School crime incidents up 15 per cent on previous year

New research commissioned by education insurer Ecclesiastical has revealed that four in five schools (79%) have experienced crime during the past 12 months, up 15% on the previous year.
 
The survey of 500 UK teachers found over a third (35%) of schools have suffered anti-social behaviour, up 7% on the previous year. Three in 10 (31%) were defaced by graffiti, up 8%, and 28% suffered trespassing, up 4%.
 
On average, crime over the past 12 months has cost schools more than £26,000, double4 the previous year.
 
Of those that experienced a crime, two in five (43%) said the crime had been committed by pupils and three in ten (31%) by ex-pupils.
 
Crime has had a detrimental impact on pupil welfare. Over a third (36%) of teachers reported pupil anxiety has increased as a result of the crimes experienced, up from a quarter of schools (25%) in 2022.  
 
The majority (88%) of schools have taken proactive steps to prevent crime during the past 12 months and investments in CCTV, alarms, and security lighting have increased5.
 
However, schools are assessing crime and security risks less frequently6 and half (50%) of teachers believe their school needs to do more to prevent crime.
 
Faith Kitchen, customer segment director at Ecclesiastical Insurance, said: “As one of the leading insurers of schools in the UK, Ecclesiastical is passionate about supporting the education sector. Our research shows schools are a prime target for criminals and it’s concerning to see four in five have suffered a crime during the past year. For schools, crime experienced within school property can be a stressful event for teachers, as it is they who are left to deal with the implications of teaching without laptops or equipment, while leadership has to tackle the expenses incurred.

"There are a number of measures schools can take to better secure school property and assets, which would ideally be a combination of both physical and electronic protection. Fencing around the perimeter can often offer a good first line of defence against unwanted visitors, while CCTV can act as a visual deterrent for those not wanting to be caught on camera.”