School-based measures to tackle knife crime

The government has unveiled a wide-ranging strategy to tackle knife crime, placing school attendance, early intervention, and mental health support at the centre of its plan.

The plan, titled Protecting Lives, Building Hope, sets out a series of measures aimed at addressing the root causes of youth violence and keeping vulnerable pupils engaged in school.

The new schools White Paper, Every Child Achieving and Thriving, proposes clearer guidance on behaviour management. Schools will be given a national framework for the use of internal suspensions, designed to provide a “reset” for pupils while keeping them in a safe learning environment rather than sending them home, where they may disengage.

To minimise disruption to education, schools will also be required to provide work for the first five days of any exclusion. Alongside this, parents will play a more active role through new “Reintegration Support Partnerships”, bringing families and schools together to agree structured plans for a child’s return after suspension.

Improving attendance is another key pillar of the strategy. A network of 93 Attendance and Behaviour Hubs is already working with schools to tackle persistent absence and behavioural issues—factors closely linked to youth violence. The government will expand this effort with a £15 million attendance mentoring programme, targeting 10,000 persistently absent pupils with tailored, one-to-one support.

In addition, new “severe absence” pilots will deploy specialist practitioners to work with local authorities on children missing more than half of their schooling, helping develop evidence-based approaches that can be rolled out nationally.

The plan also strengthens support for vulnerable children. New guidance will help social workers and other professionals improve coordination across agencies to ensure at risk pupils, such as those in care or on protection plans - are consistently identified and supported.

Schools will also be encouraged to adopt successful practices from Alternative Provision Specialist Taskforce pilots. These initiatives embed teams of specialists - including youth workers and therapists - within schools to provide early intervention for pupils at risk of exclusion, reducing their vulnerability to involvement in violence.

Ministers have also confirmed that schools can use pupil premium funding to support programmes that address behaviour, emotional wellbeing, and violence prevention.

Mental health support is set for significant expansion. The government plans to roll out Mental Health Support Teams to all schools and colleges in England by 2029, ensuring pupils have earlier access to help. An additional £13 million will fund enhanced training for staff to better support children dealing with trauma, neurodivergence, and other complex needs.