The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today (Friday, 13 October) written to the headteachers of every secondary school in London to outline the support, resources and funding available to

help prevent and tackle knife crime and violence.

Following the tragic murders of teenagers in Croydon and Edmonton in the last few weeks, the Mayor is taking action to ensure secondary schools are aware of the wide range of support available to them locally. 

The Mayor’s approach to tackling crime and the causes of crime is underpinned by the belief that violence is not inevitable, but preventable. And all key public and voluntary organisations, partners and communities must work closely together to help vulnerable young people in need of support to help prevent tragedies.

This includes support for schools via:

Enhanced police support - Schools can ask the Met to provide an officer to deliver knife crime prevention talks to students on the dangers and consequences of carrying a knife. Schools can also request a Safer Schools Officer who provides visible reassurance to the school community and build positive relationships between young people and the police. And schools can also ask the Met for knife wands to screen for weapons on school premises. These knife wands can be obtained for schools to keep or can be used by Safer Schools Officers are part of a planned operation.

Mentoring opportunities for young Londoners most in need of support. The Mayor has invested a record £34million package to support voluntary and community sector organisations to deliver high-quality mentor opportunities to young Londoners most in need and help vulnerable young people most at risk of exploitation or being drawn into violence. The scheme recognises the vital importance of a trusted adult relationship in a young person’s life and how crucial it can be in supporting those most vulnerable to exploitation being drawn into violence. Teachers searching for mentors and activities for young people can search for opportunities through the Local Village Network website.*

Toolkits to tackle violence against women and girls which are available for teachers to use, free of charge, in all secondary schools across London. The toolkit -which is funded by the Mayor and part of his wider public health approach to tackling violence against women and girls – helps boys understand why their words and attitudes towards women and girls matter and the need for them to recognise, call out and tackle sexist and misogynistic behaviour. The toolkit includes material suitable for children aged 11-18 years old and contains all the information teachers need to lead workshops, discussions and activities on teaching the next generation of men about building positive and healthy relationships with the women and girls they see and interact with every day.  

A Knife Crime toolkit to help teachers talk to young people about knife crime and help them feel supported and empowered to make the right decisions like reporting concerns and how young people are more at risk of being victims of knife crime if they carry a weapon. This toolkit includes lesson plans, group activities, resources and useful links for schools, colleges, community and faith groups.

The Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) leads a partnership approach to tackling the complex causes of violence that is rooted in prevention and early intervention. This includes investment in more than 70 schools across London, working with teachers to embed healthy relationships and conflict resolution, as well as one-to-one mentoring for young people in 30 Pupil Referral Units. This is backed up by the development of London’s Inclusion Charter, supported by funding opportunities accessed through the VRU to further build on and embed inclusive practices in schools. New Mayoral funding is also supporting 23 grassroots community organisations to deliver targeted interventions and opportunities for 17,000 children and young people aged 8-18 after school and at weekends.

Funding for prevention work. Schools can work with councils to bid for small grants of up to £5,000 from the VRU to support immediate practical measures to prevent violence. This includes practical safety measures like more CCTV, outreach youth work, and greater engagement with communities, and would be applied through and led by the local authority. 

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Every death of a young person on the streets of our city is utterly heart-breaking. I want to support our schools and hard-working teachers to access the support, resources and funding they need to help prevent and tackle violence.

“I’m determined to be tough on crime by investing and supporting our police, and tough on the complex causes through a pioneering prevention and early intervention approach led by my Violence Reduction Unit.

“I will continue working closely with London’s schools, local community groups, parents and youth workers to build a safer London for everyone.”

Lib Peck, Director of London’s Violence Reduction Unit, said: “It’s important to recognise that there are significant challenges facing young people which were further exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. Schools and teachers, who are already doing more with less, have seen the impact of this in the classroom first-hand. 

“With the support of the Mayor, the VRU is investing in mentoring in Pupil Referral Units and work on conflict resolution and embedding healthy relationships in secondary schools. This works alongside funding targeted interventions and opportunities to keep young people safe and supported in the crucial after-school period.

“We’re committed to supporting and working with schools and colleges across London to ensure children and young people are safe in order to develop and thrive.” Photo by Sadiq Khan MP, Wikimedia commons.