London’s strongest defence against knife crime is keeping children in primary school

We were quizzed on why we were focusing interventions on children as young as six or seven in primary school, and what that had to do with tackling knife crime and violence.

We always knew that school exclusions and violence were linked, but last year, hard evidence proved that a young person excluded from mainstream education is twice as likely to be involved in violence within 12 months.

It’s the reason why working with schools and putting some of our emphasis on prevention in schools remains important. The VRU treats inclusive education not as an academic luxury, but as a critical public safety intervention. Children are undeniably safer in school.

To act on this, we established London's Inclusion Charter in 2024. It builds on the existing work by schools and local authorities across London and is now supported by nearly all London Boroughs and 30 national charities. It’s underpinned by principles that prioritise education that is fully inclusive, fair, and available to all.

The Charter is backed up by £16m of investment from the Mayor of London in a range of interventions to achieve those ambitions. And we're seeing progress.

The data tells a powerful story: London’s school suspension and permanent exclusion rates have dropped to half the national average. And, following the first full year of London’s Inclusion Charter, the results show that keeping young people safely in the classroom isn't just an idealistic goal, it is an achievable reality.

The latest city-wide figures for the last academic year reveal a 14 per cent reduction in the permanent exclusion rate, a seven per cent fall in suspensions and a two per cent drop in absenteeism.

We know the education system is complex, and that wider issues like managed moves and internal exclusions mean there’s always a story behind every data set. But the reason the figures in London are noteworthy becomes clearer when we look at areas of the capital that have fully embedded Charter principles, alongside VRU-funded interventions to support oracy, neurodiversity or mentoring in a pupil referral unit.

In Sutton, for example, permanent school exclusions have plummeted by two-thirds, whilst schools in Wandsworth and Lewisham have recorded double-digit reductions in persistent absenteeism.

It shows what can be achieved by keeping children and young people in structured, supportive environments, and by giving schools the help, backing and tools they need.

And fundamentally, this has come about through partnership. Hardworking teachers, schools, the education sector more widely and local authorities are working together so that safety, belonging and learning are prioritised. At the heart of this cultural shift is our £1.4 million investment in UNICEF UK’s Rights Respecting Schools Award. Put simply, it’s centred on providing free guidance and high-quality resources to state-funded schools to embed children’s rights into their daily practices, policies and ethos.

In just over two years, more than 730 schools have taken advantage of this offer, meaning inclusive practices and children’s rights are being delivered for 360,000 pupils across the capital.

The results speak for themselves. An independent 12-month evaluation by the University of Strathclyde, which surveyed nearly 2,000 children and teachers, found that students in participating schools feel significantly safer, more included, and more connected.

Crucially, answering the age-old criticism that inclusion means turning a blind eye to behaviour that disrupts the classroom, the research showed that clear boundaries, consistent rules and clear consequences improve behaviour and attitudes. Teachers reported that a consistent approach to conflict creates a stable school environment and that, when behaviour issues arise, staff and pupils are ‘on the same page’ on actions and how they affect others.

Interventions in school do not work in isolation. It sits alongside the VRU’s public health approach to tackling violence, which has overseen a 15 per cent drop in knife crime in London in the last 12 months and record reductions in homicides of young people.

But we are committed to systematically tackling the root causes of lost learning because the importance of keeping children in school is clear.

We have built momentum over the past year, and we want to take this further still. Hundreds of schools across London are not yet taking up the free offer of embedding children’s rights available to them. We want schools to take advantage of this investment and support because the data shows it works and contributes to our ambition to ensure every young person in London is safe, supported, and given the foundation to thrive.

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Lib Peck is Director of London’s Violence Reduction Unit.

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