A BBC investigation has uncovered disturbing incidents of very young children taking knives into primary schools across England and Wales.
Police in Kent recorded an assault involving a four-year-old pupil, while officers in the West Midlands reported a six-year-old bringing a flick knife to class. The findings come as part of a wider probe that identified 1,304 knife-related offences at schools and sixth form colleges in 2024, with at least 10% involving primary-school-aged children.
The mother of 15-year-old Harvey Willgoose, who was fatally stabbed by a fellow pupil in Sheffield earlier this year, described the findings as “shocking” and urged the government to install metal detectors — or “knife arches” — in all schools and colleges.
In one case, West Midlands Police said a six-year-old told staff he “had a plan to kill” another pupil, while in another incident, a five-year-old was found carrying a 10-inch kitchen knife to show his friends.
The BBC found that nearly every police force, 41 out of 43 responded to its Freedom of Information request, with most confirming that the majority of offenders were boys, mostly teenagers.
The government, responding to the findings, said it remains committed to halving knife crime and noted that schools have the authority to implement security measures, including knife arches, where necessary.
Despite a slight drop in the overall number of knife incidents compared to 2023, data shows a rise in serious offences, such as assaults and malicious wounding, committed on school grounds.
