Successful Knife Awareness Initiative with Thames Valley Police
As part of our ongoing knife awareness education, we welcomed members of Thames Valley Police on Monday morning to demonstrate their metal detection arches. Six police officers, alongside school staff, scanned and monitored all students in Years 9 to 13 as they arrived at school, conducting bag searches as part of the process. Parents and carers had been informed about this initiative in advance.
Every student fully cooperated, allowing us to complete the process efficiently and ensure lessons started on time—a significant achievement given that more than 850 students were involved.
Two students disclosed that they had safety scissors in their GCSE Art folders, and we reminded them to borrow scissors from the school in the future rather than bringing their own. Additionally, we confiscated two combs with metal sections; however, both students proactively informed staff about these items before being scanned.
It was evident that students recognised the importance of maintaining a safe school environment for everyone.