Knife confiscated from child's school bag at Bristol primary school
A knife was confiscated from a child's bag after it was brought into a Bristol primary school. Staff at Whitehall Primary School responded to reports from pupils that a child was in possession of a knife in their bag on Tuesday (May 21).
According to the school's headteacher, Tom Burton, staff responded swiftly and asked the child to retrieve the knife from their bag. The child handed over the small vegetable knife to the school staff who then confiscated the item.
Bristol City Council, Avon and Somerset Police and Bristol Safeguarding Team were made aware of the incident. No one was harmed, but senior school figures aimed to "handle this issue sensitively and to safeguard all the children involved and avoid further harm."
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Parents and guardians were initially informed about the incident via text message on Tuesday afternoon, with Mr Burton now sending a letter home to clarify what happened. He aimed to reassure parents and guardians that "all appropriate steps have been taken to ensure children and staff are safe".
He said: "Children reported to staff that a child said they had a knife in their bag. Staff responded swiftly and asked the child to retrieve the knife from their bag and hand it over, which they did.
"The knife was a small vegetable knife, typical of what could be found in most kitchen drawers. The issue was immediately reported to the Police and the Local Authority who we have been working with since to handle this issue sensitively and to safeguard all the children involved and avoid further harm.
"Although no one was harmed, we are very aware of the distress this has caused to the children and families in our community.
"We are taking this issue very seriously. We have spoken to the whole [year group] about this situation and are arranging suitable support for all children who have been impacted.
"We would also like to reach out to parents, carers and our wider community to work with us to keep our young people safe. We know that family members, friends and carers of young people are nearly always the first people to notice that a young person is at risk of carrying knives or weapons."
A spokesman for Avon and Somerset said: "Police Officers attended a primary school in east Bristol on Wednesday, May 22 following an incident earlier this week in which a child was found to be in possession of a small kitchen knife. The knife was confiscated by a member of the school's staff and the incident was then reported to police.
"The incident is being treated very seriously and while we recognise this incident will be concerning for parents and carers, it is something that is incredibly rare. The child has been referred to the Bristol Child Out of Court Disposal Panel and they will be supported by the Youth Justice Service - in line with national guidance - to ensure they understand the very serious risks and consequences of this behaviour.
"We will be working closely with the school and our other partners to ensure the right support services are in place."