The visit focused on raising awareness and promoting education around knife crime; an issue that continues to be of concern both locally and nationally. Students took part in a VR experience with Virtual Decisions, in which they navigated a virtual scenario, making decisions on their actions along the way. They then engaged in conversation with Lead Facilitator Josh Bricknall to discuss the consequences of carrying a knife and how societal pressure can influence choices and behaviour.

Conversations continued in a roundtable discussion, headed by Minister of State for Crime, Policing and Fire Sarah Jones, and Martin Cosser, Founder of Charlie’s Promise, who tragically lost his son to knife crime in 2023. Students were given the opportunity to engage directly with national and local leaders, ask questions, discuss safety in their local area, and deepen their understanding of the risks and consequences associated with knife crime.

At The Howard School, leaders were clear that knife crime is not something identified as a priority concern within the school itself. Through strong relationships, open communication, an exceptional personal development curriculum and robust safeguarding systems, the school has no evidence to suggest that knife crime is an issue amongst its students. However, leaders were equally clear that this does not lead to complacency.

Mr Johal, Principal, said: “We are fortunate that knife crime is not something we are seeing within our school community. That said, we are very aware that it is a real and growing concern beyond our gates, both locally and nationally. As a school, we believe it is our responsibility to educate, to inform and to be proactive in ensuring our young people are safe, aware and able to make the right choices.”

The school places a strong emphasis on student voice and safeguarding. Students are encouraged to raise concerns through a number of routes, including a dedicated anonymous ‘Tell Us’ button on the school website, regular anonymous surveys, and through trusted relationships with staff and pastoral teams. Staff are also trained and expected to report any concerns through established safeguarding systems, ensuring that issues are identified and addressed early.

Ms Samuels, Senior Vice Principal, added: “Our approach is rooted in strong relationships and high levels of trust. We create an environment where students feel safe to speak, and where staff act quickly on any concerns. We also adopt the principle of ‘it could happen here’, which ensures that we remain vigilant and proactive at all times.”

The school works closely with external partners to support this approach, including a dedicated school community police officer who is on site weekly to build relationships with students and strengthen links with local policing. Alongside this, The Howard School engages regularly with external agencies and delivers a wide-ranging personal development programme designed to educate students around risk, responsibility and making positive choices.

The Howard School prides itself on its strong engagement with parents and the wider community, recognising that partnership is key to keeping young people safe. Events such as this form part of a broader, proactive approach to safeguarding and personal development.

Owen McColgan, Chief Executive of The Howard Academy Trust, said: “We are incredibly proud of the work taking place at The Howard School. Its extensive personal development programme ensures that young people are equipped with the knowledge they need to navigate the challenges of the modern world, while also giving them meaningful opportunities to debate, discuss and challenge ideas with their peers. This is not something that happens by chance, it is carefully planned, highly effective and embedded within the culture of the school. This visit reflects the strength of the school’s approach and its commitment to working in partnership with others to keep young people safe, informed and able to thrive.”

Mr Johal added: “We are proud of the culture we have built here at The Howard School. Days like today are not about reacting to a problem, but about doing what we always do – working together, staying informed and ensuring our students are equipped to thrive safely in the world beyond school.”