Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of knife crime education programmes in secondary schools.

The department is funding the Youth Endowment Fund to build the evidence base on what works to prevent children and young people becoming involved in violence, including knife crime, and to make this evidence and practical resources available to schools. Schools can draw on this evidence-informed guidance, alongside resources such as the ‘Leading violence prevention in education: putting what works into action’ programme delivered in partnership with the department.

The government is committed to preventing children and young people from becoming involved in violence and knife crime. Through statutory relationships, sex and health education, secondary schools are expected to teach pupils about personal safety, the risks associated with weapons, gangs and exploitation, and the consequences of involvement in crime and violence.

Education has a vital role to play in preventing violence, and schools are best placed to determine how this content is delivered, taking account of the needs of their pupils and local circumstances, including through engagement with police, youth services and other local partners.