THE number of children suspended for carrying weapons in school has rocketed in two years.
A record 14,770 were sent home for it last year — up 12 per cent from 2022 to almost 80 a day.
PAHarvey Willgoose, 15, was stabbed to death by a pupil the same age at All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield in February[/caption]
Seized weapons included everyday school items such as scissors and dinner knives, but also Stanley knives, BB guns and even Taser stun guns.
And 25 cases involved reception class kids aged four or five.
Aerosol cans and lighters were also used to make home-made flame-throwers.
Christopher McGovern, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, said: “Some schools are more like war zones than places of education.”
The alarming stats come after Harvey Willgoose, 15, was stabbed to death by a pupil the same age at All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield in February.
His mum Caroline is calling for knife scanner arches in all schools.
She said: “I don’t want another child to be where Harvey is, and the main thing for me, is knife arches in every school. The one place where children should be safe and feel safe is school.”
The Department of Education stats show Year 9 pupils aged 14 were the most likely to carry weapons.
Those permanently excluded for carrying weapons rose from 549 in 2022 to 703 in 2024.
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