No Knives Better Lives

KCSIE 2021 – (CCE)

‘Children can become trapped by this type of exploitation as perpetrators can threaten victims (and their families) with violence, or entrap and coerce them into debt. They may be coerced into carrying weapons such as knives or begin to carry a knife for a sense of protection from harm from others. As children involved in criminal exploitation often commit crimes themselves, their vulnerability as victims is not always recognised by adults and professionals, (particularly older children), and they are not treated as victims despite the harm they have experienced’.

Kirklees Headteachers share the concerns of parents and carers in relation to the risk faced by both young people who choose to carry knives and those around them. Head Teachers in every school in Kirklees are united in working towards educating young people of the dangers and consequences of knife crime.

In collaboration with Kirklees Heads, West Yorkshire Police and Kirklees Youth Offending Service, Ethos Academy Trust coordinates the ‘No Knives Better Lives’ initiative in Kirklees to support schools in remaining safe places for young people. This project is available to all schools as an alternative to permanent exclusion.

Please note the DFE changed the exclusions code in August 2020 to capture weapon related incidents. These are now recorded as OW – Use or threat of use of an offensive weapon or prohibited item. In 2020/21 OW accounted for 18.87% of all permanent exclusion notifications (mainstream secondary schools).