Data from 32 police forces show that 2,579 weapons were seized at primary and secondary schools in England and Wales between April 2016 and the beginning of 2017. 20% of them were knives including samurai swords.
Over the same period, 1,369 weapons were discovered an increase of a fifth compared with the previous full year. 26 guns, a police baton, a rolling pin and a metal rod were also seized, according to figures released to the Press Association under the Freedom of Information Act.
It comes amid mounting concerns over violent behaviour in schools and the ongoing problem of gang culture in cities. Teachers and students have been attacked, stabbed and even killed in recent years. Some forces have launched a crackdown on knife crime in schools.
In 2014 teacher Ann Maguire was stabbed to death at Corpus Christi Catholic College in Leeds by pupil Will Cornick, 15. And in 2015, another teacher, Vincent Uzomah, was seriously injured when he was stabbed at Dixons Kings Academy in Bradford by a 14-year-old pupil.
The data came from only 32 of the 43 police forces in England and Wales, which could indicate that the true numbers of weapons seized by police is likely to be far higher.
Christian founder of Word for Weapons Michael Smith, told Premier that schools could work with the church to tackle knife crime. He felt that younger children could be carrying weapons on behalf of older children and adults. "They've become smarter . . . now putting weapons in the hands of juveniles who will not face prosecution through the criminal justice system. And they are doing it because they know that there is a higher risk of them being stopped and searched".