Weapons in Cardiff educational settings: new guidance for schools
Introduction
On 24 September 2025, Cardiff Council published its “Weapons in Schools and Educational Settings Guidance[1]”, marking a significant step forward in addressing concerns around weapons in schools and wider safeguarding within Welsh Education.
The guidance sets out how schools should respond when a pupil is suspected of carrying a weapon, what steps to take if one is found, and how to ensure that families, staff, and pupils are supported in a constructive and consistent manner.
Key principles of the guidance
The document highlights several important themes:
- Consistency of approach – ensuring that schools adopt a standardised process when addressing incidents involving weapons.
- Safeguarding focus – placing pupil welfare and community safety at the heart of the response.
- Multi-agency collaboration – requiring engagement between Education, Police, Children’s Services, the Youth Service, and the Youth Justice Service.
- Prevention and early support – emphasising intervention to address the root causes of weapon carrying rather than relying solely on punitive measures.
“This document has been created to enable schools and educational settings to have a consistent approach when dealing with weapons and to understand the legal requirements around these events. It is expected that there will be a multi-agency approach involving Education, Police, Children’s Services, the Youth Service and the Youth Justice Service to support the school or educational setting in identifying suitable early interventions to disrupt the current behaviour patterns and influence positive change.” – Cardiff Council Guidance
Legal context
Although under existing law, schools have the power to search pupils for prohibited items, including weapons in Wales[2], the existing statutory Welsh guidance[3] is relatively generic, unlike the Department for Education guidance in England[4]. This new local guidance now offers an approach for schools to follow, placing emphasis on prevention and early support, rather than punitive first responses, emphasising the intended balance between understanding, safety and respect, encouraging cooperation with families, pupils, and other services.
The new Cardiff-specific guidance now offers an approach for schools to follow, placing emphasis on prevention and early support, rather than punitive first responses, emphasising the intended balance between understanding, safety and respect, encouraging cooperation with families, pupils, and other services.
It ensures that weapons in school are addressed in a way that balances legal obligations with safeguarding responsibilities.
Why this matters for safeguarding in schools
Cllr Sarah Merry, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Education at Cardiff Council, is reported to have said:
“Headteachers have been asking for revised support in this area and it’s absolutely right that we’ve worked closely with them to create something practical and useful … It’s not about creating fear; it’s about building confidence.”[5]
Given the recent escalation in violence in schools[6], this is sure to be welcomed guidance across the sector. The Welsh Government itself is reported to have described this guidance as “simple and practical advice that could be extended to other local authorities.”[7]
Conclusion
This targeted approach provides a framework that other Welsh local authorities may follow. By combining legal clarity with safeguarding priorities, Cardiff Council’s guidance emphasises early support and engagement, seeking to tackle root causes of weapon carrying, and offers schools a practical tool to address weapons in school while supporting pupils, families, and staff.
If implemented effectively, it could help deliver safer, more resilient learning environments across Wales, making it a crucial development in the evolving landscape of the Education sector.
[1] https://padlet.com/CardiffYouthService/weapons-in-schools-and-educational-settings-guidance-canllaw-i04q4hphbcc699yp/wish/NvylWEr4xxNda0OX
[2] This document contains guidance on two powers available to schools to help manage pupils’ behaviour. The powers were commenced in October 2010 and are as follows: • Section 1: The Use of Force to Control or Restrain Pupils, the powers of which are contained in Section 93 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006, which replaced Section 550A of the Education Act 1996, with minor changes. The guidance replaces that currently contained in Welsh Office Circular 37/98. • Section 2: Screening and Searching Pupils for Weapons, new powers contained in Section 45 of the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006).
[3] Safe and effective intervention – use of reasonable force and searching for weapons, 2013
[4] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/searching-screening-and-confiscation
[5] https://herald.wales/south-wales/cardiff-south-wales/cardiff-launches-new-guidance-to-help-keep-schools-and-educational-settings-safe/
[6] A stabbing at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman (Ammanford, Carmarthenshire) in April 2024 left two teachers and a pupil injured. A teenage girl was arrested.
In January 2025, a former pupil entered Newport High School l and attacked three teachers.
[7] https://www.educationreport.co.uk/2025/09/25/cardiff-issues-first-weapons-guidance-for-schools-in-wales/#:~:text=It%20sets%20out%20procedures%20for,extended%20to%20other%20local%20authorities.